Hongkongers flooded the Sha Tin Racecourse on Tuesday for the first race day of the Lunar New Year, which was finally opened to the public after it was closed for two years because of Covid.
There were 11 races today, and fans received a souvenir pen and a ticket for a lucky draw upon entry. Fans needed not to display their
vaccine pass QR code and could go maskless when eating and drinking in the stands.
The first race kicked off at 12.30pm following the opening ceremony in the morning attended by the Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.
A man from the audience surnamed Tang said the atmosphere this year was way better than that of two to three years ago, with the races fully open to the public.
He added he had about HK$1,000 budget for betting and especially wore a red jacket hoping to boost his luck. He wished citizens good health and good lives.
Another woman surnamed Lau said she was here to feel the electricity at the racecourse with her family.
Her family joked that she wore red underwear for the occasion, while Lau said her grandma had a few hundred dollars for betting. Lau also wished her family good health in the Year of the Rabbit.
