Happy Valley Racecourse

Location: Hong Kong
Capacity: 55,000

The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong, the other being Sha Tin Racecourse and is home to the Hong Kong Jockey’s Club (HKJC) on of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. Located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, it is also a popular tourist attraction.

First built on a swampland in 1845 to provide horse racing for British people in Hong Kong, the venue gradually became more and more popular among the Chinese residents. To make way for the racecourse, the Hong Kong Government prohibited rice growing by villages in the surrounding area.

On February 26, 1918 a temporary grandstand collapsed causing hot food stalls to fall and set bamboo matting on alight, resulting in a fire that killed at least 590 people.

Over the years, the racecourse has undergone extensive upgrades and renovations and now features a seven-storey stand which holds 55,000 people along with leisure facilities such as football, hockey and rugby located in the inner field of the course.