About
Tucked away on the hillside in So Kon Po, behind the southeastern corner of Hong Kong Stadium, lies the Race Course Fire Memorial in the form of a beautiful Chinese-style shrine.
On the afternoon of February 26th, 1918, Happy Valley Race Course was hosting an annual horse race. Thousands of people filled the wood-and-bamboo grandstand, leading to its collapse. Cooking equipment used by food sellers overturned, igniting a fire that spread rapidly.
The engulfing fire, combined with the overcrowding, meant most spectators in the stands struggled to escape. Some were trampled to death in the ensuing rush. Many more burned to death.
Over 600 bodies of various nationalities were recovered, many burned beyond recognition. The Tung Wah Hospital arranged for the collection of the bodies and their subsequent burial on the hillside in So Kon Po, further uphill from the memorial.
A few years after the fire, the chairman of the hospital organized an architectural competition for a permanent memorial to be erected close to the burial site. Construction was finished in 1922.
The memorial was officially declared a monument by the Hong Kong government in 2015. For over a century, the Race Course Fire Memorial has paid poignant tribute to hundreds of victims of the deadliest fire in Hong Kong's history.
Know Before You Go
The stadium and memorial are a short walk from Causeway Bay. Buses 5B, 8H and 936 all stop at Hong Kong Stadium bus stop. The memorial's opening hours are 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. The memorial is open year-round, apart from the first three days of the Lunar New Year.
To get to the memorial from the stadium, go up the steps and face the red entrance gates at Hong Kong Stadium's north stand, then walk left towards the east stand. Look for the narrow staircase with green railings leading up onto the hillside. Follow the signs and staircase up to reach the memorial. There is no barrier-free access as the stairs are the only way to reach and leave the memorial.
In the summer months, there are plenty of mosquitos at the shrine and on the walk up. Applying mosquito repellant before going to the memorial during these months would be strongly advised.
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Published
July 16, 2025
Sources
- https://www.tungwah.org.hk/en/heritage/historical-architecture/the-race-course-fire-memorial/
- https://www.stonewest.co.uk/case_study/race-course-fire-memorial-hong-kong/
- https://amp.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2134472/when-600-died-fire-hong-kong-racecourse-100
- https://www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-island/monuments_110/index.html
- https://www.tungwah.org.hk/en/heritage/historical-architecture/the-race-course-fire-memorial/
- https://www.stonewest.co.uk/case_study/race-course-fire-memorial-hong-kong/
- https://amp.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2134472/when-600-died-fire-hong-kong-racecourse-100
- https://www.tungwah.org.hk/en/heritage/historical-architecture/the-race-course-fire-memorial/
- https://www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-island/monuments_110/index.html
- https://amp.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2134472/when-600-died-fire-hong-kong-racecourse-100
- https://www.stonewest.co.uk/case_study/race-course-fire-memorial-hong-kong/
- https://www.tungwah.org.hk/en/heritage/historical-architecture/the-race-course-fire-memorial/
- https://www.ourchinastory.com/en/13319/HK's-most-severe-fire:-Happy-Valley-Racecourse-Fire-in-1918-
