Hong Kong

HONG KONG is one of China's two special administrative regions (SAR); Macau is the other. Home to almost seven million inhabitants, Hong Kong undoubtedly ranks as one of the world's most electrifying travel destinations. The area incorporates over 260 islands on the Pearl River Delta's eastern side, while the Guangdong province border lies to the north and the South China Sea to the south, east, & west.

Gambling Hong Kong Style
Gaming is illegal in Hong Kong except when placing bets on racehorses, sports betting and/or lotteries, all of which are under the supervision of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The HKJC maintains a government-granted monopoly and horse races lead the list as the most popular spectator sport in Hong Kong.

The Jockey Club also manages Hong Kong's Mark 6 lottery, plus offers sports-betting for football matches played beyond Hong Kong's jurisdiction. The Club is run as a non-profit organisation with it profits going to many different charities. The Jockey Club is also one of Hong Kong's largest employers with 4400 full-time workers and 20,000 part-time.

History of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Established in 1884 to advance horseracing in Hong Kong, the HKJC is one of the city's oldest institutions. Under English rule, and till 1996, the Jockey Club was called "The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club" and regularly hosted noble folk and other bigwigs.

Today's Jockey Club is managed as a non-profit organisation overseeing some 700 horse races each and every year at its pair of racing tracks Happy Valley & Sha Tin. The Jockey Club is also Hong Kong's leading payer of taxes as well as the largest donor to charities. The Jockey Club is said to have contributed an estimated one billion Hong Kong dollars (approximately U.S. $130 million) to charities over the past 10years.

Hotels & Restaurants
Research regarding both business travelers and tourists consistently rank Hong Kong's hotels alongside the finest in the world. Making it onto this very elite list of hotels are the Regent, the Peninsula, the Grand Hyatt & the Mandarin. Indeed, these and other hotels not only receive outstanding marks from visitors for their guest accommodations, but for their fine dining establishments too.

Take the Peninsula Hotel, for example, which offers two terrific options, Felix or Gaddi's. The Grand Hyatt Hotel features One Harbour Road and Grissini. The Regent Hotel boasts Yu Restaurant at the Regent, and the Peak Galleria serves up the Cafe Deco at the Peak. Hong Kong's restaurants range from laid-back cafes to very fine cuisine.

Fun for the Entire Family
Along with state-of-the-art gaming facilities, Hong Kong promises guests practically every form of entertainment a traveler can wish for. Need a time-out from the betting scene? Head over to Hong Kong Disneyland, the world's fifth Disney theme park. Or enjoy one of the numerous harbor cruise rides, the Symphony of Lights, plus absolutely fabulous shopping. There is no lack of fun to be had in Hong Kong. And getting around the city is simple as Hong Kong possesses one of the world's finest transportation systems.