The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) and the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau (GZCRTTB) today (17 March) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the unique racing tourism concept of “Two Cities, Three Racecourses”, namely Happy Valley Racecourse and Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong and Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou. The aim is to support Guangzhou as a world-class tourism city and to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s events capital.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park by Ronald Chan, Club Head of Mainland Affairs, and Li Ruolan, Party Group Member and Chief Engineer of the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. It was witnessed by C Y Leung, Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal Government; Lyu Feng, Deputy Director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR; Zhu Wei, Executive Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Greater Bay Area Office; Liu Yumei, Director of the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau; and Raymond Tam, Club Executive Director, Corporate Affairs.
Jockey Club collaborates with Guangzhou Municipal Government to promote horse-themed culture, sports and tourism in the Greater Bay Area.
The Club is a world-class horse sports and entertainment organisation that acts continuously for the betterment of our society and with a strong commitment to the nation and to Hong Kong. Leveraging the institutional advantages of “One Country, Two Systems” and the policy guidelines for integration within the GBA, the Club promotes collaboration within the equine industry chain, supports culture, sports and tourism in the region, and contributes to regional economic development. An important highlight will be the launch in October of international-standard racing and a series of culture, sports and tourism events at Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou. This will be a significant milestone for the Club’s support for national equine industry development in the GBA and beyond.
In the Memorandum of Understanding, the Club and GZCRTTB agree to jointly promote horse-themed culture, sports and tourism in the GBA utilising the advantages of “Two Cities, Three Racecourses”. Specifically, they will collaborate in four areas:
1. Policy support: GZCRTTB supports the inclusion of racing tourism in Guangdong-Hong Kong or Guangzhou-Hong Kong collaborative initiatives in culture, sports and tourism, as well as the positioning of Conghua Racecourse as a world-class integrated destination for horse-themed culture, sports and tourism. It also supports the Club in leveraging “Two Cities, Three Racecourses” to promote tourism in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
2. Promotion and publicity: Apart from strengthening online and offline promotions, both sides will jointly explore video production and promotion of world-class racing events at Conghua Racecourse. They will also organise large-scale promotional activities on horse culture and equine sports to enhance the visibility and influence of the GBA as a world-class sports tourism destination. In addition, GZCRTTB will support the Club via major tourism exhibitions in Guangzhou to promote racing tourism.
3. Racing tourism product design: GZCRTTB will encourage leading tourism enterprises to collaborate with the Club, focusing on horse-themed cultural, sports and tourism activities at Conghua Racecourse and launching “one-trip multi-stop” tourism products to link up the Club’s racecourses in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. To appeal to high-end domestic and international business traveller groups, racing tourism will be positioned as a distinctive highlight of business tourism in the GBA.
4. Industry support: The Club will collaborate with relevant media organisations and institutions in Guangzhou to enhance talent cultivation with a focus on equine sports events and horse culture promotion.
Jockey Club collaborates with Guangzhou Municipal Government to promote horse-themed culture, sports and tourism in the Greater Bay Area.
Conghua Racecourse is a paradigm of Guangdong-Hong Kong cooperation, and has received strong support from the Chinese Mainland authorities at different levels and the HKSAR Government. Its ability to take forward “Three Innovations” (namely, institutional innovation, technological innovation, and industry innovation) has allowed the racecourse to stand as not only a world-class racehorse training facility but also a core engine, co-created by the Club and Guangzhou, for equine industry growth. The innovations include seamless cross-border horse movement and quarantine and permission for Hong Kong or overseas veterinarians to practice at the Conghua Racecourse. In addition, green building technologies have been utilised for the construction of the grandstand while brand-new retail, dining, and interactive experiences will provide a platform for showcasing world-class horse racing, equine sports and horse culture.
In response to the National Equine Industry Development Plan promulgated by the General Administration of Sport and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Club signed a framework cooperation agreement with the Guangzhou Municipal Government in 2021. It aims to jointly promote Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry Collaboration, with the Club’s Conghua Racecourse being a key driving force. At the same time, the Club actively supports the HKSAR Government’s racing tourism policy, leveraging the racing and entertainment experiences offered by its two racecourses in Hong Kong to support the events and tourism economy development in the city.
Penfold Park - built and managed by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) – has recently been upgraded to enhance the visitor experience. The opening ceremony of Pony World, one of its new community facilities, was held today (5 June) as part of the Club’s Year of the Horse Campaign. The facility offers an interactive equestrian experience that combines education and entertainment.
Guests tour the newly constructed facilitates at the Penfold Park including its park office.
Officiating guests at the ceremony included Vivian Sum, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Philip Lo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Leonie Lee, District Officer (Sha Tin).
Vivian Sum, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2nd left,); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (middle); Philip Lo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd right); and Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (1st left); join Leonie Lee, District Officer (Sha Tin) (1st right) to officiate at the opening ceremony of Pony World.
Vivian Sum, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, noted that the Jockey Club has launched a series of Year of the Horse activities aligned with the policy areas of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Among them, the opening of Pony World seeks to cultivate children’s interest in equestrian sports and raise awareness of animal care through a range of interactive experiences, appealing to both local residents and tourists while promoting the development of equestrian sports. She expressed her sincere thanks to the Club for delivering this educational and recreational facility for the public’s enjoyment.
Guests tour Pony World.
Guests tour Pony World.
Guests tour Pony World.
Officiating at the event, Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the Club worked closely with the Government on Sha Tin’s large-scale land reclamation and new town development, dating back to the 1970s, including the establishment of Sha Tin Racecourse and Penfold Park. The latter served as one of the venues for the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, marking a milestone in the development of equestrian sport in the city. He added that the completion of Pony World provides the public with an opportunity to learn about horses by combining education with entertainment. It adds a fresh dimension to Penfold Park and its legacy of community service and Olympic heritage, reflecting not only the Club’s mission to enhance facilities, but also its commitment to popularising equine sports.
Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the completion of Pony World adds a fresh dimension to Penfold Park and its legacy of community service and Olympic heritage.
Close encounters with ponies
Occupying more than 7,700 square metres, Pony World will officially open to the public on 22 June, offering a wide range of equestrian experiences for families and school groups. Visitors can tour the stables, take photos with mini ponies, join interactive workshops and immerse themselves in hands-on learning at the activity zone. Children aged 3 to 14 can also enjoy pony rides. These close encounters aim to deepen the public’s understanding of horses and foster an interest in equestrian activities. Pony World is expected to serve around 17,000 visitors a year. (Please refer to the attachment for activity details).
Guests tour Pony World.
Children aged 3 to 14 can enjoy pony rides.
Children aged 3 to 14 can enjoy pony rides.
Visitors can learn about pony behaviour, care and their unique personalities from professional equestrian coaches in the interactive pony classroom.
The Penfold Park renovation and enhancement work has been underway since 2023. The first two phases have been completed, including upgrades to the park’s landscape and the introduction of various new supporting facilities, such as the Pet Zone, pathway lighting, covered seating areas, a newly constructed park office, toilets and Pony World. Phase Three will commence in due course, further upgrading park facilities and improving connectivity between the park and the Sha Tin Racecourse grandstands, to enhance the overall experience for visitors.
Visitors can learn about pony behaviour, care and their unique personalities from professional equestrian coaches in the interactive pony classroom.
Visitors can visit the stables for a behind-the-scenes look at where the ponies live and learn the basics of horse care.
Visitors can visit the stables for a behind-the-scenes look at where the ponies live and learn the basics of horse care.
As a world-class sports and entertainment organisation, the Club is committed to equine sports development in Hong Kong. Initiatives range across the retraining of retired racehorses to the operation of public riding schools and provision of high-level coaching and professional support to equestrian riders through the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan, as well as technical and logistical support for major equestrian events. All this is made possible by the Club’s unique integrated business model of world-class racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution.
Visitors create magical moments with Shetland ponies.
Visitors create magical moments with Shetland ponies.
The activity zone offers a series of engaging activities designed to enhance the public’s understanding of ponies.
The Club’s Year of the Horse campaign is a year-long celebration of the close bond between horses and humans and the contribution racing makes to Hong Kong. It also promotes tourism as well as equine and sports development. Racing is not only the city’s favourite pastime, but also a symbol of its “can-do” spirit and stability under One Country, Two Systems. Through the success of Hong Kong horses on the international stage, the sport also brings pride to the community and global recognition to our city. None of this would be possible without the horse. For more information, please visit https://hkjc.com/YOTH.
Vivian Sum, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (4th left, front row); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (middle, front row); Philip Lo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (4th right, front row); Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd left, front row); and Leonie Lee, District Officer (Sha Tin) (2nd right, front row), join the Club’s Board of Management and other guests for a group photo.
