July 1, 2026 | Return Day Horse Racing Draws 27,000 In-Person Visitors; Tourist Numbers Reach a New High; Over 2,000 Drones in Hung Hom Form “Shenzhou” Astronauts to Celebrate July 1

Coinciding with July 1, the Sha Tin Racecourse held its "horses still run" celebration for the return of Hong Kong today. The event attracted over 27k visitors for the entire day, with tourists accounting for nearly 9,300 people—a 36% increase compared to last year, setting a new record for the Return Day races. Total betting turnover for the 11 races reached nearly HK$1.65 billion.

Miss Yang, a tourist from Zhejiang, noted that the racecourse not only exudes "Hong Kong flavor" but also features many digital entertainment facilities. She plans to spend nearly HK$20k during her three-day trip to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, a German tire company's Shanghai branch general manager, Mr. Zhu, brought his team of nearly 30 colleagues for a "team-building" event. Visiting the racecourse for the first time, he praised its operating model as worthy of study.

Drones Form Multiple "Hong Kong Flavor" Patterns

Elsewhere tonight, at the new waterfront in Hung Hom, a large-scale drone light show was held. Over 2,000 drones formed giant patterns in the sky, including the Golden Bauhinia, the Tsing Ma Bridge, and a Shenzhou-23 astronaut, as well as arranging slogans such as "One Country, Two Systems, Steady and Lasting." The 15-minute performance attracted many residents and tourists, who stopped to watch and take photos.