Hong Kong is one of the two special
administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China. The
island is also one of the six co-host cities to conduct the Beijing
Olympics 2008. Hong Kong is located in the Far East, just south of
the Tropic of Cancer. It lies on the eastern side of Pearl River
Delta and 135km southeast of Canton. Until the transfer of
sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 to the People’s Republic of
China, it was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 to 1981
and was a British dependent territory from 1981. Hong Kong this year
will be hosting the Olympic Equestrian event at the island.
The Hong Kong Island is surrounded by South China Sea on the east,
south and west and borders the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong
province to the north over the Sham Chun River. The territory of the
region consists of primarily the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon
Peninsula, Lantau Island, New Territories as well as some 260
islands. The urban settlement of the city is mostly concentrated in
the Kowloon peninsula and in scattered settlements in the new
territories. Hong Kong last year in August cleared all the required
tests to host the Olympic equestrian event. Mr. Lam Woon-Kwong, CEO
of the Equestrian Company, last year had announced that test had
successfully been conducted on the ground and other things and Hong
Kong had been declared the venue for hosting the sporting event.
For the equestrian event of 2008 Olympics, there are two venues.
The Jumping and Dressage events will take place at the Hong Kong
Olympic Equestrian venue, Shatin. On the other hand, the
Cross-Country test will take place at the Hong Kong Olympic
Equestrian Venue, Beas River. Both the venues for the Equestrian
event in Hong Kong are well equipped to host the coveted sport
associated with horses. At Shatin the venue is a 100 m x 80 m
all-weather sand arena capable of accommodating 18,000 spectators.
The venue boasts of newly constructed stables making up four blocks
of air-conditioned accommodation for upto 200 horses. It also has a
separate stable block for reserve horses. The cross-country venue
along the Beas River has a 5.7 km cross country track with a width
of 10 meters. The Cross-Country venue also includes warm-up and
cool-down areas and a temporary stable block for 80 horses. The
Island is all but set now to co-host the Beijing Olympics 2008.
Hong Kong is one of the six co-host cities for
the Beijing Olympics 2008. Get to know more about the city, which shall
host the Olympic equestrian event.
Hong Kong
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