A Fun Night at the Horse Races in Happy Valley Hong Kong

Happy Valley Hong Kong whether or not you are a horse racing enthusiast is an experience not to be missed! Hong Kong men generally avoid Wednesday nights to get their hair cut. Why? Because that’s horse racing day, when everyone—including inattentive barbers—are distracted by the live broadcasts of the horse races. 

不管您是不是赛马爱好者都一定不要错过在香港跑马地马场观看一场赛马。香港人都尽量避免在星期三晚上理发。为什么？因为在那天，几乎所有的人，包括跟赛马毫无关系的理发店，都会被赛马比赛的现场直播分散注意。

（bú guǎn nín shì bú shì sài mǎ ài hǎo zhě dōu yī dìng bú yào cuò guò zài xiāng gǎng pǎo mǎ dì mǎ chǎng guān kàn yī chǎng sài mǎ 。xiāng gǎng rén dōu jìn liàng bì miǎn zài xīng qī sān wǎn shàng lǐ fā 。wéi shí me ？yīn wéi zài nà tiān ，jǐ hū suǒ yǒu de rén ，bāo kuò gēn sài mǎ háo wú guān xì de lǐ fā diàn ，dōu huì bèi sài mǎ bǐ sài de xiàn chǎng zhí bō fèn sàn zhù yì 。）

Horse racing in Hong Kong was introduced by the British when they first came to Hong Kong in 1841 and has become since then, a sport for the masses and a favourite pastime, which given Chinese love of gambling is not surprising.

赛马比赛最早于1841年由英国人第一次带来香港，并且迅速成为香港人民最喜欢的大型运动，毫无疑问这项运动很符合中国人喜爱打赌的个性。

(sài mǎ bǐ sài zuì zǎo yú 1841nián yóu yīng guó rén dì yī cì dài lái xiāng gǎng ，bìng qiě xùn sù chéng wéi xiāng gǎng rén mín zuì xǐ huān de dà xíng yùn dòng ，háo wú yí wèn zhè xiàng yùn dòng hěn fú hé zhōng guó rén xǐ ài dǎ dǔ de gè xìng 。)

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, one of the oldest Hong Kong institutions founded to promote and administer horse racing and other betting entertainment, is Hong Kong’s biggest taxpayer as well as one of the city’s largest charity donors.

香港赛马会，是香港最早的推广管理和投注赛马比赛的机构。这个机构不仅是香港最大的单一纳税机构同时也是香港最大的慈善机构之一。

(xiāng gǎng sài mǎ huì ，shì xiāng gǎng zuì zǎo de tuī guǎng guǎn lǐ hé tóu zhù sài mǎ bǐ sài de jī gòu 。zhè gè jī gòu bú jǐn shì xiāng gǎng zuì dà de dān yī nà shuì jī gòu tóng shí yě shì xiāng gǎng zuì dà de cí shàn jī gòu zhī yī 。)

Happy Valley is a world-class state-of-the-art racing course. It has certainly evolved through the years since its first recorded race in 1846. Back then, the site of Happy Valley was not more than swamp land, but the only flat surface in Hong Kong Island, so that was the location of the racing course by default.

跑马地马场是世界最高级的赛马场地。它从1846年正式被启用为赛马场地之后一直被改建翻新。当时，跑马地原是一片沼泽地，但是却是香港唯一的一块平地，所以被用来修建马场。

( pǎo mǎ dì mǎ chǎng shì shì jiè zuì gāo jí de sài mǎ chǎng dì 。tā cóng 1846nián zhèng shì bèi qǐ yòng wéi sài mǎ chǎng dì zhī hòu yī zhí bèi gǎi jiàn fān xīn 。dāng shí ，pǎo mǎ dì yuán shì yī piàn zhǎo zé dì ，dàn shì què shì xiāng gǎng wéi yī de yī kuài píng dì ，suǒ yǐ bèi yòng lái xiū jiàn mǎ chǎng 。)

Horse-Racing Season at Happy Valley is from September to June (sometimes early July). Happy Valley races are normally on Wednesday Nights, first race starts at 7:15 p.m. and the gates open at 5:15 p.m. The races are done by 11:00 p.m.There are normally 7 or 8 races at each race meeting and there are about 30 minutes in-between races.

跑马地马场的赛马季是从九月到第二年的六月（有时是七月初）。跑马地赛马比赛在星期三晚上举行，首场比赛开始时间是晚上的七点十五分，入场时间在下午五点十五分开始，晚上十一点比赛结束。整晚通常会有7或8场比赛，每场比赛大约30分钟。

(pǎo mǎ dì mǎ chǎng de sài mǎ jì shì cóng jiǔ yuè dào dì èr nián de liù yuè （yǒu shí shì qī yuè chū ）。pǎo mǎ dì sài mǎ bǐ sài zài xīng qī sān wǎn shàng jǔ háng ，shǒu chǎng bǐ sài kāi shǐ shí jiān shì wǎn shàng de qī diǎn shí wǔ fèn ，rù chǎng shí jiān zài xià wǔ wǔ diǎn shí wǔ fèn kāi shǐ ，wǎn shàng shí yī diǎn bǐ sài jié shù 。zhěng wǎn tōng cháng huì yǒu 7huò 8chǎng bǐ sài ，měi chǎng bǐ sài dà yuē 30fèn zhōng 。)

There are quite a few ways visitors can experience the races at Happy Valley Hong Kong, here are some of the options.

去跑马地马场观看赛马有以下几种方式：

（qù pǎo mǎ dì mǎ chǎng guān kàn sài mǎ yǒu yǐ xià jǐ zhǒng fāng shì ：）

The General Stand is where the locals meet, you are at the track level and there’s a great atmosphere and people watching opportunities here. Entrance to the General Stand is only HK10 and can be paid at the entrance gates with your handy Octopus Card.

公众席是香港本地人聚集的地方，这里的观看比赛的氛围和视野都很好。公众席的门票只要10HK, 可以在门口售票处使用八达通买票。

(gōng zhòng xí shì xiāng gǎng běn dì rén jù jí de dì fāng ，zhè lǐ de guān kàn bǐ sài de fēn wéi hé shì yě dōu hěn hǎo 。gōng zhòng xí de mén piào zhī yào 10HK, kě yǐ zài mén kǒu shòu piào chù shǐ yòng bā dá tōng mǎi piào 。)

The Second Floor Terrace has over 500 seats and admission to this area is HK 20 in addition to the general admission.It is open to the general public and has great views of the entire course as well as the finishing post. There are comfortable seats with writing tables (for the more serious racer) and the betting area is just behind. Tickets and entrance to the 2F Terrace is through the general public stands.

二层看台有500多个座位，此处要除门票外要另外收费20HKD.此区域对公众开放而且可以更好的观看比赛（包括比赛的终点线）。此处的座位配有舒适的椅子和写字桌，并且靠近投注点。二层看台需在大众席入口买票进入。

（èr céng kàn tái yǒu 500duō gè zuò wèi ，cǐ chù yào chú mén piào wài yào lìng wài shōu fèi 20HKD.cǐ qū yù duì gōng zhòng kāi fàng ér qiě kě yǐ gèng hǎo de guān kàn bǐ sài （bāo kuò bǐ sài de zhōng diǎn xiàn ）。cǐ chù de zuò wèi pèi yǒu shū shì de yǐ zǐ hé xiě zì zhuō ，bìng qiě kào jìn tóu zhù diǎn 。èr céng kàn tái xū zài dà zhòng xí rù kǒu mǎi piào jìn rù 。）

Tourists can buy a Members Badge for HK 100 which will give you access to the Members’ areas, including the Betting Halls in the upper floors, the Parade area at trackside and the finishing post area.To get your Tourist Badge you will need to present your passport, and entrance is through the Members’ area not the general admission entrance.

游客也可购买价值100HKD的会员席入场证章，凭此徽章可以自由进入会员席，包括会员投注大堂以及跑到场畔。购买游客入场证章人士须出示有效来港旅游证件或护照，并且不于公众席入口入场。

(yóu kè yě kě gòu mǎi jià zhí 100HKDde huì yuán xí rù chǎng zhèng zhāng ，píng cǐ huī zhāng kě yǐ zì yóu jìn rù huì yuán xí ，bāo kuò huì yuán tóu zhù dà táng yǐ jí pǎo dào chǎng pàn 。gòu mǎi yóu kè rù chǎng zhèng zhāng rén shì xū chū shì yǒu xiào lái gǎng lǚ yóu zhèng jiàn huò hù zhào ，bìng qiě bú yú gōng zhòng xí rù kǒu rù chǎng 。)

The “Come Horseracing Tour” is a very popular option, and is offered exclusively to tourists. Everything is taken care of, including the transport to/from the race track and a Chinese/Western buffet dinner and drinks. You get to watch the races from the Members’ Boxes, and you have access to the betting halls.

赛马观光团也是非常受欢迎的游客套票。会由专人安排参观马场及观看比赛并提供餐饮及酒水。您可安坐于尊贵舒适的马会私用厢房内，透过简单易用的全电脑化投注设施一尝投注乐趣。

（sài mǎ guān guāng tuán yě shì fēi cháng shòu huān yíng de yóu kè tào piào 。huì yóu zhuān rén ān pái cān guān mǎ chǎng jí guān kàn bǐ sài bìng tí gòng cān yǐn jí jiǔ shuǐ 。nín kě ān zuò yú zūn guì shū shì de mǎ huì sī yòng xiāng fáng nèi ，tòu guò jiǎn dān yì yòng de quán diàn nǎo huà tóu zhù shè shī yī cháng tóu zhù lè qù 。）

How to Get There

Take the tram to Happy Valley terminus station and get off at the Happy Valley Tram Terminus.You can also take the MTR to Causeway Bay station (exit A), then walk south on Matheson/Wong Nai Chung road for 15-20 minutes.

乘坐电车于跑马地站下车。也可搭乘港铁到铜锣湾站（A出口），朝南方黃泥涌道步行約15﹣20分钟到达马场。

(chéng zuò diàn chē yú pǎo mǎ dì zhàn xià chē 。yě kě dā chéng gǎng tiě dào tóng luó wān zhàn （Achū kǒu ），cháo nán fāng huáng ní yǒng dào bù háng yuē 15﹣20fèn zhōng dào dá mǎ chǎng 。)

Editor:WY