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Sha Tin

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For the district of Hong Kong, see Sha Tin District; for the new town in Hong Kong, see Sha Tin New Town.
Sha Tin

Lek Yuen Bridge over
Shing Mun River in Sha Tin
Chinese: 沙田
Literal meaning: "sandy field"

Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong.

Contents

[edit] History

Before British rule in Hong Kong, the area of Sha Tin and its vicinity was referred to as Lek Yuen. Colonial officials allegedly mistook the name of Sha Tin Wai as the name of the area and it has been used ever since.

Sha Tin was formerly a market town at the present location of Sha Tin Centre Street and New Town Plaza shopping centre, near the Sha Tin Station of the MTR East Rail Line. In present-day usage, "Sha Tin" may refer to the area around the original location of the market town, the market town and its environs, Sha Tin New Town (excluding the Ma On Shan extension), or Sha Tin District.

Sha Tin was formerly agricultural farmland, and its most famous product was Sha Tin Pomelo. Before Sha Tin's development into a new town, Hung Mui Kuk (紅梅谷) in southwestern Sha Tin was perennially the main site for school picnics. The valley remains a popular barbecue site.

Sha Tin was the location of the first flight of a powered aircraft in Hong Kong. The aeroplane was named as the Spirit of Sha Tin (traditional Chinese: 沙田精神號). A full size replica of this plane now hangs in Hong Kong International Airport.

[edit] Name origin: Lek Yuen

Lek Yuen
Traditional Chinese: 瀝源
Simplified Chinese: 沥源
Literal meaning: Source of Trickling

Lek Yuen is the original name of the Sha Tin area and its environs. Allegedly, when British surveyors first came to the area, they visited Sha Tin Wai and asked the name of the place. The villagers answered that it was Sha Tin and the officials mistakenly recorded this as the name of the whole area. Sha Tin has been used instead of Lek Yuen even since.

The name Lek Yuen literally means source of trickling or source of clear water.

Nowadays, the original name is used to refer to Lek Yuen Estate.

[edit] Transportation

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

[edit] 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.

At present, there are over 110 routes of public bus serving Sha Tin.[citation needed]

[edit] Railway

  • The MTR (East Rail Line) is a major means of transportation between Kowloon 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 Ma On Shan Line opened on 21 December 2004. The 11.4 km long railway has 9 stations linking Ma On Shan and Tai Wai, where it connects with the main East Rail line (terminus). The MTR Maintenance Centre is also located there.

[edit] Local delicacies

Sha Tin is famous for certain southern Chinese food such as shanshui doufu (Chinese: 山水豆腐; lit. mountain-water beancurd), barbecued pigeon and chicken congee. The cooked food stalls in Wo Che Estate and Fo Tan are hotspots for food.

[edit] Culture, sports and recreational facilities

A stall selling local snacks at Pai Tau Village (排頭村), located near New Town Plaza.
Lek Yuen Estate

There are numerous cultural, recreational and sport facilities in Sha Tin including the Town Hall, swimming pools, football pitches, indoor recreation centers 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 center 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. 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.

[edit] Public and private estates

[edit] Education

Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, one of the oldest secondary schools in Sha Tin

At present, there are 46 primary and 44 secondary schools in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan.[1] Tertiary institutions include the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Heng Seng School of Commerce and the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

[edit] Shopping centres

Sha Tin Plaza in the evening
New Town Plaza after renovation

[edit] Other facilities

[edit] Health

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.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "School List". Hong Kong Education Bureau. 2008. http://www.edb.gov.hk/templates/sch_list_print.asp?district=ST. Retrieved on 2009-1-22. 

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sha Tin

Coordinates: 22°22′30″N 114°11′00″E / 22.375°N 114.183333°E / 22.375; 114.183333

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha_Tin"
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