Sports in Hong Kong

Culturally speaking, Hong Kong is best known for its temples, historical artifacts, and popular attractions. What you may not realize then, is that Hong Kong offers a great deal of sports for visitors and residents to enjoy. And with the variety of spectator sports here, you will never find an unhappy sports fan. Sports in Hong Kong, like its many other attractions, are some of the best in Asia, if not the world.

Spectator Sports

There are many great spectator sports in Hong Kong. Some can be found throughout the seasons, while others are special events that only occur once a year, requiring extra planning beforehand. Horse racing is the most popular sport amongst the locals, and it can be found from the beginning of fall until the end of June. Betting on horseracing is the only form of legal gambling in Hong Kong proper, which largely explains the sport's popularity. Attending races is very cheap, with entry to the cheapest seats costing little more than a dollar. If you're a huge horse racing fan, take one of the tourist board's tours, which give visitors the chance to mingle with jockey club members.

Sports Tournaments

On the other end of the spectrum are Hong Kong's annual sports tournaments. During the spring, there's the international rugby tournament called the Hong Kong Sevens. Recent tournaments have drawn teams from nearly every continent, and visitors from all over the world mingled and connected over the love of the sport. Another popular tournament is the Hong Kong Tennis Classic. It regularly draws the top names in tennis, and players come from all over the world to represent their country as participants in the World Team Challenge.

Most of Hong Kong's golf courses are limited to members only, making golf a spectator-centric sport here. The Hong Kong Golf Club hosts numerous major tournaments, and a day-pass gets visitors access to watch.

Hong Kong's most exciting sport has to be dragon boat racing. People from all backgrounds take part in races all over Hong Kong. The most important race is held on the Tuen Ng Festival Day. When planning your vacation, check to see the date of the festival because you may just want to plan your trip around it.

Surfing

Hong Kong is also home to some surprisingly good surf. To find the best, go to Dai Long Wan Beach, located in Sai Kung Country Park. Surfing is growing in popularity here, so you'll find yourself hanging out with likeminded individuals.

Cheer on a local or professional team or catch your first dragon boat race. Whatever you decide to do, you're sure to find exciting, intensive sports in Hong Kong to get your blood pumping and your heart racing.