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Sha Tin District (沙田區) is one of the eighteen districts of Hong Kong, located in the southeast of the New Territories. Among the 10 geographical constituencies in the Legislative Council geographical constituency election, they belong to the Southeast New Territories[1] and Northeast New Territories constituencies[2].

The current population of Sha Tin District exceeds 600,000, the highest in Hong Kong. Most residents live in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan New Towns.

History[]

Sha Tin (formerly known as Lek Yuen) is located in the southeast of the New Territories and has a long history. People first settled in the Sha Tin Valley (now Tai Wai) area during the Ming Dynasty. Due to its flat terrain and fertile land, it is conducive to farming. In 1911, Sha Tin had a population of less than 4,000 and 62 villages. The villagers' life was mainly rice farming. Although the external transportation network of Sha Tin District was established in the early 20th century, and Sha Tin Station was one of the early stations on the Kowloon Canton Railway (British Section). Hong Kong's first traffic tunnel, the Lion Rock Tunnel, was opened to traffic in 1967. However, the Sha Tin New Town had this planning work will not be implemented until the same year.

Sha Tin New Town[]

The government found that the "satellite cities" developed in Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong in the early years were too aggressive and lacked detailed planning for the industrial and residential environments. It decided to redevelop the "Sha Tin New Town" in Sha Tin, which is farther away from the urban area. The budget at that time could accommodate 360,000 people, and the highest population density was 750 people per hectare; the plan was revised many times, and in 1965 it was estimated to have a population of 1 million. It was officially adopted in 1967, and revised to about 500,000 in the early 1970s. The authorities also introduced the "garden city" concept of British architect Horvitt and developed the first-generation new town, Sha Tin, into a "Model Town". [3]

The Sha Tin New Town Development Plan officially started in 1973. The government carried out large-scale reclamation projects on both sides of Sha Tin Sea and Shing Mun River. The first public housing estate in the district, Lek Yuen Estate, was officially opened in 1975. At the same time, the government built a temporary sewage treatment plant at the site of the current Jockey Club Sports and Arts Secondary School. The plant was not demolished until the first phase of the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works was commissioned on December 15, 1982.[4]. The Sha Tin Racecourse, built on reclaimed land by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at its own expense, was officially opened on October 7, 1978. The government implemented the expansion of a new town in Ma On Shan in 1979, and in 1986 approved the total population of the two new towns to be capped at 750,000.

Today, the road network in Sha Tin District is quite complete, except for the Tai Po Road built before the war,Lion Rock Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnel, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Eagle's Nest Tunnel opened in 1967, 1990, 1991 and 2008 respectively,Tolo Highway and Sai Sha Road were fully opened to traffic in 1985 and 1988 respectively.

Ma On Shan[]

Ma On Shan (馬鞍山) is located in the eastern part of Sha Tin, the mountains in the area contain rich iron ore and tungsten ore resources. In the past, it was the only mine in Hong Kong that produced high-purity magnetite. As early as the 1930s, Ma On Shan Mine had mining footprints. At the peak of the mining industry in the 1950s and 1960s, the output could reach 170,000 tons, which is a symbol of the booming development of Hong Kong's mining industry.

Wu Kai Sha[]

Wu Kai Sha (烏溪沙) is adjacent to Ma On Shan. It used to be far away from human habitation, with only a few fishing villages and a Youth Camp, there is no road directly connecting the area. The only means of transportation is the kaito ferry service between Wu Kai Sha Public Pier and Ma Liu Shui.

Wu Kai Sha has now become part of the Ma On Shan New Town and is on the most direct route between Sha Tin and Sai Kung.

Ma On Shan New Town[]

As global mineral values continued to decline since the 1970s, Ma On Shan Quarry ceased production in 1976 and officially ceased operation in 1981 when the mining lease was terminated. In 1979, the government announced the development of Ma On Shan New Town as an extension to Sha Tin New Town.

Ma On Shan's first public housing estate, Heng On Estate, was occupied in 1987, and Sai Sha Road linking Ma On Shan with Sha Tin and Sai Kung was opened to traffic in sections; the road network in the area was extended from A Kung Kok Street to a number of major arteries connecting to the urban area; and, as a result, the Wu Kai Sha ferry service ceased operation in 1983. [5]

Lok Wo Sha[]

Ma on shan

View of the entire Ma On Shan from To Tau, Wu Kai Sha

After the opening of Ma On Shan Rail in 2004, multiple bus routes running to and from urban were reorganised. The scope of Ma On Shan New Town even extended to "Lok Wo Sha" and "Whitehead" north of Wu Kai Sha. In February 2003, the Government completed the "Feasibility Study for Housing Development at Whitehead and Lee On, Ma On Shan", which recommended the development of Whitehead Peninsula, Lok Wo Sha and Wu Kai Sha Station into residential areas with recreational facilities. The revised Ma On Shan Outline Zoning Plan was approved in October 2004 by the Chief Executive in Council.[6]

The Lok Wo Sha project jointly developed by Henderson, New World and Peterson Group had completed nearly $9.6 billion of land premium as early as October 2009 [7], and it was the largest residential project in Ma On Shan which was later eventually named "Double Cove", whereas other remaining projects include "Seanorama" and "Altissimo".

Interestingly, Shap Sze Heung which was nearby Ma On Shan New Town belonged to Sai Kung North of Tai Po District in regional administration aspect; due to the convenience on travelling between these two places [8], most people treated it as an extension of Ma On Shan of Sha Tin District.

Street/road structure[]

STD DistrictMap 2012osm

Location map of bus termini within Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District has a well-developed transport network, with most of the streets in the area lying to the east of the East Rail Lin tracks. Tai Wai Station is an elevated station that straddles Mei Tin Road, connecting Mei Lam Estate with Sun Chui Estate, while the rest of the streets that straddle the tracks are connected by flyovers or tunnels. In Ma On Shan New Town, Ma On Shan Road and Sai Sha Road form the backbone of the railway, with the Tuen Ma Line being built on top of Sai Sha Road.

Most of the streets in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan New Towns can be utilised by all vehicles. Yuen Wo Road and Tai Chung Kiu Road are located on either side of the Shing Mun River, making it very convenient for residents to travel between the two areas. Motorists travelling between Sha Tin and Ma On Shan can choose to enter Ma On Shan via A Kung Kok Street or Tate's Cairn Highway at Shek Mun Interchange, and then via Ma On Shan Road or Sai Sha Road.

Sha Tin New Town is separated by the Shing Mun River. The flyovers (in descending order from west to east) include Tai Po Road - Sha Tin near Tung Lo Wan Village, Lion Rock Bridge, Sand Martin Bridge, Banyan Bridge and Kam Lung Bridge, with Sand Martin Bridge being the most used by buses, and Sha Tin Road being a part of Route 1, which connects directly with Tai Po Road and Lion Rock Tunnel.

The streets of Ma On Shan New Town are well organised, with most of them connecting to major trunk roads, and almost all of the streets from Chevalier Garden to Lee On connecting to Ma On Shan Road or (and) Sai Sha Road.

Sha Tin Town Centre and Sha Tin Station are the transport hubs of the Sha Tin area, connected by the New Town Plaza, and the Shatin Central Bus Terminus is the busiest bus terminus in the area. Bus routes in Ma On Shan New Town are quite intensive, with most of them passing through Ma On Shan Road or A Kung Kok Street.

Tunnels[]

The Lion Rock Tunnel was opened in 1967. Earlier highways included Lion Rock Highway, which connected to Tai Po Road, and Sha Tin Road which was built after the development of new towns and extended to Sha Tin Racecourse. The Tate's Cairn Tunnel was endorsed in 1988, and Tate's Cairn Highway and Sha Lek Highway were built together to form part of the major highway network in Sha Tin together with Shing Mun Tunnels opened in 1990, and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel and Eagle's Nest Tunnel were opened in March 2008 to connect to Route 8 (the last section of Route 8, Stonecutters Bridge, was opened at the end of December 2009).

Tate's Cairn Tunnel Toll Plaza and Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza are both located in Sha Tin. KMB offers Octopus interchange concessions on many of its routes under the Interchange Scheme, whereby passengers can transfer to another route under the Scheme at a concessionary fare. Passengers travelling to and from Sha Tin via the Shing Mun Tunnel can also transfer to other Shing Mun Tunnel routes at the Shing Mun Tunnel Interchange stop (Tsuen Wan District) free of charge or at concessionary fares. The Tsing Sha Control Area Toll Plaza, which also adopts an enclosed design, connects the Sha Tin Heights Tunnel and the Eagle's Nest Tunnel of Route 8, and is currently served by ten full-time bus routes, with the rest of the routes operating during peak hours.

Bus Terminus and Minibus Terminus[]

Tunnel interchanges[]

  • Tate's Cairn Tunnel Toll Plaza: Located at Sha Tin portal of Tate's Cairn Tunnel, with a pair of open interchange.
  • Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza: Located at Sha Tin portal of Lion Rock Tunnel, with a pair of enclosed interchange.
  • Tsing Sha Highway BBI: Located between Eagle's Nest Tunnel and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel, with a pair of enclosed interchange.

Sha Tin Town Centre[]

  • Sha Tin Station Public Transport Interchange: Located above Sha Tin Station, it is an overground terminus, dividing into bus terminus, minibus terminus, taxi stand and public vehicle loading and unloading area.
  • Shatin Central Bus Terminus: Located on the ground floor of New Town Plaza Phase I, it is an indoor terminus and also the busiest bus terminus in Sha Tin District.
  • Lek Yuen Bus Terminus: Located within Lek Yuen Estate.
  • Wo Che Bus Terminus: Located within Wo Che Estate.
  • Sha Tin Town Hall Bus Terminus: Located at Tam Kon Po Street outside Sha Tin Town Hall, it is a green minibus (GMB) terminus.

Tai Wai[]

  • Tai Wai Station Public Transport Interchange: Located at the south side of Tai Wai Station, it is a covered terminus with a combination of bus terminus, GMB terminus and taxi stand. The site of the old bus terminus is located at the intersection between Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road.
  • Mei Tin Estate Public Transport Interchange: Located within Mei Tin Estate, it is a combination of bus and minibus terminus.
  • Mei Lam Bus Terminus: Located in Mei Lam Estate, it is the earliest surviving bus terminus in Tai Wai.
  • Sun Chui Bus Terminus: Located between Sun Chui Estate and King Tin Court, under the Hung Mui Kuk Road flyover.
  • Hin Keng Bus Terminus: Located in Hin Keng Estate at the end of Che Kung Miu Road, near Hin Keng Shopping Centre.
  • Tai Wai Station (Tsuen Nam Road) Minibus Terminus: A Minibus stop and a taxi stand at the north of Tai Wai Station.
  • Hin Tin Village Minibus Terminus: Located in the southern part of Tai Wai, the minibus terminus is outside Hin Tin Tsuen.
  • Jullimount Garden Minibus Terminus:It is located in the southern part of Tai Wai and Union Hospital is in its vicinity.
  • Worldwide Garden Bus Terminus: Located in the southern part of Tai Wai near Hung Mui Kuk Road.
  • Mei Chung Court Bus Terminus: Located in the north-west of Tai Wai, the minibus terminus is outside Fu Chung House and the bus stop is at Mei Tin Road.
  • Granville Garden: Located at Pik Tin Street north of Mei Tin Estate.
  • Fu Shan: Located at Lower Shing Mun Road, south of Mei Tin Estate, near Po Fook Memorial Hall.
  • Tai Wai (Tung Lo Wan Hill) Minibus Terminus: Located at Causeway Bay Hill Road, the minibus terminus is outside the Salvation Army Bradbury Home for the Compassionate Elderly.

Sha Tin Tau/Sha Tin Wai/Shui Chuen O/Yuen Chau Kok/Siu Lek Yuen/Shek Mun[]

  • Chun Shek Bus Terminus: Located in Chun Shek Estate.
  • Sun Tin Wai Bus Terminus: Located in Sun Tin Wai Estate.
  • Pok Hong Bus Terminus: Located at Pok Hong Estate near Sha Tin Wai Station.
  • Sha Tin Wai Bus Terminus: Located between Kong Pui Street and Yi Shing Square.
  • Yuen Chau Kok Bus Terminus: Located next to the Prince of Wales Hospital, where the present Prince of Wales Hospital intermediate stop stands.
  • City One Shatin Bus Terminus: It is located outside Block 21 of City One Shatin at Ngan Shing Street.
  • Yu Chui Court Public Transport Interchange: Located on the ground floor of Yu Chui Shopping Centre.
  • Kwong Yuen Bus Terminus: Located at Siu Lek Yuen Road near Kwong Yuen Estate.
  • Wong Nai Tau Public Transport Interchange: Located at the end of Siu Lek Yuen Road, replacing Siu Lek Yuen Bus Terminus.
  • Ravana Garden Bus Terminus: Located outside Ravana Garden on On King Street.
  • Shek Mun Estate Bus Terminus: Located at On Ming Street, opposite to Shek Mun Estate.
  • Shek Mun Street (On Kwan Street) Minibus Terminus: Located at On Kwan Street outside Kings Wing Plaza Phase 1.
  • Shatin Hospital: A minibus stop located at the car park access inside Shatin Hospital at A Kung Kok.
  • A Kung Kok Minibus Terminus: Located at the end of A Kung Kok Hill Road to the north of Shek Mun, with Shatin Hospital at the foot of the hill.
  • Tsok Pok Hang Village: At the foot of the hill behind Pok Hong Estate beside Shui Chuen Au Street.
  • Shui Chuen O Public Transport Interchange: Located between Ming Chuen House Shui Chuen O Estate and the shopping centre of the estate, it is an open-air public transport interchange.
  • Yan Chuen House: It is located at Shui Chuen O Pok Chuen Street, outside Yan Chuen House Shui Chuen O Estate, opposite to Shan Chuen House, and is the Shui Chuen O minibus terminus of the green minibus routes 812, 812A, 813 and 813A.

Fo Tan, Ma Liu Shui, Pak Shek Kok[]

  • Sui Wo Court Bus Terminus: Located outside Sui Wo Court Shopping Centre.
  • Fo Tan (Shan Mei Street) Public Transport Interchange: Located at Shan Mei Street in Fo Tan near Fo Tan Cooked Food Market.
  • Fo Tan Station Public Transport Interchange: Located outside Fo Tan Station.
  • Royal Ascot Bus Terminus: Located outside of Royal Ascot.
  • Sha Tin Racecourse Bus Terminus: Located next to the entrance of the Sha Tin Racecourse.
  • Ma Liu Shui Public Transport Interchange: Located outside MTR University Station, also known as University Station.
  • The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK): Located at Ma Liu Shui, it is the second university in Hong Kong, with school buses shuttling between different places along the campus.
  • Hong Kong Science Park Bus Terminus: Located outside Hong Kong Science Park Phase 1
  • Lai Ping Road Minibus Terminus: Located at the end of Lai Ping Road, Kau To Shan.
  • Kau To Shan Minibus Terminus: Located at the end of Ma Ling Path in Kau To Shan.
  • Kwei Tei San Tsuen: Located in the north-western part of the Fo Tan industrial area.
  • Fo Tan (Cheung Lek Mei Street) Minibus Terminus: Located at Cheung Lek Mei Street in Fo Tan Industrial Area.
  • Shatin Lodge Minibus Terminus: Located in the north-eastern part of the Fo Tan industrial area.
  • Greenwood Terrace Minibus Terminus: At the end of Sui Wo Road, west of Sui Wo Court.

Tai Shui HangMa On ShanWu Kai Sha[]

  • Heng On Bus Terminus: Located in Heng On Estate, it was the first bus terminus in Ma On Shan.
  • Yiu On Bus Terminus: Located within Yiu On Estate.
  • Chevalier Garden Bus TerminusIt is located in Chevalier Garden, Tai Shui Hang, and is the westernmost Bus Terminus in Ma On Shan.
  • Kam Ying Court Bus Terminus: Located next to Kam Ying Court.
  • Lee On Bus Terminus: Located within Lee On Estate and above Kam Lung Court.
  • Chung On Bus Terminus: Located at the ground floor of the Chung On Estate Shopping Centre.
  • Bayshore Towers Minibus Terminus: Located at the ground floor of Bayshore Towers, near On Chun Street and opposite to Ma On Shan Park, it is an indoor GMB terminus.
  • Ma On Shan (Villa Athena) Bus Terminus: Located at On Chun Street near Wu Kai Sha Youth Village.
  • Ma On Shan Town Centre Public Transport Interchange: Located at the ground level of Ma On Shan Newport City, it is connected to Ma On Shan Station, which is currently the busiest bus terminus in the area.
  • Wu Kai Sha Station Public Transport Interchange: Located at the ground level of Wu Kai Sha Station at the end of the Tuen Ma Line, it is an indoor station fairly close to Sai Kung North of Tai Po District.
  • Monte Vista Bus Terminus: Located within Monte Vista on Sha On Street, it is a resident bus terminus.
  • Vista Paradiso: Located within the vicnity of the housing estate, it is a resident bus terminus.
  • La Costa Bus Terminus:Located within La Costa (嘉華星濤灣) at Po Tai Street, it is a resident bus terminus.

Disused bus termini[]

  • Sha Tin Market Bus Terminus: The old Sha Tin Bus Terminus, with the site located beside the Sha Tin Market, now replaced by Shatin Central Bus Terminus. The site is currently a parking space and access towards Shatin Plaza and Sha Tin Market loading and unloading area.
  • Siu Lek Yuen Bus Terminus: Located at Ngau Pei Sha Street near Siu Lek Yuen Village, it has been replaced by Wong Nai Tau Public Transport Interchange and Kwong Yuen Bus Terminus.
  • University Station Temporary Public Transport Interchange: Dedicated to the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events, it was used during the competitions and was deactivated after the completion of the events.

Bus routes[]

1982 Major bus route reorganisation in Sha Tin District[]

On 7 May 1982, to tie in with the electrification of the Kowloon Canton Railway (British Section) (now MTR East Rail Line), KMB massively reorganised the bus routes in Sha Tin as follows:

  • 70M (present-day Route 80M): The bus terminus was extended from Sha Tin Market to Sui Wo Court, no longer detoured via Sha Kok Street and the area around Belair Garden.
  • 71 (now Route 81): The bus terminus was extended from Sha Tin Market to Wo Che
  • 80: New route was commenced running between Mei Lam and Kwun Tong Ferry.
  • 84: Route numbering was changed to 84K, and the bus terminus was relocated from Sha Tin Market to Siu Lek Yuen, with a fare increase to $0.7 at the same time.
  • 86: Changed to run between Siu Lek Yuen and Lai Chi Kok (Bridge) with a fare increase to $1.5 at the same time.
  • 87: Bus Terminus was relocated from Lek Yuen to Sha Kok.
  • 88, 88A and 88B : Merged into a new route 88K.

1984 Major bus route reorganisation in Sha Tin District[]

On 2 December 1984, KMB again massively reorganised intra-district routes within Sha Tin District and unified the fares of intra-district routes, with the involved routes are as follows:

  • 80K: Bus Terminus was relocated from Wo Che to Siu Lek Yuen.
  • 81K: Bus Terminus was relocated from Sha Tin KCR Station to Sui Wo Court.
  • 82K: Bus Terminus was relocated from Yuen Chau Kok to Fo Tan (Shan Mei Street) and detoured via Tin Sam and Sun Tin Wai.
  • 84K: Route was cancelled and replaced by Route 81K after rerouting.
  • 86K: Route was cancelled and replaced by Routes 80K and 82K after rerouting.

KMB has published a leaflet to facilitate passengers' access to the details of the reorganisation, which can be found in the section "#Gallery" of this article.

Opening of Ma On Shan Rail[]

The main article of this section is Public Transport Re-organisation Plan after the Opening of the Ma On Shan Rail.

Area Approach rationalisation for bus routes in Sha Tin District[]

The main article of this section is Area Approach rationalisation for bus routes in Sha Tin District.

In 2014, Transport Department and KMB planned to adopt the "district-based approach" for major bus route rationalisation in Sha Tin, making it the second district to adopt the approach for bus route rationalisation, following the Area Approach rationalisation for bus routes carried out in North District in 2013.

Current bus routes in Sha Tin District[]

Gallery[]

Notes and References[]

  1. A small part of Sha Tin District (the entire area of Ma On Shan New Town, part of Siu Lek Yuen and part of Yuen Chau Kok) includes the following District Council constituencies: Hoi Nam, Chung On, Kam To, Ma On Shan Town Centre, Wu Kai Sha, Lee On, Fu Long, Kam Ying, Yiu On, Heng On, Tai Shui Hang, On Tai, Yu Yan, Kwong Hong and Kwong Yuen
  2. Most areas of Sha Tin District except Ma On Shan (part of Yuen Chau Kok and part of Sha Tin New Town outside Siu Lek Yuen, all areas of Ma Liu Shui and all areas of Hong Kong Science Park), including the following District Council constituencies: Sha Tin City Centre, Lek Yuen, Wo Che Estate, First City, Yu Shing, Wong Uk, Sha Kok, Pok Hong, Shui Chuen O, Yat Chuen, Chun Fung, Sun Tin Wai, Chui Tin, Hin Ka, Lower Shing Mun, Wan Shing, Keng Hau, Tin Sum, Tsui Ka, Tai Wai, Chung Tin, Sui Wo, Fo Tan, Chun Ma, Di Yee and Bik Woo
  3. 由「花園城市」到「悲情城市」 公屋新市鎮,是進還是退? (From a "Garden City" into a "Sad City" - Is it an advancement or backward development for new towns with public housings?), HK01, 3 November, 2016.
  4. Drainage Services Department, 沙田污水處理廠見證25年, 渠務之聲 (DSD Newsletter) vol. 48, November 2007.
  5. Chapter 5: Reconstruction of Public Pier by Civil Engineering and Development Department, Director of Audit's Report No. 44, 22 March 2005
  6. "756CL-Ma On Shan發展計劃-白石及落禾沙第2期道路及渠務工程", Public Works Subcommittee of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, 22 October 2014
  7. Announcement (a) Land Exchange Premium Assessment (b) Other Land Acquisition Proposals, Henderson Land Development Company Limited, 29 October 2009
  8. Shap Sze Heung was included in the Tai Po District because of its longstanding dependence on the ferry service to and from Tai Po Kau, which has remained unchanged since then. Now that the ferry service has ceased to operate, Ma On Shan has become the closest new town to the Shap Sze Heung and its residents rely on Ma On Shan New Town for all their daily needs.

External Links[]

Overview[]

Ma On Shan[]

Template:Administrative Districts

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