Happy Valley Racecourse

I was invited to dinner at the racecourse by my friend, Tony. It was my first time there and I had a great time. I even won some money on the horses :) And we got to get to the Restricted Area which the horses and jockeys come in after the race. Managed to take some closeups. It's a fabulous experience. Now I understand why people love going to the racecourse- the atmosphere is just awesome.
Behind the scene on the race track (in the Restricted Zone)


Jockey returning after a race

You can see hundreds of fans on the gallery stands- the entrance fee for the public stands is HKD$20 per head (any persons under 18 is not allowed in the Jockey Club Premises). So for just $20, you can experience the excitement of betting on horses live, surrounded by the adrenaline of hundreds of local horseracing fans or professional gamblers.

However, if you are looking for a "quieter" and more "comfortable" experience, you can try the buffet dinner at the jockey club. You can even dine and watch the race even if you aren't a member. As overseas visitors, you can buy a "Racing in Style" package. The price include a buffet dinner, freeflow of wines, softdrinks, beers and orange juice, and a spectacular view of the racecourse. Further details can be found on the Hong Kong Jockey Club website: http://www.hongkongjockeyclub.com It's of reasonable price and I'm sure it's definitely a memorable experience for visitors to Hong Kong.

Collecting my winnings from the booth

Anyway, there's a story that I would like to share with you about Happy Valley. Happy Valley used to be a swampland back in the day. In the early 1840s, it was used as the British Military Camp before it was attacked heavily by malaria. Soldiers who died in the barracks were buried near there. The area was known as Wong Lai Chong Valley till the government ordered to clear the marshland and built a racecourse for the British, cos it was the only flatland on Hong Kong Island that was suitable for horse racing. the The racecourse was built in 1845 and the first race was held in 1846.

It was said that it was re-named 'Happy Valley' because it used to be a place where people came looking for "Happiness"-after work drinks, nightclubs and hostesses towards the late 1800s. It was very popular among expatriates. You can imagine that it was like the Wan Chai Red Light District today. Since there was a shortage of cemetries and burial grounds during the early colonial days, many of these foreigners asked to be buried in Happy Valley after they died, so that they could be in the grounds of happiness for eternity, hence "Happy Valley". In fact, many cemetries back in the UK were named Happy Valley too.

And one thing I have to mention about the Happy Valley racecourse- A huge fire broke out in 1918 that killed at least 590 people. It was the fire with the most casualties in Hong Kong history. It happened in mid-day during the 5th race, the viewing stands were built of bamboo and one of them collapsed, which caught fire with the hawker's stove under the stands. People ran to save themselves and it was in a choas. People who didn't manage to escape were engulfed by the inferno. The victims were buried in the nearby cemetery in So Kon Po and an monument was erected to commemorate them.
After the tragedy happened, people had reported that they had seen a man on fire trying to escape from the racecourse and people struggling to get off the stands in broad daylight.

As a result, a Chinese phrase that was engraved on the entrance of the St. Michael Catholic Cemetery (just opposite the racecourse) to comfort the souls of the victims after the fire. It translates into "Today, your body return to ashes. Someday, my fate will be the same as yours." It was said that those "hauntings" stopped after that. So look out for the phrase you pass by next time and now you can truly appreciate what it means.

St. Michael Catholic Cemetery at night- the stone carving of the phrase is situated on the furthest right, on both sides of the gate