The iconic visual of Hong Kong Island today is one of stunning skyscrapers set against the backdrop of green mountains, seen across the famed Victoria Harbour. But when you look at 19th-century photos of the city, you will notice a lot more undulating hills, lowlands and waterways.

One notable geographic feature was the wong nai chung , or "yellow mud stream", a river which flowed through an area of swampy marshland that would eventually be called Happy Valley.

When horse racing was introduced to Hong Kong in the 1840s, Happy Valley would become the site of the city's first racecourse. The location was chosen because it had the only suitable flat land on Hong Kong Island.

The first race meeting was held at Happy Valley in 1846, marking the birth of an equine capital in Asia. In 1873, the now-legendary Hong Kong Derby was run for the first time, signalling the growing popularity of the sport.

Races would come under the stewardship of The Hong Kong Jockey Club when it was founded in 1884 as a members club for horse racing enthusiasts, that would later be instrumental for the management and promotion of horse racing in the city.

During World War II, the city's population shrank to 600,000. But when peace was restored, many who had left for the Mainland returned, along with more immigrants, at the rate of almost 100,000 per month. By 1950, an estimated 2.2 million people called Hong Kong home; by 1971, the population reached 4 million.

During those post-war decades, donations from the Club supported the construction of public clinics, schools and recreational facilities, and Hongkongers experienced a growth not just in economic strength, but also in a focus on leisure and lifestyle.

It also funded the reclamation of the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, paving the way for the government's construction of Victoria Park, which opened in 1957. Over 19 hectares in size, it remains Hong Kong Island's largest public park, offering the community a welcoming green space and a place to enjoy a host of sports such as football, tennis and swimming, which have since become some of the favourite activities of the people in Hong Kong and have contributed to a healthier lifestyle in the city.

It was around this same time that the Club's dedication to the community was solidified. In 1955, the Club decided to begin administering donations from its operating surplus, which was soon followed in 1959, by the establishment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (Charities) Ltd as a company to oversee these donations. By 1993, the greatly evolving nature, scale and scope of donations led to the creation of a new entity to manage these funds, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

As Hong Kong's population and entertainment offerings grew, the Club began to have a significant role to play when it came to channelling the local wagering demand towards good causes within the city.

During the 1960s, the government had run a public lottery. However, due to the Club's expertise, it was engaged by the Hong Kong Lotteries Board to manage the running of an improved lottery, called the Mark Six. The Club has managed the Mark Six lottery since its initial draw on 5 September 1975. The first lucky winner, who picked five of the six winning numbers in the correct order, received HK$166,729 in prize money. To put this into perspective, the average daily wage of a manufacturing job in those days was HK$102.

While more than half of the money raised from Mark Six ticket sales goes to the prize fund to reward winning players, 25 percent is paid to the government as betting duty and another 15 percent to the government's Lotteries Fund to support social welfare organisations, thereby ensuring that each win is not just a win for an individual, but for society as a whole.

In 1977, the Government of Hong Kong introduced the "Gambling Ordinance". The law prohibited all betting activities except those provided by the Club. Under the new ordinance, these activities only include horse racing and the Mark Six. The new measure not only helps to resolve social and security problems induced by illegal betting, but also ensures proceeds of betting can benefit the community.

In 2003, with illegal football betting becoming prevalent, the Government thereby authorised the Club to be the sole operator for football betting services.

In 1977, Ocean Park – the city's first world-class theme park, known for its iconic cable cars and gigantic aquarium – opened thanks in no small part to funding from the Club.

The Club operated the park until 1987 when it became an independent statutory body funded by an endowment to ensure its long-term financial stability. By then, the park was home to a wide variety of attractions, thrill rides such as the Dragon and the Raging River, as well as a 225-metre-long outdoor escalator - a world record at the time.

In 1998, the Club funded the construction of the HKJC Giant Panda Habitat, specially designed to accommodate two of the city's most famous residents; the giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia from Sichuan province.

To further balance urban living with easy access to green spaces across the city, the Club funded the redevelopment of the 13.3-hectare Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, which reopened in 1989, as well as the opening of the 8.16-hectare Hong Kong Park in Central in 1991.

In 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum opened its doors to provide a sanctuary for learning about and appreciating Chinese art. Its construction was funded by an unprecedented single donation of HK$3.5 billion from the Club.

It is located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, a major development in Hong Kong that began opening in phases in 2018. It features several public spaces and arts venues established across 40 hectares of reclaimed land to serve as a new cultural and lifestyle hub.

The museum's opening also marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The Club has helped Hong Kong distinguish itself as a hub for training racing talent and equine care professionals with the Apprentice Jockeys' School, founded in 1972. Well-known graduates from this school include legendary jockey-turned-trainer Tony Cruz, champion trainer Ricky Yiu and outstanding jockey Vincent Ho.

Cruz and Yiu were among the first future world-class riders to enrol at the school when it opened in 1972.

Cruz started his riding career in the 1973/74 season and went on to become a six-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey. He further ensured his place in Hong Kong racing history by posting 946 wins as a jockey before taking out a trainer's licence in 1996. He would subsequently be twice named champion trainer, and even to this day, his name regularly appears in racing articles due to his continued success, and he can be said to be a household name even for those new to the world of racing. A local hero, he is even the namesake of the annual Tony Cruz Award, presented to the homegrown rider with the most wins during a season.

After a brief riding career, Yiu obtained his trainers' licence in 1995/96 and was crowned champion trainer in 2019/20.

Cruz and Yiu have reached over 1,500 and 1,000 wins as trainers in Hong Kong respectively.

Ho reached the graduation benchmark on 1 October 2012 by claiming his 70th win in Hong Kong. By the 2022/23 season, he became the second homegrown jockey in history to win 500 races and took a fourth Tony Cruz Award. In 2023, Ho became the first homegrown jockey to win the International Jockeys’ Championship.

Hong Kong has produced many stars through the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), which opened in 1985 with the support of a donation from the Club. Several of its graduates have gone on to achieve success, both locally and internationally.

Some of these accomplished alumni include resident conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Lio Kuokman and multiple prize-winning classical pianist Rachel Cheung.

Beyond academic pursuits, physical activities are another important part of young people’s holistic development, which can be addressed through a range of sports on offer in Hong Kong.

Riding is not limited to professional jockeys on the racetrack or eventing competitors. To promote horse riding in the city, the Club opened its first public riding school in 1978, and now has a total of three venues, namely Tuen Mun Public Riding School, Pokfulam Public Riding School, and Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School.

The Club’s efforts to promote sports expanded into other areas, including donating to redevelop Hong Kong Stadium. The venue reopened in 1994 as a world-class facility that served as home to the annual Hong Kong Sevens international rugby event for decades.

In 1995, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course opened to provide the public with a place to practise the sport and also enjoy a host of recreational amenities in a scenic coastal setting. The golf course is the first in China to be designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Wildlife, and the first course in the Asia-Pacific region to be certified by the Golf Environment Organisation.

The year 2008 was one to remember for most Hongkongers. It was the first time in history that the Summer Olympics had been held so close to home. Thanks to its long history of horse racing and equestrian sports, Hong Kong was selected to host the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Some US$150 million was invested to build the Olympic competition venues in Sha Tin, and the Club took on the essential responsibility of managing equine care and logistics. These efforts earned the Club official recognition as "Outstanding Contributor, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Equestrian Events".

That ground-breaking year saw China host its first Olympics and Chinese athletes score 100 medals, including 48 golds. This inspired many young athletes in the city, who would go on to shine on the global stage themselves.

Later in 2008, the Club established the HKJC Equestrian Team and the Junior Equestrian Training Squad (renamed as the Youth Development Programme in 2019) to develop the potential of Hong Kong's riders. Members of the HKJC Equestrian Team have been winning medals at back-to-back Asian Games since 2010, riding as representatives of the Hong Kong, China team.

In 2018, HKJC Equestrian Team rider Jacqueline Siu won Hong Kong's first-ever Asian Games equestrian gold medal in Jakarta, illustrating the maturation of the sport in Hong Kong. More recently in 2022 at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Siu again stood on the podium with an individual silver medal, while the dressage team (Annie Ho, Jacqueline Siu and Samantha Chan) won its first ever team dressage medal with a bronze. 2022 also marked the year that the Youth Development Programme expanded to include a Club-sponsored youth squad of Hong Kong riders based in the Mainland.

Hong Kong athletes have continued to shine, with the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games marking another glorious new chapter in the city's sporting history. At those Olympics, fencer Cheung Ka-long won Hong Kong's second-ever Olympic gold medal, while swimmer Siobhan Haughey clinched two silver medals. Four years later, at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic games, Cheung went on to take another gold in fencing along with Vivian Kong's first gold in the sport, while Haughey won two bronze medals. One of the incentives for Hong Kong's Olympic athletes is the aptly named Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme. The scheme provides athletes who win medals at major events with a cash award.

Lessons learned by Hongkongers in the early 2000s were not forgotten. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the city's population, fully supported by the Club, was quick to adopt preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing to limit the spread of the virus.

The government also swiftly reacted with a multipronged approach to containing the virus, calling for prompt responses, staying alert and working transparently. In addition, it mobilised tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars through its Anti-epidemic Fund to keep the public and businesses supported through the COVID-19 battle.

For its part, the Club approved over HK$2.9 billion for initiatives that addressed the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic, providing a lifeline to those in urgent need across the city during that period.

But it is not only during public health crises that the government invests in the city's medical sector. Hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars are being earmarked in annual government budgets to boost the development of life and health technologies, including cell and gene therapy, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering.

To support further development of the healthcare sector, the Club provides funding for medical research and healthcare facilities in the city, including the CUHK Medical Centre, which opened in 2021 as a non-profit, private teaching hospital. All surpluses from the hospital are directed back into the hospital for its development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching.

In 2023, the Club signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Hong Kong, the University of Cambridge and the International Vaccine Institute to establish the global headquarters of the new Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute, which aims at bringing the latest translational vaccine technology to the city through collaborations between local and global academics and institutions.

Hong Kong society has long held a tradition of philanthropy, with the city being home to some 10,000 charities. This spirit of giving is particularly in evidence during urgent times of need, such as after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, when Hongkongers contributed more than HK$1 billion to help those in need. The Club pledged a matching amount to aid in reconstruction and recovery efforts.

And in the face of the devastating 2021 floods in Henan province, the Club once again stepped up with a donation of HK$20 million to support rescue and relief operations.

Established as an independent "think-fund-do" tank by the Club and its Charities Trust in September 2023, the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) is dedicated to advancing philanthropy in China and Asia.

IoP is dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global levels in collaboration with fellow funders. It seeks to provide an Asia-based platform bringing global stakeholders together to promote the betterment of societies everywhere.

On July 1, 2017, the Framework Agreement on Deepening Cooperation for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was set. This ambitious development scheme links Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province together to enhance connectivity and integration, which as of 2023 had a combined population of over 86 million and a GDP of more than 14 trillion yuan (about HK$15.6 trillion). It is set to become one of the world's fastest-growing hubs for finance and commerce, as well as research and development.

When it came time to help this region develop its equine industry, Hong Kong stepped up to the task. In the Mainland, the Club has been supporting the development of equine sports since the 1980s, including the donation of horses to equestrian teams, the provision of veterinary and stable management training, as well as collaboration on equestrian talent training.

The Club provided its support at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games and continued its efforts at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, where it went above and beyond in six key areas for the organisation of equestrian events. These areas included biosecurity, horse transportation, stable management, veterinary and farriery services, venue operations, and international stakeholder engagement. The Club's professionalism at both Guangzhou and Hangzhou was recognised in the titles bestowed to it by the events' organisers: "Outstanding Contributor, Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games Equestrian Events" and "Outstanding Contributor to the Hangzhou Asian Games" respectively.

The Club has a long-standing relationship with the Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA) and the China Horse Industry Association (CHIA). By signing two agreements with CEA and CHIA respectively in 2023, the Club has expanded its cooperation with these two counterparts, which contributed to the development of the speed racing and equestrian industries. It has also funded an upgrade of the Guangdong Huangcun Sports Training Centre, which included the construction of an equestrian competition arena of international standards.

The wait was over. In 2018, the 150-hectare Hong Kong Jockey Club Conghua Racecourse opened in Guangzhou, marking the official launch of joint operations between stables and training facilities on both sides of the border. Racing fans in the Mainland finally experienced the sport and spectacle of international standard racing in 2019, when the Club staged an exhibition race day in Conghua, highlighting the Greater Bay Area as a location of growing importance in the global equine industry.

The public will be able to attend regular race meetings at Conghua starting from 2026, after the building of the Grandstand as well as stabling and training facilities. As the Greater Bay Area continues to develop, the equine industry, like many burgeoning sectors in the region, will also enjoy tremendous opportunities for future growth.