History
Happy Valley Racecourse was built on reclaimed marshland that was formerly used for farms and cemeteries. Many people in the area died from malaria, and they were buried in the cemeteries in the valley. At that time, a “happy valley" was a euphemism for a graveyard. British military officers built the first course 150 years ago, and the first races were held on December 17th and 18th of 1846. To build the track, the area was drained, and the farmers were prohibited from growing rice there. It wasn’t known that mosquitoes spread malaria, but draining the valley and developing the area helped to make the area habitable for Europeans. In 1884, the Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded as a non-profit body to organize the social and entertainment activities and the gambling of Hong Kong’s ruling class.
In 1978, the Hong Kong Jockey Club built the more modern Shatin Racecouse, and the best horses and jockeys now race there. Residential skyscrapers were built on two sides of the Happy Valley arena, and residents can watch the races from their apartments. In 1996, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum was opened. It now has four galleries that instruct about the early days of horse racing in Hong Kong, the history of the Shatin Racecourse, the skeletal structure of horses, and the history of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its sponsored charities and public works.
Happy Valley Racecourse was built on reclaimed marshland that was formerly used for farms and cemeteries. Many people in the area died from malaria, and they were buried in the cemeteries in the valley. At that time, a “happy valley" was a euphemism for a graveyard. British military officers built the first course 150 years ago, and the first races were held on December 17th and 18th of 1846. To build the track, the area was drained, and the farmers were prohibited from growing rice there. It wasn’t known that mosquitoes spread malaria, but draining the valley and developing the area helped to make the area habitable for Europeans. In 1884, the Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded as a non-profit body to organize the social and entertainment activities and the gambling of Hong Kong’s ruling class.
In 1978, the Hong Kong Jockey Club built the more modern Shatin Racecouse, and the best horses and jockeys now race there. Residential skyscrapers were built on two sides of the Happy Valley arena, and residents can watch the races from their apartments. In 1996, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum was opened. It now has four galleries that instruct about the early days of horse racing in Hong Kong, the history of the Shatin Racecourse, the skeletal structure of horses, and the history of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its sponsored charities and public works.
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