Jockey Club collaborates with Guangzhou Municipal Government to promote horse-themed culture, sports and tourism in the Greater Bay Area

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.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) tonight (16 March) hosted the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (JCAIAS) Presentation Ceremony to recognise the achievements of medallists at the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD). A total of HK$6,843,750 in cash incentives was awarded to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region team in recognition of their outstanding achievement in winning 11 gold, 23 silver and 26 bronze medals.

Jockey Club presents over HK$6.84 million in cash incentives to Hong Kong medallists from the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities.

Guests attending today’s ceremony included The Hon Chan Kwok-ki, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Hua You, Deputy Commissioner of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China; Raistlin Lau, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Tang King-shing, Chairman of Hong Kong Sports Institute; Jenny Fung, President of China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee; Club Stewards, and representatives from the HKSAR delegation.

Officiating at the ceremony, The Hon Chan Kwok-ki, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government said that the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, showcased the power of integrated development within the Greater Bay Area and carried particularly significant meaning. The athletes demonstrated an indomitable and never-give-up spirit, excelling across different events and inspiring us through their perseverance and hard work. He thanked the Jockey Club for providing cash awards to the medallists at the National Games for Persons with Disabilities for the first time through the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme. The recognition and support are truly commendable.

Officiating at the ceremony, The Hon Chan Kwok-ki, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government.

The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, commended the team, saying: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region team achieved outstanding results at this year’s National Games for Persons with Disabilities. All athletes gave their best, demonstrating Hong Kong’s ‘can-do spirit’. My sincere thanks to athletes for bringing such positive energy to society and for helping to raise public awareness of parasports. It is very encouraging to see so many people participating in sport, chasing their dreams with courage, and promoting inclusion with such spirit. The Club will continue to work hand-in-hand with the HKSAR Government and various sectors to build on the successful experience of the National Games, to deepen exchange and co-operation within the Greater Bay Area, and to contribute to the development of a strong sporting nation.”

The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Boccia athlete Leung Yuk-wing competed at the NGD for the first time and won two gold medals. He shared, “It was especially meaningful to stand on the podium on home soil, as the boccia events were held in Hong Kong. Our entire team performed remarkably, winning 4 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals — the best-ever result in team history. I am deeply grateful to the Government, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Jockey Club and the community for their support. I will continue to work hard and prepare for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, aiming for more success.”

Table tennis athlete Wong Ting-ting, who competed in three events, winning a medal in each, said, “It is a great honour to compete in the NGD in Hong Kong and to win three bronze medals. Competing at the nation’s top multi-sport event is extremely challenging, but thanks to the support of my team I was able to perform at my best. I will continue to aim for new highs and win more medals for Hong Kong.”

Jockey Club presents over HK$6.84 million in cash incentives to Hong Kong medallists from the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities.

The Club launched the three-year JCAIAS in 2023, sponsoring the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide cash awards to Hong Kong, China athletes who excel in major sports events. These include the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Asian Para Games, World University Games, National Games and National Games for Persons with Disabilities, and their respective Winter Games. Over HK$94 million in cash incentives has been granted to date.

In support of the National Games co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, the Club committed over HK$500 million to the Hong Kong and Guangdong Competition Regions. As sole Partner Sponsor of the Hong Kong Competition Region, it supported volunteer service programmes, territory-wide community and school promotional activities, as well as initiatives to help underprivileged groups and young people attend the events as spectators.

Over the years, the Club has promoted sports at both community and elite levels through numerous initiatives, enabling people of all ages and abilities to enjoy sports. Funded jointly by the Club and the Government, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, (then called the Jubilee Sports Centre) opened in 1982. In 1992, the Club’s Charities Trust provided an endowment of HK$200 million to establish a trust fund, now called the Hong Kong Jockey Club Elite Athletes Fund. In 2021, the Club pledged HK$150 million in funding to match the HKSAR Government’s HK$150 million grant for the Sports Science and Research Funding Scheme.