The 2025 Longines Hong Kong International Races were held Sunday at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, drawing a record-breaking 13,300 visitors in a single day.
As one of most popular sports in Hong Kong, horse racing is not only a unique cultural symbol of the city, but also reflects its professionalism as a host of major international sporting events.
Against the backdrop of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's active push to develop horse-racing tourism, this year's international horse races have attracted an unprecedented number of visitors from across the world.
Just three months into the 2025-2026 racing season, the accumulated number of visitors has already surpassed 110,000.
"I used to watch horse racing on television, but being here in person is a completely different feeling. With the Year of the Horse coming up next year, we also hope more people will fall in love with the sport," said a tourist from the Chinese mainland.
Sunday's event saw 10 races, including four Group 1 races boasting a total prize of 16.7 million U.S. dollars. Of the 45 horses taking part, 20 were previous Group 1 winners, and 19 were overseas horses.
Hong Kong int'l horse races draw record visitors to racecourse
China's express delivery sector handled 180.74 billion parcels in the first 11 months of 2025, representing a 14.9 percent year-on-year increase, data from the State Post Bureau showed on Tuesday.
This year, policies such as consumer goods trade-ins have stimulated consumers' demand for upgrades, resulting in a significant increase in express delivery volumes. In the first 11 months, the volume of express deliveries for large items like furniture and home appliances surged by approximately 30 percent year on year.
At the same time, the enhancement of supportive infrastructure in the central and western regions has led to a steady increase in express delivery services. Notably, areas such as Guizhou Province in southwest China, Shaanxi Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China reported their annual growth rate in express delivery volumes exceeding 30 percent.
The express delivery industry continues to strengthen its technological innovation capabilities by applying robots, AI system, unmanned delivery vehicles and drones.
"Express delivery companies have increased the application of smart equipment, transitioning from improving individual segment efficiencies to enhancing overall network and supply chain effectiveness. The market has experienced rapid growth, and service quality steadily improved. The robust development of the express delivery industry not only demonstrates the vitality of China's economy but also provides solid support for serving public needs and promoting industrial upgrades," said Liu Jiang, director of the strategic planning department at the State Post Bureau's Development Research Center.
China's express delivery sector posts double-digit growth in first 11 months
China's express delivery sector posts double-digit growth in first 11 months
