Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Happy Valley (zh-t|t=快活谷; more popular form: 跑馬地, lit. horse racing ground, former name: 愉園) is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the north of Hong Kong Island. It is one of the early communities of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District.

The valley is also known indigenously as Wong Nai Chung (黃泥涌, lit. yellow mud stream), named after the stream of the same name. The two names are used interchangeably. For indicating the landscape, Wong Nai Chung Kuk (黃泥涌谷) or Wong Nai Chung Valley is used occasionally.

Happy Valley Racecourse, one of the two race tracks of the Hong Kong Jockey Club is located in Happy Valley.

The Hong Kong Racing Museum, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, and a number of cemeteries (including the Hong Kong Cemetery) are also located in Happy Valley.

Happy Valley is also the home of Hong Kong First Division's Happy Valley Athletic Association.

History

The area now known as Happy Valley was formerly known as Wong Nai Chung Valley, where Wong Nai Chung referred to a river collecting waters from Wong Nai Chung Gap and surroundings. The river nourished the rice paddies until the construction of Happy Valley Racecourse in 1846.

In early 1840, the British Army had set a military camp in the area. However, the camp was later closed due to the increasing number of soldiers succumbing to malaria. The cause of malaria was unknown at the time and the soldiers apparently suffered a then-unknown fever. Early settlers had suggested the area to be used as a business centre, but the suggestion was put off due to the valley's marshy environment, which was causing fatal diseases. The death rate in the area and Victoria City was high in the early colonial days, and the valley became a burial ground for the dead. As a result, the valley was renamed as "Happy Valley", a common euphemism for cemeteries. In 1846, the British felt that the valleyed terrain was ideal for horse-racing, and thus cleared the paddy fields and developed the Happy Valley Racecourse. For this, the Wong Nai Chung river was recoursed to Bowrinton Canal, known as Ngo Keng Kan (鵝頸澗) locally, beside reclamation of Wan Chai. The canal is presently covered under Canal Road.

At present

Happy Valley is now one of Hong Kong's highest class residential areas, with a high number of foreigners. Happy Valley's real estate prices usually influence the rest of Hong Kong's. Two of the tallest residential buildings in Hong Kong, "Highcliff" and "The Summit" are located in Happy Valley facing Mount Nicholson and the rest of Hong Kong.

Happy Valley also provides a number of high end restaurants and hotels, and is one rendezvous for many Hong Kong celebrities. Because of this, much paparazzi activities are present in the area. Many Hong Kong television series are filmed in Happy Valley, too.

The Happy Valley Racecourse is still operational today. Whenever a race runs, surrounding traffic patterns have to be changed: Cars will have to enter Happy Valley and the racecourse via Wong Nai Chung Road in a clockwise fashion, and the road may be heavily congested. The stadium lights in the racecourse illuminates nearby buildings even when the buildings themselves are unlit.

Transport

The Hong Kong Tramways extended into Happy Valley in 1922 [ [http://www.hktramways.com/en/museum/index.html hktramways] ] , and the community is served by the trams ever since. The extension has one terminus.

Currently, residents can access the Causeway Bay MTR station via minibuses. The proposed MTR South Island Line will have one station to serve the area.

Aberdeen Tunnel, Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road Flyover also serve Happy Valley.

Happy Valley has two bus terminals, one on the hill and one on the bottom. The upper terminus serves one of Hong Kong's oldest bus routes (No. 1) which went from Green Lane of Happy Valley to Central; it now terminates at Kennedy Town.

Residential developments

*Beverly Hill
*Beverly House
*Blue Pool Lodge
*Broad View Villa
*Broadville
*Broadwood Park
*Celeste Court
*Colonnade
*Friendship Court
*Gracedale
*Highcliff
*Hooley Mansion
*Horace Court
*Leighton Hill
*Race View Apartments
*San Francisco Towers
*The Summit
*Valley View Terrace
*Ventris Court
*Ventris Place
*Victoria McKenna-Yao Holdings
*Villa Lotto
*Villa Rocha
*Village Terrace
*Winfield Building

Major roads and streets

*Wong Nai Chung Road
*Sing Woo Road
*Blue Pool Road
*Ventris Road
*Shan Kwong Road
*Village Road
*Broadwood Road
*King Kwong Street
*Yik Yam Street
*Yuk Sau Street
*Stubbs Road
*Tai Hang Road
*Stubbs Circle

ee also

* List of buildings, sites, and areas in Hong Kong

References

* [http://www.happyvalley.hk/ Happy Valley Community Home Page]
* [http://www.happyvalley.org.hk// Happy Valley Residents' Organisation]