The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural activities for the people of Hong Kong, which was also one of the tasks of the former Urban Council, and Regional Council and Home Affairs Bureau. It manages various public facilities around Hong Kong including public libraries, swimming pools, and sports centres. The well-known Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum are among several museums also managed by the department. It was established in 2000 and its headquarters is in Shatin, New Territories.
The department was previously headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs before July 2022.
List of directors for LCSD
Thomas Chow Tat-ming (2000–2009) Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, JP (2009–2014) Michelle Li Mei-sheung, JP (2014–2019) Vincent LIU Ming-kwong, JP
Facilities and services
Museums
Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware
Hong Kong Film Archive
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
Hong Kong Museum of History
Hong Kong Railway Museum
Hong Kong Science Museum
Hong Kong Space Museum
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
Law Uk Folk Museum
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum
Sam Tung Uk Museum
Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
Parks
Most public parks and gardens are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Public libraries
Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) consists of 67 static and 10 mobile libraries offering a total collection of 12.3 million items of books, audio/video materials, newspapers and periodicals, etc. Among the most significant libraries are the Hong Kong Central Library, Kowloon Public Library, and Sha Tin Public Library.
Sports and fitness
The LCSD operates two stadia (Hong Kong Stadium and Mong Kok Stadium) and numerous sports grounds, indoor sporting halls and courts, and public swimming pools. It also manages and provides lifeguards at gazetted beaches.
Sports Subvention Scheme
Under the Sports Subvention Scheme, the LCSD provides recurrent subvention to 58 national sports associations (NSAs) in Hong Kong, at levels ranging from around HK$0.5 million to HK$10 million (in 2011–12). Until 2004–2005, NSAs received subventions from the statutory Hong Kong Sports Development Board. NSAs are members of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, which is the National Olympic Committee in Hong Kong responsible for the co-ordination of all local sports organizations and the promotion of sports in Hong Kong.
National security
In August 2023, it said that the next operator of the Avenue of Stars would have to comply with national security concerns.