Eastern District (東區) is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, which is located in the north-eastern part of Hong Kong Island and falls within the Hong Kong Island East area in the Legislative Council constituency.
History[]
The Eastern District covers Fortress Hill, North Point, Braemar Hill, Quarry Bay, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan, with a total area of about 18.9 square kilometres, and is situated in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island. According to the 2001 Population Census, Eastern District has a population of about 616,199, making it the second most populous district in Hong Kong after Sha Tin. With the third highest median monthly household income in Hong Kong after Central and Western and Wan Chai, the Eastern District, which was demarcated in 1969 for the District Officer Scheme, also included the eastern part of the present-day Southern District (Stanley and Shek O) until the establishment of the Southern District in 1981.
Before and after the opening of Hong Kong, fishermen were concentrated in the Chai Wan area. Later, some people found that Shau Kei Wan was a natural sheltered harbour and attracted fishing boats to moor at the Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter, where they lived and worked on the boats. At the same time, some Hakka people from Huizhou started quarrying at A Kung Ngam and began to build simple houses along the shoreline in the area of present-day Shau Kei Wan Main Street East. The problem of piracy grew so serious that the Governor of Hong Kong, Richard Graves Macdonnell (in office 1866-1872), decided to reorganise the planning of the area by demolishing the messy houses and setting up a police station to facilitate the police's fight against piracy. By 1900, there was a marked improvement in hygiene and law and order, and the area began to attract large numbers of settlers. The fishing village of Shau Kei Wan began to grow in size, second only to Aberdeen.
In 1883, Swire & Sons developed what was then Hong Kong's largest industrial area in the then deserted Quarry Bay neighbourhood, establishing the Swire Dockyard, the Swire Sugar Factory and the Hong Kong Soft Drinks Factory, as well as building dormitories in the vicinity of the dockyard, along Sai Wan Ho's Tai On Street, and in Quarry Bay's Westlands Road (known as Taikoo East Gate and Taikoo West Gate respectively), all of which started with the Chinese character "太".
As the population of Shau Kei Wan continued to grow in the 20th century, but transport was still very poor, the Hong Kong Tramways Limited was established in 1904 to connect Shau Kei Wan with Central. However, the section between North Point and Shau Kei Wan was mostly a one-way track with only a small number of trams travelling to and from the area, resulting in a very sparse service that could not keep up with the demand for such a poor service. There was a common saying at that time, "A hero trapped in Shau Kei Wan does not know when he will arrive at Central" (英雄被困筲箕灣，未知何日到中環) to describe the traffic between Shau Kei Wan and the Eastern District, and the situation did not improve until the extension of China Motor Bus (CMB)'s Route 2 to Shau Kei Wan.
North Point had a small population before the Second World War, but after the war, there was an influx of new immigrants from Shanghai, mainly in Chun Yeung Street, Java Road and Marble Road. At that time, North Point extended from the junction of Watson Road, Shell Street and King's Road in the west to the junction of King's Road and Java Road in the east, including Fortress Hill and the Tsat Tsz Mui. The area to the east of Tin Chiu Street and to the west of the junction of Java Road and King's Road was known as the Tsat Tsz Mui in the olden days, and a swimming shed was once set up, but nowadays only the older generation of residents use this name.
The area around MTR Tin Hau Station and Victoria Park has all along belonged to the Eastern District. The Government introduced the District Councils Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 3) Order 2013 into the Legislative Council on 22 October 2013, proposing to adjust the boundaries of the Eastern District and Wan Chai District with effect from the term of the fifth term of the District Councils, by reallocating the Tin Hau (C16) and Victoria Park (C18) Constituency Areas from the former to the latter. [1] The amendments were passed by the Legislative Council on 22 January 2014 and took effect from 1 January 2016 onwards.[2]
Places[]
The Eastern District can traditionally be divided into four main parts (excluding the part that has been reallocated to the Wan Chai District in 2016), which are North Point, Quarry Bay, Sai Wan Ho and Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan from west to east.
North Point[]
Broadly speaking, the area of North Point starts from Oil Street and ends at the eastern end of Java Road, including Braemar Hill, while the western part is commonly known asFortress Hill, and the area around Healthy Village and Model Housing Estate is originally known as the Tsat Tsz Mui.
Quarry Bay[]
The main properties in Quarry Bay are Taikoo Shing and Kornhill Garden, which is built on the Kornhill. The North Point Government Primary School is also located in Quarry Bay, and Quarry Bay is also the eastern end of the Hong Kong Island business district.
Sai Wan Ho and Shau Kei Wan[]
Sai Wan Ho and Shau Kei Wan are mainly residential areas, including Yiu Tung Estate, Hing Tung Estate and Tung Hei Court (collectively known as Yiu Tung) on the hillside, Grand Promenade at the former Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier, and Oi Tung Estate and Aldrich Garden on the reclaimed land at Aldrich Bay. In addition, Ming Wah Dai Ha and the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence at A Kung Ngam are also part of Shau Kei Wan; also, Shau Kei Wan is the eastern end of the tramway.
Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan[]
Chai Wan, on the other hand, started to develop at a later stage, and it is also mainly a residential area with an industrial area. In the past, the eastern end of the Chai Wan development was located at Fu Hong Street, while the eastern part was Siu Sai Wan, which was developed into a purely residential area only in the 1990s.
Street/road structure[]
Due to the narrow topography of the Eastern District, there is only one horizontal thoroughfare comprising King's Road, Shau Kei Wan Road and Chai Wan Road running through the Eastern District, which makes it easy to get lost. However, at the same time, this thoroughfare was also the only external access to the Eastern District in the past few decades, and was often seriously congested until the opening of the Island Eastern Corridor and the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Island Line in the 1980s, when the situation improved.
Bus and minibus termini[]
North Point and Braemar Hill[]
- North Point Ferry Pier Bus Terminus: The old terminus was located opposite to the North Point Ferry Pier and is now out of service.
- North Point Ferry Pier Public Transport Interchange: Located at Java Road, North Point, it is one of the three main bus termini in the Eastern District.
- North Point (Pak Fuk Road) Bus Terminus: Located at Pak Fuk Road near Anne Black Health Centre in North Point, it is the terminus of Cross-Harbour Bus Route 112.
- North Point (Healthy Street Central) Bus Terminus: Located at Healthy Street Central near Healthy Village in North Point, it is the terminus of Citybus Route 18P.
- North Point (Marble Road) Minibus Terminus: Located at Marble Road, North Point, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 33 and Hong Kong Island GMB Route 56.
- North Point (Fort Street) Minibus Terminus: Located at Fortress Street, North Point, it is the terminus for [[Hong Kong Island GMB Route 65].
- Braemar Hill Public Transport Interchange: Located at the end of Braemar Hill Road, near Chinese International School and St Joan of Arc Secondary School.
Quarry Bay and Tai Koo[]
- Quarry Bay Bus Terminus: Located at Yau Man Street, this is the terminus for Cross-Harbour Bus Route 116.
- Sunway Gardens: Located at King's Road near Sunway Gardens, three Western Harbour Crossing routes depart on weekday evenings.
- Quarry Bay (Hoi Chak Street) Bus Terminus: Located next to Quarry Bay Park, there is a terminus for green minibuses and a terminus for Citybus Route N72.
- Quarry Bay (Taikoo Place) Minibus Terminus: Located at Hoi Wan Street in Quarry Bay, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 68.
- Quarry Bay (Shipyard Lane)Minibus Terminus: located at Dockyard Lane, Quarry Bay, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 69.
- Taikoo Shing Bus Terminus: Located at Taikoo Shing Phase 1, this was once a lay-by-shaped indoor station which has now disappeared.
- Cityplaza (Taikoo Shing Road): Located opposite the main entrance on the ground floor of Cityplaza Phase I on Taikoo Shing Road, replacing the Taikoo Shing Bus Terminus, now the terminus of Morning Express Route 720P.
- Kornhill Garden Minibus Terminus: Located at Hong Shing Street, it is the terminus for three Hong Kong Island GMB routes.
- Mount Parker Lodge Minibus Terminus: Located at Hong Pak Path, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 32A.
- Taikoo Station Minibus Terminus: located on the fourth floor of South Tower of Kornhill Plaza on Hong On Street, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 33M.
Sai Wan Ho and Aldrich Bay[]
- Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade) Public Transport Interchange: Located at the site of the old Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier Bus Terminus, it was built on the ground floor of the Grand Promenade.
- Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier Bus Terminus: The old terminus was next to the Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier, which has now been converted into Grand Promenade.
- Sai Wan Ho (Tai On Street) Bus Terminus: Located on the eastbound side of Tai On Street, next to the existing Grand Promenade, it was a temporary bus terminus which is now out of service.
- Munsang College Hong Kong Island: Located on the westbound side of Tai On Street outside Munsang College Hong Kong Island, it is the "Sai Wan Ho (Tai On Street)" start/end points for five Citybus peak hour WHC routes to and from New Territories.
- Aldrich Bay Bus Terminus: A temporary bus and minibus terminus located at Aldrich Street, near Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter, which was decommissioned to tie in with the opening of the Grand Promenade Bus Terminus.
- Oi Tung Shopping Centre: located outside Oi Chak House Oi Tung Estate, Oi Yin Street, it is now the starting point of Citybus Route 85A special trips.
- Aldrich Garden: Located outside Aldrich Garden on Oi Yin Street, opposite to Oi Tung Shopping Centre, it used to be the Aldrich Bay Temporary Bus Terminus, and was the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Routes 66 and 66A.
- Aldrich Garden Minibus Terminus: Located inside the Aldrich Garden access, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 68.
Shau Kei Wan and A Kung Ngam[]
- Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus: Located between Aldrich Street and Nam On Street in Shau Kei Wan, it is one of the three main bus termini in the Eastern District.
- Yiu Tung Estate Bus Terminus: Located opposite to Yiu Tung Shopping Centre.
- Shau Kei Wan (Kam Wah Street) Minibus Terminus: Located at Kam Wah Street, it is one of the termini of the Hong Kong Tramways, and used to be the terminus of Cross-Harbour Bus Route 102.
- Shau Kei Wan (Factory Street) Minibus Terminus: Located at Factory Street, it is the terminus of the PLB Shau Kei Wan - Chai Wan Route.
- Shau Kei Wan Station Minibus Terminus: Located at Perfect Mount Garden in Shau Kei Wan, it is the terminus for public light buses and Hong Kong Island GMB Route 32.
- A Kung Ngam Bus Terminus: Once the terminus of CMB Route 85, the site is located next to the sewage treatment plant.
Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan[]
- Chai Wan Station Public Transport Interchange: Located opposite to Chai Wan Station, it is the main feeder terminus for the Chai Wan area.
- Heng Fa Chuen Public Transport Interchange: Located opposite to Blocks 49 and 50 of Heng Fa Chuen.
- Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) Public Transport Interchange: Located on the ground floor of Island Resort, it is one of the three main bus termini in the Eastern District.
- Siu Sai Wan (Harmony Garden) Bus Terminus: Located on Harmony Garden Road near Harmony Garden, it is the terminus for Route 85P during the morning peak hours.
- Siu Sai Wan Estate Bus Terminus: Located opposite to Siu Sai Wan Estate, there used to be two bus termini, divided into two wings, the south wing is now the terminus of Cross-Harbour Bus Route 694, while the north wing is now permanently closed and has been converted into the Siu Sai Wan Complex.
- Chai Wan (East) Bus Terminus: Located at Sheung On Street, the Chai Wan (East) Terminus has been decommissioned to tie in with the redevelopment of CMB Chai Wan Depot.
- Chai Wan (East) Temporary Bus Terminus: Located at On Yip Street.
- Hing Wah Estate Bus Terminus: Located opposite to Lok Hing House Hing Wah (II) Estate.
- Greenwood Terrace Bus Terminus: Located outside Greenwood Terrace to the west of Chai Wan Station.
- Hing Man Estate Minibus Terminus: Located at the north-western part of Chai Wan, which is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 20M.
- Fung Wah Estate Minibus Terminus: Located in the south-western part of Chai Wan, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 43M.
- Chai Wan Industrial City: located in the eastern part of Chai Wan Industrial Area, it is the terminus of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 20 and Hong Kong Island GMB Route 20M.
- Chai Wan Factory Estate: Located next to the Chai Wan Factory Estate at Cheung Lee Street, Chai Wan West Industrial Area, it is the terminus for public light buses.
- Eastern Hospital: Located inside the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan East, it is a green minibus terminus.
- Cape Collinson: The site of the Chai Wan Cemetery Complex.
- Cape Collinson Correctional Institution: Located at the end of Cape Collinson Road, it is one of the Correctional Services Department's correctional institutions.
Bus routes[]
Template:List of Eastern District Bus Routes
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Government Press Release: Boundary changes broached, 2013-10-22
- ↑ 立會通過東區及灣仔區再劃界 (LegCo passes boundary change between Eastern District and Wan Chai District), Yahoo News, 22 January 2014.
External Links[]
- Official Website of the District Council: Eastern District Highlights
- District Council Constituency Boundary Map 2019: Eastern District
- District Council Constituency Boundary Map 2015: Eastern District
- District Council Constituency Boundary Map 2011: Eastern District
- District Council Constituency Boundary Map 2007: Eastern District
Template:Administrative Districts