I was lucky enough to be in Hong Kong on Wednesday night, which is when the races run. It was a 10-15 minute walk from the metro station, but was relatively easy to find (follow some signs at first, and then eventually just follow the crowd). I went by myself but I could see how if you go with friends, you could stay all night! If you walk all around to the “public” entrance (it’s the one with all the turnstyles) it is only $10 HKD – less than $2 United States. You have to put a coin in yourself, but there are official employees standing there who will give you change if you don’t have a $10 coin.
You’ll see everyone from old Chinese men gambling to young expats dressed to the nines, to couples dating to good friends hanging out. I didn’t pay for the “tourist packages” that are advertised, but I squeezed into a great standing spot right by the fence and the winners circle. I watched 2 races and then walked around for a bit. Great people watching, lots of food and drink available. It’s pretty neat to think that this is a major equine location, so it’s an insight into something new, even if you’ll never watch another horse race again! Also, it’s right in the middle of the city, so the Hong Kong skyline is gorgeous around you.
All in all, it was a fun night. I had been to Hong Kong before so this was a nice “extra” rather than running around checking off tourist destinations off a list! There is also a free Jockey Museum (before the turnstyles – you have to exit to get to them if you are already inside, although I think if you have paid to access the Members Clubhouses, etc., you can get to it without accessing) and I stopped in there before they closed at 9pm.
Visited April 2014
