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Sha Tin

{{About|the area of Hong Kong|the district|Sha Tin District| Sha Tin as a new town project|Sha Tin New Town|the composer|Judith Shatin|the village in Armenia|Shatin, Armenia}}

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=April 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}

{{Infobox settlement

| settlement_type = Neighbourhood

| official_name = Sha Tin

| native_name = 沙田

| native_name_lang = zh-Hant-HK

| image_skyline = Sha Tin Shing Mun River.JPG

| imagesize = 250px

| image_caption = Shing Mun River Promenade

| image_seal =

| mapsize =

| map_caption = Location within Hong Kong

| pushpin_map =Hong Kong

| pushpin_label_position =

| coordinates = {{coord|22|22|30|N|114|11|00|E|region:CN-91_type:city(480000)|display=title,inline}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = China

| subdivision_type1 = SAR

| subdivision_name1 = Hong Kong

| subdivision_type3 = District

| subdivision_name3 = Sha Tin District

| established_title =

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| population_blank1_title = Demonym

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| timezone = HKT

| utc_offset = +8

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{{Infobox Chinese

|pic=HK Shatin Magistrates Courts 2008.jpg

|piccap=Lek Yuen Bridge over
Shing Mun River in Sha Tin central

|c=沙田

|l=sandy field

|showflag=j

|y=Sā Tìhn

|ci={{IPAc-yue|s|aa|1|.|t|in|4}}

|j=Saa1 Tin4

|p=Shātián

}}

Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District. Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project.

The new town was founded in 1973 under the New Towns Development Programme of the Hong Kong government. Its current name was named after the nearby village of Sha Tin Wai. The literal English translation is 'Sand Fields'.

{{TOC limit|2}}

History

Tai Wai Village, located in Tai Wai, next to Sha Tin, and the oldest and largest walled village in Sha Tin District, was built in 1574, during the Ming Dynasty.{{Cite book |last=Hase |first=P.H. |title=Settlement, Life, and Politics - Understanding the Traditional New Territories. |publisher=City University Of Hong Kong Press |year=2020 |isbn=9789629374419 |series=Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong studies series |pages=242–244 |chapter=Chapter 3. Traditional Sha Tin}}

Before British rule in Hong Kong, the area of Sha Tin and its vicinity was referred to as Lek Yuen (瀝源, 沥源, lit. "source of trickling" or "source of clear water"). In 1899, when colonial surveyors George P Tate and his assistant William John Newland were dispatched to survey the New Territories, they likely mistook the name of the Sha Tin Wai village as the name of the area and hence "Sha Tin" has been used ever since.{{Cite web |last=梁 |first=炳華 |title=沙田歷史 {{!}} 港文化18區 |url=https://had18.huluhk.org/article-detail.php?id=153&lang=tc# |website=文化葫蘆 |language=zh}}{{Cite map|title=Hong Kong Historic Maps - Reference 1901.1|url=https://www.hkmaps.hk/map.html?1901.1|map=Map of Hong Kong and New Territory - Showing Boundaries According to C.S.O.|date=1901|publisher=|publication-place=Hong Kong}} Nowadays, the original name is used to refer to Lek Yuen Estate.

Sha Tin was the location of the first flight of a powered aircraft in Hong Kong in 1911. The aeroplane, a Farman Mk II bi-plane named “Wanda”, was flown by Belgian pilot Charles Van den Born.{{Cite web |date=17 July 2014 |title=Shatin – first powered flight in Hong Kong 1911 |url=https://industrialhistoryhk.org/sha-tin-airfield/ |website=The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group}}{{Cite news |title=The Aviation Meeting - Flight At Shatin |url=https://archive.org/details/NPDP19110320/page/n1/mode/2up?view=theater |work=Hong Kong Daily Press |pages=2}} The plane was later named as the Spirit of Sha Tin ({{zh|t=沙田精神號|labels=no}}). A full size replica of this plane now hangs in Hong Kong International Airport.

The area was formerly agricultural farmland. Before Sha Tin's development into a new town, Hung Mui Kuk ({{zh|t=紅梅谷|labels=no}}), southwest of Sha Tin, was perennially the main site for school picnics. The hillside area remains a popular barbecue site.

In 1956, a market township: Sha Tin Hui, was established on top of unused agricultural fields at the present location of Sha Tin Centre Street and New Town Plaza shopping centre, next to the Sha Tin station of the MTR East Rail line. The township was founded by Den Lau (劉贊瑞), the son of businessman Lau Hey Shing (劉希成) who owned the 150,000 sq ft. plot of land. Sha Tin Hui contained five streets with shops, restaurants, and residential buildings. Modern facilities such as a post office and a cinema were also put in place.{{Cite web |title=繁榮的沙田墟市 |url=https://mos.hk/shatin/10/19/42 |website=馬鞍山民康促進會 |language=zh}} In 1962 Sha Tin Hui was severely damaged by typhoon Wanda, and subsequently had to be rebuilt. In 1979 Sha Tin Hui was demolished as a result of the government's expansion plans. The land was leased to Sun Hung Kai properties, who then developed the area into New Town Plaza shopping centre.

Starting in the 1970s, the area became part of the Sha Tin New Town development. Since then, the economy in the area has greatly improved and living standards have also increased. Sha Tin Town Centre was developed during the mid-1980s to help "link the town's currently dispersed residents into one cohesive community."{{cite news|title=Shatin showplace taking shape|url=http://hknews.lib.hku.hk.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/20_01.02/42554.pdf|access-date=5 October 2014|publisher=Hong Kong Standard|date=21 February 1983}} The 18-hectare site, adjacent to the railway station, was built up in stages to house an array of uses including the New Town Plaza, numerous smaller shopping malls, Sha Tin Park, a magistracy, library, town hall, marriage registry, hotel, town square, and several residential towers.

Geography

File:ShaTin-ShingMunRiver-EarlyStageOfDevelopment.jpg under development in the late 1970s.]]

Sha Tin is located in a valley, on both sides of the Shing Mun River, running from the southwest to the northeast. It is bordered by Tai Wai in the southwest and by Fo Tan (left bank) and Shek Mun (right bank) in the northeast.

= Cross-border activities =

Due to their proximity to the Shenzhen border, towns in the northern parts of Hong Kong, notably Sheung Shui and Yuen Long, have become hubs for parallel traders who have been buying up large quantities of goods, forcing up local prices and disrupting the daily lives of local citizens.[https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E8%BF%91%E7%99%BE%E5%90%8D%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%B0%E4%B8%8A%E6%B0%B4%E7%A4%BA%E5%A8%81%E4%B8%8D%E6%BB%BF%E5%85%A7%E5%9C%B0%E6%B0%B4%E8%B2%A8%E5%AE%A2-105000163.html "近百名人到上水示威不滿內地水貨客"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105221351/https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E8%BF%91%E7%99%BE%E5%90%8D%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%B0%E4%B8%8A%E6%B0%B4%E7%A4%BA%E5%A8%81%E4%B8%8D%E6%BB%BF%E5%85%A7%E5%9C%B0%E6%B0%B4%E8%B2%A8%E5%AE%A2-105000163.html |date=5 November 2014 }}. now.com. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2014.Ma, Mary (10 February 2015). [https://archive.today/20150311123405/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=49&art_id=154127&sid=43862683&con_type=1&d_str=20150210&isSearch=1&sear_year=2015 "Parallel lines of concern need fixing"]. The Standard Since 2012, there has been an increase in mainland parallel traders arriving in the North District of Hong Kong to re-export infant formula and household products – goods popular with mainlanders – across the border to Shenzhen.Jennifer, Ngo [http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1412052/milk-powder-supplies-still-not-meeting-needs "Milk powder supplies still not meeting needs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217071845/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1412052/milk-powder-supplies-still-not-meeting-needs |date=17 December 2014 }}. South China Morning Post. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014 The volume of smuggling activity spilled over into Tuen Mun and Sha Tin in 2014.

The first anti-parallel trading protest was started at Sheung Shui in September 2012.Luk, Eddie (21 September 2012). [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=126697&sid=37708163&con_type=3&d_str=20120921&isSearch=1&sear_year=2012 "Seeing red (white and blue)"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20150311123401/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=126697&sid=37708163&con_type=3&d_str=20120921&isSearch=1&sear_year=2012 |date=2015-03-11 }}. The Standard As government efforts to limit the adverse impact of mainland trafficking were widely seen as inadequate, so there have been further subsequent protests in towns in the New Territories including Sha Tin.Wong, Hilary; Cheng, Kevin (9 March 2015). [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=154988&sid=44036440&con_type=3&d_str=20150309&isSearch=1&sear_year=2015 "Targeting mainlanders ... young and old"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402173649/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=154988&sid=44036440&con_type=3&d_str=20150309&isSearch=1&sear_year=2015 |date=2015-04-02 }}. The Standard{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-09/hong-kong-protests-against-day-trippers-as-china-eyes-action-i71kzgyi|title=Hong Kong Protests Against Day Trippers as China Eyes Action|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=11 March 2017|archive-date=21 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421194522/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-09/hong-kong-protests-against-day-trippers-as-china-eyes-action-i71kzgyi|url-status=live}}

Housing

File:Sha Tin Wai Sha Kok Estate Sand Martin House.jpg

Image:Shatin 20051006.jpg

=Public housing estates=

{{Main|Public housing estates in Sha Tin}}

=Private housing estates=

{{See also|Private housing estates in Sha Tin District}}

Private housing estates in Sha Tin include:

{{Div col}}

{{Div col end}}

=Villages=

{{Div col}}

South bank of Shing Mun River. From west to east:

North bank of Shing Mun River. From west to east:

  • Lai Chi Yuen
  • Tin Liu ({{zh|t=田寮|labels=no}}), part of Pai Tau
  • Pai Tau
  • Pai Tau Hang{{Cite web |url=http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/newterritories/shatin3.htm |title=thaiworldview: Sha Tin |access-date=20 March 2012 |archive-date=25 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325050611/http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/newterritories/shatin3.htm |url-status=live }}
  • Sheung Wo Che
  • Ha Wo Che

{{Div col end}}

Shopping centres

Image:New Town Plaza Void 201301.jpg after renovation.]]

Economy

Lukfook, the jewellery company, has its head office in Metropole Square ({{zh|first=t|t=新都廣場|labels=no}}), Sha Tin.{{cite web|url=https://www.lukfook.com/en/page/investor-relations/corporate-shareholders-information|title=Corporate Information|publisher=Lukfook|access-date=2023-11-28|quote=HEAD OFFICE AND PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS 15th, 20th, 25th & 27th Floor Metropole Square No.2 On Yiu Street, Shatin New Territories, Hong Kong}} - [https://www.lukfook.com/tc/page/investor-relations/corporate-shareholders-information Traditional Chinese address]: "香港新界沙田安耀街2號新都廣場15、20、25及27樓", [https://www.lukfook.com/sc/page/investor-relations/corporate-shareholders-information Simplified Chinese address]: "香港新界沙田安耀街2号新都广场15、20、25及27楼"

Architecture

While having been mass developed in the 1970s, Shatin's architecture maintains a degree of diversity. Most public housing estates were designed in a modern architectural style. Several shopping centres, hotels and government buildings around Shatin Central are clad in red brick.

Notable places of worship

File:HK ShatinAssemblyOfGodChurch.JPG

  • {{ill|Sai Lam Temple|zh|西林寺 (香港)}} ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|西林寺}}){{Cite web |url=http://www.sailamtemple.com/index.php |title=Sai Lim Temple |access-date=12 November 2020 |archive-date=13 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113023915/http://www.sailamtemple.com/index.php |url-status=live }}
  • Sam Yuen Temple ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|三元宮}})
  • {{ill|Wai Chuen Monastery|zh|慧泉寺}} ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|慧泉寺}})
  • Dao Hop Yuen ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|道合園}})
  • Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|萬佛寺}})
  • Tao Fung Shan Christian Centre ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|道風山基督教叢林}})
  • International Fellowship North, English speaking Christian church in Siu Lek Yuen.{{Cite web |url=http://ifellowshipnorth.com/ |title=International Fellowship North website |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-date=17 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517091920/http://ifellowshipnorth.com/ |url-status=live }}
  • Shatin Baptist Church ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|沙田浸信會}})
  • Shatin Anglican Church

Health

File:HK Prince of Wales Hospital.jpg]]

The Prince of Wales Hospital was officially opened in 1982. It provides about 1,400 hospital beds and 24 hours Accident & Emergency service to the eastern New Territories. Other institutions which provide hospital services include the Sha Tin Hospital, the Cheshire Home and the Union Hospital.

Other facilities

File:Shatin Park Main Plaza 2008.jpg

Education

Image:BLMCSS-Front 20070828.jpg

File:Shatin College 202006.jpg, a member of the English Schools Foundation.]]

As of 2008, there were 46 primary and 44 secondary schools in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan.{{cite web|url=http://www.edb.gov.hk/templates/sch_list_print.asp?district=ST|title=School List|publisher=Hong Kong Education Bureau|year=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305071102/http://www.edb.gov.hk/templates/sch_list_print.asp?district=ST|archive-date=5 March 2012}}

Shatin Town Centre is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 91. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money); no government schools are in this net.{{cite web|url=https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/school-lists/2023dpnet-91b.pdf|title=POA School Net 91|publisher=Education Bureau|accessdate=2022-10-09}}

{{Div col}}

;Tertiary institutions

;Primary and secondary schools

;Other educational institutions

{{Div col end}}

Culture, sports and recreational facilities

File:JG & HKJC.JPG

File:Hong Kong Heritage Museum (staff entrance).JPG.]]

There are numerous cultural, recreational and sport facilities in Sha Tin including the Town Hall, swimming pools, football pitches, indoor recreation centres and various track and field facilities for the use of Sha Tin residents.

The 8-hectare Sha Tin Park was opened to public in 1988. Apart from its horticultural gardens and impressive water features, it also includes a large open plaza and a bandstand. The Ma On Shan Park, which is adjacent to Ma On Shan Swimming Pool, occupies 5.5 hectare of land.

The Sha Tin Racecourse, occupying approximately 70 hectares, rests on reclaimed flatland. At the centre of the racecourse is the Penfold Garden which opens to the public on non-racing days.

Located in Tai Wai, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum was opened at the end of 2000. Apart from introducing the art, culture and history of the New Territories, the museum also exhibits a variety of cultural artifacts for public appreciation. It has pop culture exhibitions about Bruce Lee, Cantonese Opera, Jin Yong, development of Hong Kong popular music, film, and television and radio programmes. The museum, which can accommodate 6,000 visitors, is the largest in the territory.

Cycling has been a distinctive feature in Sha Tin and is very popular among both local people and visitors. The first cycle track in Sha Tin was opened to public in 1981, running along Tolo Highway to Tai Po, and this remains the territory's most popular cycling venue, drawing many occasional riders at the weekends, as well as dedicated cyclists. To tie in with the development of Ma On Shan, the cycle track was extended to Ma On Shan.

Hiking is also a popular activity around Sha Tin. There are several starting points including Hin Tin Village, Sha Tin Tau Village and Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area leading to the track of Lion Rock Mountain hiking route. It takes 1 hour to 4 hours to complete the track depending on the chosen starting point and ending point.

A Dragon Boat Racing competition is taking annually on Shing Mun River since 1984, at the time of the Dragon Boat Festival.{{cite web |title=About Sha Tin Dragon Boat Racing Competition |url=https://stsa.org.hk/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9E%8B%E6%B4%BB%E5%8B%95/%E6%B2%99%E7%94%B0%E9%BE%8D%E8%88%9F%E7%AB%B6%E8%B3%BD/ |website=Sha Tin Sports Association}}

Local delicacies

Sha Tin is famous for certain local variants of Cantonese food such as ShanSui Tofu ({{zh|links=no|c=山水豆腐|l=mountain-water beancurd|labels=no}}), barbecued pigeon and chicken congee. The cooked food stalls in Wo Che Estate and Fo Tan are hotspots for food.

Transportation

File:Shui Chuen O 2016.jpg

File:HK Sha Tin Station Platform 2008.jpg]]

There are numerous transportation links both within the Sha Tin District and connecting it to other places in Hong Kong.

=Roads=

The road network in Sha Tin is well developed to provide efficient cross-town and local access traffic. Connection between Sha Tin and Kowloon mainly relies on the Lion Rock Tunnel, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnel and Tai Po Road which makes it easy to reach from many areas of Kowloon as well as from Tsuen Wan.

At present, there are over 110 routes of public bus serving Sha Tin.{{Cite web |date=1 January 2024 |title=District Highlights |url=https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/st/english/info/highlight_01.html |website=Sha Tin District Council}}

=Railway=

  • The MTR (East Rail line) is a major means of transportation between Admiralty and Lo Wu via Sha Tin. After the electrification of the line between 1979 and 1983, the East Rail now carries over 730,000 passengers daily.
  • The Tuen Ma line opened on 21 December 2004. The 56.4 km long railway has 27 stations linking West Rail line at Hung Hom via Kai Tak. The MTR Maintenance Centre is located in Tai Wai.

File:Panorama view JG.jpg

File:HK Shatin New Town Panorama 201008.jpg

Climate

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Sha Tin (1991–2020)

| Jan record high C = 27.6

| Feb record high C = 28.6

| Mar record high C = 31.8

| Apr record high C = 33.0

| May record high C = 36.6

| Jun record high C = 36.4

| Jul record high C = 37.5

| Aug record high C = 38.1

| Sep record high C = 36.5

| Oct record high C = 35.1

| Nov record high C = 31.8

| Dec record high C = 28.9

| year record high C = 38.1

|Jan high C = 19.2

|Feb high C = 19.9

|Mar high C = 22.1

|Apr high C = 25.8

|May high C = 29.1

|Jun high C = 30.8

|Jul high C = 31.9

|Aug high C = 31.9

|Sep high C = 31.0

|Oct high C = 28.5

|Nov high C = 25.0

|Dec high C = 20.9

|Jan mean C = 15.7

|Feb mean C = 16.6

|Mar mean C = 19.1

|Apr mean C = 22.7

|May mean C = 26.1

|Jun mean C = 28.0

|Jul mean C = 28.8

|Aug mean C = 28.6

|Sep mean C = 27.7

|Oct mean C = 25.2

|Nov mean C = 21.6

|Dec mean C = 17.4

|Jan low C = 12.8

|Feb low C = 14.0

|Mar low C = 16.6

|Apr low C = 20.3

|May low C = 23.8

|Jun low C = 25.8

|Jul low C = 26.3

|Aug low C = 26.0

|Sep low C = 25.1

|Oct low C = 22.6

|Nov low C = 18.7

|Dec low C = 14.3

| Jan record low C = 2.9

| Feb record low C = 4.0

| Mar record low C = 4.4

| Apr record low C = 10.2

| May record low C = 15.3

| Jun record low C = 19.9

| Jul record low C = 21.3

| Aug record low C = 22.1

| Sep record low C = 18.4

| Oct record low C = 14.4

| Nov record low C = 6.3

| Dec record low C = 4.8

| year record low C = 2.9

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 35.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 35.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 67.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 145.0

|May precipitation mm = 324.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 536.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 419.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 431.1

|Sep precipitation mm = 291.5

|Oct precipitation mm = 110.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 40.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 33.9

|Jan humidity = 73.1

|Feb humidity = 77.3

|Mar humidity = 80.1

|Apr humidity = 81.0

|May humidity = 81.4

|Jun humidity = 81.9

|Jul humidity = 80.2

|Aug humidity = 80.4

|Sep humidity = 77.1

|Oct humidity = 71.8

|Nov humidity = 71.4

|Dec humidity = 68.7

|source 1 = Hong Kong Observatory{{cite web

| url = https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/cis/awsMonthlyElement.htm?stn=SHA&ele=TEMP

| title = Monthly Data for Single Element

| publisher = Hong Kong Observatory

| access-date = 5 April 2024

}}

}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book |title= Settlement, Life, and Politics - Understanding the Traditional New Territories|last= Hase|first= P. H.|author-link= Patrick Hase|chapter=Chapter 3. Traditional Sha Tin |year= 2020|publisher= City University of Hong Kong Press|series= Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong studies series|pages=215–320|isbn= 9789629374419}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

{{wiktionary|Sha Tin}}

{{Hong Kong Urban Areas}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:New Territories

Category:Restricted areas of Hong Kong red public minibus

Category:Populated places in Hong Kong