(25th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Return to China) Exclusive Interview with Chairman of Hong Kong Jockey Club Chen Nanlu: "The Horse Runs" Hong Kong heads forward
China News Agency, Hong Kong, June 21, title: Interview with Chen Nanlu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club: "Horse is running" Hong Kong heads forward
China News Agency reporter Han Xingtong
At the beginning of the handover, Chen Nanlu often encountered a question: in ten years, will the lights in Hong Kong be brighter or dimmer than they are now?
Definitely more brilliant, he said decisively.
Now that it has been back for 25 years, after several storms and adversities, the city has also moved forward.
Chen Nanlu became the chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Jockey Club) in June 2020. In an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency recently, he was more certain of the answer: "I have full confidence in the future of Hong Kong and the Jockey Club."
Chen Nanlu, chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Jockey Club), said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency recently: "I have full confidence in the future of Hong Kong and the Jockey Club." Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Yongnuo
"Dance according to dance, horse according to run" is a popular interpretation of Deng Xiaoping's "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong.
Chen Nanlu was born and raised in Wanchai and Happy Valley. He also settled here after his marriage. The view of the horses galloping in the racecourse is an indispensable image in his growing memory. .
In his words, horse racing is indeed the love of his life for him.
Chen Nanlu, chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Jockey Club), said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency recently: "I have full confidence in the future of Hong Kong and the Jockey Club." Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Yongnuo
Such is the horse racing culture, which is deeply rooted in the hearts of Hong Kong people. The two races a week attract the attention of the whole city. "The horse races twice a week bring entertainment opportunities to the citizens. After the race on Wednesday, you can go back to study the horse scriptures. You can play again." Chen Nanlu said.
Chen Nanlu used a set of figures to more intuitively interpret the opportunities brought to the Jockey Club by "horse running": as a non-profit organization, the Jockey Club's profits are all used to pay taxes and charity, and the Jockey Club paid nearly 25 billion yuan in taxes last year ( Hong Kong dollars, the same below), accounting for about 4.5% of the total tax revenue of the SAR government, making it the largest single taxpayer in Hong Kong.
The Jockey Club's charitable trust fund donated 4.5 billion yuan last year, an increase of several times compared to the more than one billion 25 years ago.
During the epidemic, in addition to fixed donations, an additional approval of more than 1.8 billion yuan has been approved to support the community's fight against the epidemic.
The Jockey Club also ranks among the top ten charitable organizations in the world.
On December 12, 2021, Hong Kong horse "Golden Sixty" won an international race held by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
With 19 titles, Golden Sixty is the horse with the most championships in Hong Kong history.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Zhihua
From the point of view of competitions, Hong Kong now hosts 12 international first-level competitions every year. The jockeys, horses and prize money are all world-class. In the 2021 world year-end horse ranking list, Hong Kong has 15 horses on the list. Among them, Hong Kong horse king " Golden Gun Sixty" has repeatedly broken records and is among the highest rated one-mile horses in the world.
"The Hong Kong Jockey Club's business and horse racing performance is certainly second to none in the world, which was unimaginable 25 years ago."
On July 1, 2018, the Hong Kong Jockey Club held the "Hong Kong Jockey Day" at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Wei
Since the return to the motherland, the Jockey Club has always responded to the demands of the society, "We have a purpose, that is, for the good of Hong Kong, we must move forward side by side with the society." Elements of the Jockey Club can be seen everywhere on the streets of Hong Kong, and the Jockey Club has allocated funds to build the Hong Kong Palace Museum and other recreational facilities It also sponsored the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, etc., to strengthen research on brain degeneration under the aging population and services for terminally ill patients.
When the "SARS" epidemic hit in 2003, the Jockey Club allocated funds to support the establishment of the Center for Health Protection, which also played an irreplaceable role in this new crown epidemic.
"What the Jockey Club hopes to do is not only to donate money, but also to attract the common attention of the society, so as to use social resources to some places that Hong Kong really needs." Chen Nanlu emphasized.
On July 1, 2018, the Hong Kong Jockey Club held the "Hong Kong Jockey Day" at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Wei
In the two years that the epidemic raged in Hong Kong, large-scale entertainment activities were interrupted, which undoubtedly had an adverse impact on horse racing activities where many people gathered, and betting shops were closed for a time.
However, the Jockey Club quickly adjusted its strategy to ensure the "horse running" on the premise of ensuring the safety of people and horses, and successfully held international events with a closed-loop "horse racing bubble".
Chen Nanlu said with a smile that he still remembered that when the Japanese players were awarded awards, due to strict epidemic prevention requirements, the two sides could not contact each other, so they could only wave from a distance and shouted congratulations.
In recent years, with the introduction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area plan, the Jockey Club is also actively integrating into the overall development of the country, helping the Greater Bay Area to build a world-class horse industry economic circle.
Chen Nanlu introduced that the highest standard horse farm established by the Jockey Club in Conghua, Guangzhou was completed and put into use in 2018.
Conghua's world-class facilities will promote the comprehensive development of the horse industry chain in the Greater Bay Area, and accelerate the construction of a modern horse industry economic circle in Guangzhou and Hong Kong in conjunction with the Guangzhou Horse International Testing Center, horse racing talent training, and veterinary professional development.
There is a painting in Chen Nanlu's parlour with his cartoon image and several of his horses.
He was quite interested in talking about the fun of gambling with 20 yuan in the past, and that small happy aftertaste has been reminiscent to this day.
He said: "In the past 25 years, Hong Kong has experienced large and small storms, but every time it has overcome adversity, the horse runs forward, and Hong Kong continues to move forward." (End)