A very pragmatic solution
Opposite Happy Valley racetrack are the entrances to several colonial cemeteries, and among these is one for the Parsee, an ethnoreligious group in India. If you walk up the steps, you will be greeted by a sea of flowers. The Parsee Cemetery is by far the best maintained and most colourful burial ground in Hong Kong. On top and between all the graves, and along the walkways, are hundreds of flowerpots with luxuriant plants. Having arrived at the fountain, a typical trait of the Hong Kong people becomes evident - their wonderful pragmatism. City space is limited and a graveyard has to be maintained, so what could be more sensible than to make a virtue out of necessity and locate a nursery here? For over 25 years, these two have complemented each other perfectly here. If you follow the steps to the very top, you will reach a western-style pavilion, where you can settle down in the shade to enjoy its splendour. Right next to it lies the large white marble grave of a famous Hong Kong merchant, Hormusjee Naorojee Mody, who was among the first to recognise the potential of Kowloon after its assignment to the British. Together with the businessman Sir Catchick Paul Chater, he invested heavily here. From the profits made, he contributed significantly to establishing the University of Hong Kong, where his memorial bust can be found. Mody Road in Kowloon is named after him.
Just below the viaduct, about 250 metres further on, you’ll find the oldest part of the cemetery. Anyone familiar with Hong Kong’s history could pick out the graves of many prominent people from the early days of the colony there. The name Happy Valley, by the way, has nothing to do with cheerfulness or lucky race bet winners, but was rather the Victorian term for a cemetery, and since the valley was swampy and many people died of malaria, the first burial ground was located in this area.
Info
Address Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley | Public Transport Tram line 1 or 1P to Colonial Cemetery or Happy Valley Racecourse, Wong Nai Chung Road | Hours Daily: 7am–5pm| Tip In the cemetery there are a number of very old and rare trees, such as the only mahogany tree in Hong Kong.
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