Horse racing, ballroom dancing and stock exchanges, the three "remarkable capitalistic characteristics" pledged to be kept for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for at least 50 years by the central government before Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, have been still brisk in Hong Kong.

Things different from six years ago is that more Chinese mainland residents have traded shares at Hong Kong stock exchanges and more mainland tourists have seen with their own eyes the exciting horse races that they were used to seeing on cable television programs and have close contacts with the smart racing horses.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has added an "Equine Delight Tour" to its tourism promotion program, which allows tourists to have closer contact with racing horses and jockeys and more knowledge about horse racing.

Bonnie Ngan, general manager of Corporate Communications & Public Relations of Hong Kong Tourism Board, said on Sunday that a sample survey indicated that 13 percent of overseas tourists to Hong Kong showed their interest to horse racing and its related activities.

She said the "Equine Delight Tour" is expected to give tourists more than just a glimpse of the unique world, but also offers them behind-the-scenes to the racecourse's restricted areas and brings them up close to the hoses themselves.

"Happy Valley" is one of the two racecourses in Hong Kong. Just taking dozens of Hong Kong dollars (US$5.16), tourists could visit the weighing room where jockeys have their precise weight confirmed for fair competition, the inquiry room or room of justice where race objections are lodged and reviewed, the Racing Museum featuring all-new interactive games, the jockeys' room where jockeys gear up and equip themselves for chance to win glory and top prizes and the most important -- the stables where tourists would have chances to take photos with horses.

For over a century, horseracing has thrilled Hong Kong residents, providing first-class entertainment to a highly-enthusiastic public. The Hong Kong Jockey Club manages two racecourses -- one in Happy Valley and one in Sha Tin. They attract over two million race goers each racing season.

Hong Kong's betting turnover, which exceeds 71 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$9.16 billion) in the 2002/2003 fiscal year, is among the top three in the world and its average betting turnover per race is the highest globally, according to statistics released by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the only authorized bookmaking organization in Hong Kong, was formed in 1884. Its net proceeds, after deducting dividends, government taxes and operational costs, went towards helping the community and funding charity projects. As the largest charity organization in Hong Kong, it contributes a hefty 10 percent of the government tax revenue. The club donated one billion Hong Kong dollars (US$129 million) for charity activities in 2002/2003 fiscal year.

When SARS hit Hong Kong in the spring of 2003, Hong Kong's Jockey Club offered a big sum of money to support Hong Kong's anti-SARS campaign.

Race meetings were held on most Wednesday evenings and weekend afternoons through the September-to-June season, certainly a major attraction on the Hong Kong calendar.

Taking 10 Hong Kong dollars (US$1.29) for racecourse entrance, a tourist can experience the thrilled horsing races.

In Sha Tin Racecourse, a square has been specially open for tourists from the Chinese mainland. Experts there teach tourists the procedures of the horseracing and how to bet on horses with beautiful names as "Fortune Smiles", "Euphoric Kid", "Glorious Rhythm," "Sunday Delight" and "River Dancer".

Sha Tin Racecourse is to hold the Hong Kong international horseracing on Dec. 14. To promote the annual event and attract more tourists, especially those from the Chinese mainland, Sha TinRacecourse on Saturday held "Hong Kong Tourism Cup", "Asia's World City International Cup Trial" and other racing events.

For welcoming the new racing season, a superb diamond vision screen as wide a Boeing 747 jet was installed in August, 2003. Visitors at the racecourse, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 people, could see clearly what is going on even at every corner of the racecourse without a telescope.

Even Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang and heads of tourism related departments in Hong Kong have presented at Saturday's horseracing activities to play their roles for tourism promotion.

Ma Weiwen, a manager of an advertising company in Guangzhou City of southern China's Guangdong Province, was selected Saturday as a special guest of Hong Kong Tourism Board among a large number of Chinese mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong on their own bases for watching horse racing, together with his wife.

He said the exciting races are really thrilled and he saw with his own eyes with long heard horse racing.

He said it's very convenient for him to arrange the Guangzhou-Hong Kong tour. It only took him 200 yuan (US$24.4) to get to Hong Kong by bus.

Since July 28, residents from a number of Guangdong cities as well as Beijing and Shanghai are permitted to visit Hong Kong independently. So far, over 500,000 residents from those cities have applied for solo Hong Kong visit, and 200,000 have already paid the visit.

Bonne Ngan said that though hit by SARS, the number of tourist arrivals to Hong Kong this year is expected to exceed that of last year. During the past National Day holidays or the golden week between Oct.1-7, 400,000 Chinese mainland tourists visited Hong Kong, 6 percent up over last year's same period.
 

(People's Daily November 17, 2003)