*********************************************
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will offer free admission to its normally fee-charging museums, indoor sports facilities and swimming pools on July 1 and 2 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
A spokesman for the department said the museums to be opened free on July 1 and 2 would be the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Museum of History, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence and Hong Kong Space Museum.
Free admission also applies to the thematic exhibitions, including Museum of Art's "The Pride of China: Masterpieces of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy of the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties from the Palace Museum" exhibition, Heritage Museum's "Splendour and Mystery of Ancient Shu: Cultural Relics from Sanxingdui and Jinsha" exhibition and Science Museum's "Soaring Dinosaurs: Chinese Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life" exhibition.
The opening hours of the museums on July 1 and 2 are as follows:
Heritage Museum 10am to 7pm
Museum of History 10am to 7pm
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum 10am to 7pm
Museum of Coastal Defence 10am to 5pm
Science Museum 10am to 9pm
Space Museum 10am to 9pm
Museum of Art 9am to 6pm (July 1);
9am to 9pm (July 2)
"To enable more people to enjoy the free admission and to ensure public safety, admission to the museums, except for the Space Museum, will be regulated through hourly admission sessions. The Exhibition Halls of the Space Museum will be run on a two-hour admission session while the Stanley Ho Space Theatre of the museum will have nine screening sessions of Sky Show with each session lasting 30 to 40 minutes," the spokesman said.
"Interested parties are advised to collect admission tickets in advance and visit the museums at the time slot specified on the ticket.
"More than 59,000 free tickets will be issued for the museum open days. These tickets will be available for collection on a first-come, first-served basis at 34 URBTIX outlets, as well as the box offices of the Museum of Art, Science Museum and Space Museum starting from 10am on June 24. Each person can obtain a maximum of four tickets," the spokesman said.
Department indoor sports facilities will also be opened free on July 1 and 2. They include 88 sports centres, 19 badminton, squash and table tennis venues, Queen Elizabeth Stadium (badminton courts, squash courts and table tennis room) and 36 public swimming pools (except Wan Chai).
Booking of department indoor sports facilities can be made at any of the Leisure Link counters starting from 10am on June 24 on a first-come, first-served basis. Booking services on internet and telephone will not be provided. Each person can book only one session of one facility for each of the two days.
For free admission to department swimming pools, no prior booking is required. Interested parties can go directly to the swimming pools during the opening hours on July 1 and 2.
For details of the free admission to department venues, the addresses of the URBTIX outlets and the Leisure Link counters, please visit the department's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/specials/10/en/index.php.
Ends/Thursday, June 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:20
NNNN