July 1, 2026 | Return of Racing Day attracts 27,000 attendees; tourist numbers hit a new high. In Hung Hom, more than 2,000 drones form Shenzhou astronauts to celebrate July 1.

On the occasion of July 1, the Sha Tin Racecourse today also held 'Horses Race as Usual' to celebrate the handover anniversary, attracting over 27k visitors throughout the day, of which nearly 9,300 were tourists, an increase of 36% from last year, setting a new high for the Handover Race Day. The total betting turnover for the 11 races of the day was nearly HK$1.65 billion.

Miss Yang, a tourist from Zhejiang, pointed out that the racecourse is not only full of 'Hong Kong flavor' but also has many digital entertainment facilities. She said her 3-day itinerary in Hong Kong would cost nearly HK$20k. Separately, a German company came for a 'team building' event. Mr. Zhu, general manager of the Shanghai branch of a German tire company, said he came with nearly 30 colleagues, and it was his first time at the racecourse. He highly praised the racecourse's operating model as worth learning from.

Drones Form Multiple 'Hong Kong Flavor' Patterns

Also tonight at the new Hung Hom waterfront, there was a large-scale drone light show. Over 2,000 drones formed patterns in the sky, including a giant Golden Bauhinia, Tsing Ma Bridge, and the Shenzhou-23 astronaut, as well as slogans such as 'One Country, Two Systems, Steady and Enduring'. The 15-minute show attracted many citizens and tourists, including families, to stop and watch, and take photos to mark the occasion.