Race Course Fire Memorial, Memorial at Happy Valley, Hong Kong
The Race Course Fire Memorial is a monument at Happy Valley in Hong Kong featuring a seven-storey central gateway with four pillars, three archways, and three granite niches containing marble memorial plaques. Two octagonal pavilions with fixed granite tables and benches sit on the grounds.
A fire at the Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918 caused the deaths of more than 600 people. Tung Wah Hospital organized the burials and commissioned this memorial to honor those who perished.
The memorial blends Eastern and Western design traditions, with traditional glazed roof tiles alongside classical granite stonework from Europe. Visitors encounter architecture that reflects the city's history as a meeting place of different worlds.
The memorial is open daily and offers accessible walkways through the grounds. The site is level and easy to explore, with clear paths connecting the different structures.
Small furnaces built into the pagodas allow visitors to burn paper offerings in honor of the deceased, a traditional Chinese practice. This ritual keeps the memorial connected to daily observance and remembrance.
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