Spectator Sports

Come and experience spectator sports, you shouldn't miss the excitement during your time in Hong Kong.

A popular sporting event is the Seven-A-Side Rugby Tournament (called the Sevens), held in March or April. During the cooler winter months, a number of marathons are held, of which the best known are the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Marathon in February and the China Coast Marathon in March. There are also tennis tournaments, including the Super Tennis Classic and the Marlboro Championship. If you enjoy watching golf, the highlight of the year is the Hong Kong Open Golf Championships, held in December at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling (the New Territories). If you're here anytime between September and mid-June, join the rest of Hong Kong at the horse races. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival International Races is held every year. And also Tai chi is a traditional Chinese exercise among old generations.

Horse racing

The most prevalent spectacle sport among the locals of Hong Kong is horse racing, which is held from September to June on Wednesday nights and weekends. It has become a faddish form of gambling with thousands of people placing bets before the races each week.

Horse racing got its start in the colony in Happy Valley more than 150 years ago, when British settlers introduced the sport, making the Happy Valley track the oldest racecourse in Asia outside China. There is also a newer, modern track in Sha Tin (the New Territories), which can accommodate 90,000 spectators. Nowadays, Hong Kong plays host to some of the most exciting international sports events every year.

Horseracing not only thrills most Hong Kong residents by providing first-class entertainment to a highly demanding public but also a key sightseeing program for visiting dignities and tourists.

Rugby Sevens

The annual Rugby Sevens is the biggest sporting spectacle of the year.

Golf

Hong Kong Open Golf Championship draws top players in November. All golf clubs and their facilities in Hong Kong are for members only, although visitors can play for a limited time at an extra cost. Major tournaments are held at the renowned Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, which also allows visitors to join as day members. The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau public golf course, beautifully located on an island, was designed by Gary Player.

Tai chi

Tai chi or 'shadow boxing', which is a traditional Chinese exercise based on the principles of martial arts as well as a common form of exercise among the Asians. In Hong Kong, it is normally the older generation who assembles at parks to practice this extremely graceful martial art.

Tai chi combines thought and action and is developed from an ancient Chinese martial arts. Its moves are based on animal fighting patterns with no abrupt transitions. The essence of tai chi is a combination of control and balance. On the other hand, certain forms of qigong involve hardly any movement. Hence breathing and 'sinking into oneself are of prime importance. The 'wild goose qigong' entails a great deal of movement and is aesthetically appealing.