The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

s for

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...

, surrounded by

Wong Nai Chung Road Wong Nai Chung Road ( Chinese: 黃泥涌道) is a major road in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. It is a U-shaped road that encircles the southern and eastern sides of the Happy Valley Racecourse. Location Wong Nai Chung Road starts northeast at the j ...

and Morrison Hill Road. The capacity of the venue is 55,000.

History

It was first built in 1845 to provide horse racing for the British people in Hong Kong. The area was previously swampland, but the only flat ground suitable for horse racing on Hong Kong Island. To make way for the racecourse,

Hong Kong Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...

prohibited rice growing by villages in the surrounding area. The first race ran in December 1846. Over the years, horse racing became more and more popular among the Chinese residents. On 26 February 1918, a temporary grandstand collapsed, knocking over hot food stalls that set bamboo matting ablaze. In the fire that ensued at least 590 people died. Over the years, facilities have been added and extended, including extensively in 1995.

Facilities

The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of two racecourses in Hong Kong used by the

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...

for horse racing meets, the other being the

Sha Tin Racecourse Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club. Penfold Park is encircled by the track, and the Hon ...

. Races in Happy Valley usually take place on Wednesday nights and are open to the public as well as members of the Club. The Happy Valley Racecourse and its seven-storey stands are capable of accommodating approximately 55,000 spectators. The inner field of the course contains sports and leisure facilities such as

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

and

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

fields, managed by the

Leisure and Cultural Services Department 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 ...

."Happy Valley Recreation Ground"
''LCSD''. Retrieved 4 March 2012

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum (or Hong Kong Racing Museum) was set up in 1995 and opened on 18 October 1996."The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum"
/ref> It is now located on the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand of the racecourse. There are four galleries in the museum: * The Origin of Our Horses: Shows the migration route horses travelled in the early days from the northern part of China to Hong Kong. * Shaping Sha Tin: Exhibits the history of construction of

. * Understanding Horses: Exhibits the skeleton of the three-time Hong Kong Champion ''Silver Lining''. * Thematic Exhibitions: The history of the Jockey Club is exhibited. Selected charitable organisations and community projects supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust are also displayed in this gallery. There is also a cinema and a souvenir shop in the museum.

References

External links

Hong Kong Jockey ClubHong Kong Racing Museum
{{Coord, 22, 16, 22, N, 114, 10, 56, E, region:HK_type:landmark, display=title Happy Valley, Hong Kong Horse racing venues in Hong Kong Landmarks in Hong Kong Tourist attractions in Hong Kong Sports venues completed in 1845 1845 establishments in Hong Kong

History

Facilities

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum

See also

References

External links