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The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for
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,
"Happy Valley Recreation Ground"
''LCSD''. Retrieved 4 March 2012
/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 Sha Tin Racecourse. * 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.
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
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 and Morrison Hill Road Morrison may refer to:
People
* Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison
* Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet
* Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant
Places in the United States
* Morrison, Colorado
...
. 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 for horse racing meets, the other being the Sha Tin Racecourse. 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 asfootball
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 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.''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 Sha Tin Racecourse. * 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.
See also
* Hong Kong Tourism BoardReferences
External links
Hong Kong Jockey Club
{{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