Historical Tours in Hong Kong and Macao

Happy Valley is well-known for its racecourse, but largely-unknown to many residents are the interesting cemeteries nearby that go back almost to the first years of British settlement in Hong Kong. The many and varied personalities buried here reflect the diverse communities - Moslem, Jewish, Portuguese, Irish, Italian, British, White Russian and Indian - that together made up the British Colony. All are quiet, reflective and full of trees and interest.

Colonial (Protestant) Cemetery overlooking Happy Valley Race Course - c.1905

In this walk we will visit St. Michael's Roman Catholic Cemetery, the Colonial (Hong Kong) Cemetery and the Parsee Cemetery, and visit among many others the graves of early Portuguese settlers from Macao like Leonardo d'Almada e Castro, Armenian businessmen such as Sir Paul Chater, Eurasian compradore Sir Robert Hotung, the scattered graves of plague, fire and typhoon victims along with such little-remembered notables as the early benefactor of Hong Kong University Sir H. N. Mody and the philanthropist Ruttonjee family- along with many others.

Fire at Happy Valley Race Course on 26th February 1918 in which more than 600 persons died.