The area now known as Happy Valley was formerly known as Wong Nai Chung Valley, sometimes known as
Wong Nai Chung Kuk () or
Wong Nai Chung Valley because of the (,
lit. yellow mud stream) that leads into the area, where the Wong Nai Chung referred to is a mud-filled river collecting waters from the
Wong Nai Chung Gap and surrounding area. The river nourished the
rice paddies until the construction of
Happy Valley Racecourse in 1846. In early 1840, the
British Army set a military camp in the area. However, the camp was later closed due to the increasing number of soldiers succumbing to
malaria. The cause of malaria was unknown at the time and the soldiers apparently suffered a then-unknown fever. Early settlers had suggested the area to be used as a business centre, but the idea was shelved due to the valley's marshy environment, which was believed to be causing fatal diseases. The death rate in the area and
Victoria City was high in the early colonial days, and the valley became a burial ground for the dead. As a result, the valley was renamed
Happy Valley, a common euphemism for cemeteries. In 1846, the British felt that the valley terrain was ideal for horse-racing, and thus cleared the paddy fields and developed the Happy Valley Racecourse. For this, the Wong Nai Chung river was redirected to the Bowrington Canal, known as Ngo Keng Kan () locally, concurrent with the reclamation of
Wan Chai. The canal is now covered by
Canal Road. On 26 February 1918, the
Happy Valley Racecourse fire claimed at least 590 lives. By the next day, as many as 576 confirmed deaths were reported by the Hong Kong Telegraph. It was caused by the collapse of a temporary grandstand, which knocked over food stalls and set bamboo matting ablaze. Most of the dead bodies became unrecognizable and assumed to be "Chinese". They were buried in the nearby
So Kon Po area (now the site of
Hong Kong Stadium). A Chinese-styled memorial site known as "
Race Course Fire Memorial" was built in the Chinese cemetery (now behind the east stand of the stadium). In 1922, the
Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital located in Happy Valley started operation. On 19 December 1941, the
Japanese Imperial Army entered the hill east of the valley and fought their way to Blue Pool Road. On (now
Blue Pool Road) a number of large massacres occurred, most notably the Blue Pool Road Massacre, where civilians were bayoneted. Civilians and soldiers captured were kept in the appalling conditions of 'the black hole of Hong Kong' (a house on Blue Pool Road). The Japanese later advanced up to Wong Nai Chung Gap, where the battle of
Wong Nai Chung Gap occurred, resulting in Japanese control of the gap. Although the low-areas of Happy Valley were captured, areas surrounding
Leighton Hill and Morrison Hill were still contested until later in
the Battle of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) resumed horse racing in 1947. From the 2010s, the HKJC began promoting Happy Valley as a tourist attraction with "Happy Wednesday" race nights, featuring live music, beer gardens and food stalls attracting around 8,000–12,000 spectators per meeting. ==Characteristics==