The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Forces in Hong Kong joined local people Saturday to plant Bauhinia trees, Hong Kong's city flower trees, at the Gun Club Hill Barracks, Gascoigne Road.

The tree-planting was part of the "Partnership Scheme on Planting of Bauhinia Trees in Yau Tsim Mong (YTM) District" launched in mid-2001.

YTM district is composed of three hot tourist places of Hong Kong.

Chairman of the YTM District Council Chow Chun-fai, who participated in the tree planting, said the Bauhinia trees helped spruce up the environment as well as to improve the air quality in the vicinity of the barracks.

He noted that the 81 trees planted Saturday had brought the total number of the Bauhinia trees planted under the scheme to 780.

Chow thanked the PLA and other organizations for their support in the scheme.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2002)