Happy Valley ( zh, first=t, t=跑馬地) is an upper-income residential

area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, located on

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...

. The area is bordered by Caroline Hill to the east, Jardine's Lookout to the south, Morrison Hill to the west, and

Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...

to the north. Administratively, it is part of

Wan Chai District Wan Chai District is one of the districts of Hong Kong, 18 districts of Hong Kong. Of the four on Hong Kong Island, it is north-central, and had 166,695 residents in 2021, an increase from 152,608 residents in 2011. The district has the sec ...

. Happy Valley is considered as an area surrounded by Caroline Hill Road to the east, Tai Hang Road and

Stubbs Road Stubbs Road (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 司徒拔道) is a road located in Mid-Levels East, Central, Hong Kong, Central, Hong Kong, which connects Happy Valley, Hong Kong, Happy Valley to Victoria Peak, The Peak area on Hong Kong Isl ...

to the south, Canal Road Flyover and westbound section of

Wong Nai Chung Road Wong Nai Chung Road is a major road in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. It is a U-shaped road that encircles the southern, western and eastern sides of the Happy Valley Racecourse. Location Wong Nai Chung Road starts northeast at the junction wit ...

to the west, and

Leighton Road Leighton Road () is a main road in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. It begins east of Causeway Road and ends at the west of the junction with Morrison Hill Road and Canal Road. History Part of the road skirts Leighton Hill to its north while part o ...

to the north. The area is home to the Happy Valley Racecourse, Hong Kong Racing Museum, Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, home to a number of sports clubs including Valley RFC rugby club, Craigengower Cricket Club, Hong Kong FC football club, and a number of cemeteries including the

Hong Kong Cemetery Hong Kong Cemetery, formerly Hong Kong (Happy Valley) Cemetery and before that Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery, is one of the early Christian cemeteries in Hong Kong dating to its colonial era beginning in 1845. It is located beside the racecour ...

. It has a population of 32,202 people, 70.7% of them being Chinese. Other ethnic minority groups include Filipinos (12.8%) and whites (6.3%).

History

The area now known as Happy Valley was formerly known as Wong Nai Chung Valley, sometimes known as Wong Nai Chung Kuk () or Wong Nai Chung Valley because of the (, ''lit.'' yellow mud stream) that leads into the area, where the Wong Nai Chung referred to is a mud-filled river collecting waters from the

Wong Nai Chung Gap Wong Nai Chung Gap () is a geographic gap in the middle of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The gap is between Mount Nicholson and Jardine's Lookout behind Wong Nai Chung (Happy Valley). Five roads meet at the gap: Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, ...

and surrounding area. The river nourished the rice paddies until the construction of Happy Valley Racecourse in 1846. In early 1840, the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

set a military camp in the area. However, the camp was later closed due to the increasing number of soldiers succumbing to

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

. The cause of malaria was unknown at the time and the soldiers apparently suffered a then-unknown fever. Early settlers had suggested the area to be used as a business centre, but the idea was shelved due to the valley's marshy environment, which was believed to be causing fatal diseases. The death rate in the area and

Victoria City Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

was high in the early colonial days, and the valley became a burial ground for the dead. As a result, the valley was renamed ''Happy Valley'', a common euphemism for cemeteries. In 1846, the British felt that the valley terrain was ideal for horse-racing, and thus cleared the paddy fields and developed the Happy Valley Racecourse. For this, the Wong Nai Chung river was redirected to the Bowrington Canal, known as Ngo Keng Kan () locally, concurrent with the reclamation of

Wan Chai Wan Chai (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 灣仔) is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is bounded by Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal St ...

. The canal is now covered by Canal Road. On 26 February 1918, the Happy Valley Racecourse fire claimed at least 590 lives. By the next day, as many as 576 confirmed deaths were reported by the Hong Kong Telegraph. It was caused by the collapse of a temporary grandstand, which knocked over food stalls and set bamboo matting ablaze. Most of the dead bodies became unrecognizable and assumed to be "Chinese". They were buried in the nearby So Kon Po area (now the site of

Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the original Government Stadium, it reopened as Hong Kong Stadium in March 1994. It has a maximum seating capacity of 40,000, including 18,260 at the main level, 3,173 at ...

). A Chinese-styled memorial site known as " Race Course Fire Memorial" was built in the Chinese cemetery (now behind the east stand of the stadium). In 1922, the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital located in Happy Valley started operation. On 19 December 1941, the

Japanese Imperial Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

entered the hill east of the valley and fought their way to Blue Pool Road. On (now Blue Pool Road) a number of large massacres occurred, most notably the Blue Pool Road Massacre, where civilians were bayoneted. Civilians and soldiers captured were kept in the appalling conditions of 'the black hole of Hong Kong' (a house on Blue Pool Road). The Japanese later advanced up to Wong Nai Chung Gap, where the battle of

occurred, resulting in Japanese control of the gap. Although the low-areas of Happy Valley were captured, areas surrounding Leighton Hill and Morrison Hill were still contested until later in the Battle of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) resumed horse racing in 1947. From the 2010s, the HKJC began promoting Happy Valley as a tourist attraction with "Happy Wednesday" race nights, featuring live music, beer gardens and food stalls attracting around 8,000–12,000 spectators per meeting.

Characteristics

Happy Valley is made up of upper-income residential areas. Residents are relatively diverse as to Hong Kong natives and foreigners. Two of the territory's tallest residential buildings, Highcliff and The Summit are specifically in

, facing Mount Nicholson. Happy Valley hosts six cemeteries, from south to north, the Happy Valley Jewish Cemetery, the Hindu Cemetery, the Parsee Cemetery,

, St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, and the Muslim Cemetery. The Hong Kong Racing Museum and the associated Happy Valley Racecourse, one of the two tracks of the

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was founded in 1884 and is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. In 1960, it was granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name in 19 ...

, is in Happy Valley. Whenever a race runs, surrounding traffic patterns have to be changed: cars have to enter Happy Valley and the racecourse via

in a clockwise fashion, and the road may be heavily congested. The stadium lights in the racecourse illuminate nearby buildings even when the buildings themselves are unlit. Many other sports are participated and competed in by Hong Kong First Division's Happy Valley Athletic Association.

Climate

Happy Valley is often a hot spot in Hong Kong. On 8 August 2015, Happy Valley recorded a temperature of .

Residential developments

Happy Valley is primarily an upscale residential area. *Blue Pool Lodge (No. 2, 6 & 10 Blue Pool Road) *Friendship Court (No. 12-22 Blue Pool Road) *23-39 Blue Pool Road (No. 23-39 Blue Pool Road) *Valley View Terrace (No. 68 Blue Pool Road) *The Leighton Hill (No. 2A Broadwood Road) *Broadville (No. 4 Broadwood Road) * Beverly Hill (No. 6 Broadwood Road) *Villa Rocha (No. 10 Broadwood Road) *Villa Lotto (No. 18 Broadwood Road) *Broadview Villa (No. 20 Broadwood Road) *Broadwood Park (No. 38 Broadwood Road) *Caroline Garden (No. 101 Caroline Hill Road) *Silverwood (No. 109 Caroline Hill Road) *Celeste Court (No. 10-12 Fung Fai Terrace) *Felix Villa (No. 10-12A Happy View Terrace) *Caroline Height (No. 1 Link Road) *Jade Terrace (No. 3 Link Road) *Greenway Terrace (No. 5-7 Link Road) *The Altitude (No. 20 Shan Kwong Road) * Highcliff (No. 41

) * The Summit (No. 41C

) *The Colonnade (No. 152 Tai Hang Road) *Winfield Building (No. 1-5 Ventris Road) *Pioneer Court (No. 17 Ventris Road) *Ventris Place (No. 19-23B Ventris Road) *San Francisco Towers (No. 29-35 Ventris Road) *Panny Court (No. 5 Village Road) *Village Terrace (No. 35-41 Village Terrace) *Splendour Court (No. 53

) Several serviced apartments can be found here: *Eaton Residences (No. 4H Village Road) *Happy Valley 88 (42 Blue Pool Road) *The Ellipsis (No. 5-7 Blue Pool Road) *The Ventris (No. 20 Ventris Road) *Treasure View (No. 22 Sing Woo Road) *V Happy Valley (No. 68 Sing Wood Road) *Eight Kwai Fong (No. 8 Kwai Fong Street)

Education

Happy Valley is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 12. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Hennessy Road Government Primary School and Sir Ellis Kadoorie (Sookunpo) Primary School. Happy Valley is home to a number of prestigious institutions, international schools, and special education. Located on Blue Pool Road, Marymount Secondary School is a prestigious all-girls Roman Catholic Secondary School. The school is academically rigorous and students are known for excellence in open examinations, especially for the English Language. Its affiliated primary school Marymount Primary School is adjacent to the secondary school. Located on Ventris Road, St. Paul's Secondary School is a prestigious Anglo-Chinese all-girls Roman Catholic secondary school. The school is renowned for its outstanding basketball team. Its affiliated primary school St. Paul's Primary Catholic School is adjacent to the secondary school. Located on Blue Pool Road, the Lycée Français International Victor Segalen, the French international school, maintains its Blue Pool Road campus, housing the administration and secondary school section, in Happy Valley. Located on Blue Pool Road, the

Hong Kong Japanese School The Hong Kong Japanese School and Japanese International School (HKJS&JIS) is a Nihonjin gakko, Japanese international school in Hong Kong. It consists of a Japanese section and international section. The Hong Kong Japanese School Limited operat ...

's Happy Valley Campus is in the community.About JISArchive
.

. Retrieved on 12 January 2015. The Happy Valley campus houses the primary education section, and in April 2018 the junior high school section moved there too. Located on Blue Pool Road, offers special education for children with mild intellectual disability.

Transport

Hong Kong Tramways extended their network into Happy Valley in 1922,hktramways
/ref> and the community has been served by the trams ever since. The extension has one terminus. Residents can access the

MTR The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...

station via minibuses or trams. Aberdeen Tunnel,

and Canal Road Flyover also serve as the major thoroughfares in Happy Valley. Happy Valley has three bus terminals, of which two are located above Happy Valley on Tai Hang Road and

and one on

. The terminus furthest up the hill serves bus route No. 8X that goes to Island Resort,

Siu Sai Wan Siu Sai Wan () is a residential area in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located in the eastern part of Chai Wan, and is administratively under the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern District. The population wa ...

. The upper terminus (also on the hill) serves one of Hong Kong's oldest bus routes ( No. 1) which spans from Green Lane of Happy Valley to Central. The lower bus terminus serves bus route No. 117, going to

Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po () is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui ...

Major thoroughfares, roads and streets

HK HV Happy Valley Broadwood Rd Wong Nai Chung

* Blue Pool Road * Briar Avenue * Broadwood Road * Broom Road * Caroline Hill Road * Fung Fai Terrace * Green Lane * Happy View Terrace * Hawthorn Road * Holly Road * King Kwong Street * Link Road * Shan Kwong Road * Sing Woo Crescent * Sing Woo Road * Sports Road *

* Tai Hang Road * Ventris Road * Village Road * Village Terrace *

* Yik Yam Street * Yuk Sau Street

References

External links

Happy Valley Community Home Page

Happy Valley Residents' Organisation
{{coord, 22, 16, N, 114, 11, E, display=title, region:CN_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Wan Chai District