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Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan

Shau Kei Wan (traditional Chinese: 筲箕灣) or Shaukeiwan, Shaukiwan is a town in Eastern District, Hong Kong. The Eastern District ( is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Literally, Shau Kei means a pail, and Wan implies that the town is developed along the coast. A bucket, also called a pail, is a watertight vertical Cylinder or truncated cone, with an open top and a flat bottom usually attached Nowadays it is a relatively densely populated town compared with some developing areas.

Contents

Name

The name Shau Kei Wan comes from the bay where the town is located. The bay is so named because its shape looks like a Shau Kei (rice basket). The bay had another name in the past - Ngor Yan Wan ( (traditional Chinese: 餓人灣) , translates to "Harbour of Starving Men"). It is said that there was a ship of people forced to dock by a typhoon. They landed hoping to buy some food and found that there was no agricultural products at all in the place. They left almost starving. Another version of the story is linked to the area's poor transportation during the dawn of the Colonial age, when people who live in the area can only rely on a sparse and unreliable Sampan service to get to the Central District. A sampan ( Chinese: 舢舨 is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden Boat from 3 It was often jokingly said that people who live in this area will starve to death.

The name of the bay is changed to Aldrich Bay. Aldrich Bay ( was formerly a bay in the north shore on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is named after a British navy captain who worked there. Shau Kei Wan is now the name of the town, while Aldrich Bay is the name of the bay. On maps in 1950s, Buffalo Bay is also marked, together with Aldrich Bay.

There is another story behind the name of Shau Kei Wan, which could be translated into "Pail Bay" directly in Cantonese. It is said that in the late Southern Song Dynasty, a man named Cheung Chun (traditional Chinese: 張進) dropped a pail full of ancestral heirlooms into the bay as he sailed back to the area with the navy. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The pail fell into sea just off the coast of the area now known as Eastern District.

A sadder story tells of a boatwoman, Chu Tee (traditional Chinese: 朱蒂) , who was widowed soon after getting married. She gave birth to a son, Ah Ha (阿蝦, literally little shrimp), after her husband's death. Ah Ha was a good boy who, tragically, lost his sight after catching smallpox. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. When he was 15, his mother fell ill. To support the family, Ah Ha became a beggar, sitting on the waterfront every day with a pail, until one day he was swept away in a violent storm. Only his pail was ever found. Chu Tee missed her son so much that she went insane, but Ah Ha's filial deed was immortalised in the name of Shau Kei Wan. However, this tale is viewed with suspicion, due to the fact that it supposedly took place during the early Qing Dynasty. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China The modern area of Shau Kei Wan already appeared in Ming Dynasty naval maps under the name used today. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led

History

In the early 18th century, local fishermen discovered Shau Kei Wan as a good storm shelter and eventually, the fishing population began to move into the area, away from Chai Wan, which housed most of the fishing populations for years. Chai Wan ( Yale: Chàaihwāan Pinyin: Chaiwan formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣 mistakenly is at east end of the urban area on Hong Kong Island Also, Hakka people from Huizhou began to move into the area to operate quarries during this time, and began building houses along the coastline. The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly Administration The Prefecture-level city of Huizhou administers 5 county-level divisions, including 2 districts and 3 counties. The population grew, and by the 1841 Hong Kong census, the area housed approximately 200 people, roughly 5% of Hong Kong Island's population. Hong Kong Island ( is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong, China. Most of the residents in the area lived in fishing boats at the time.

By 1860, piracy became a serious issue, and Colonial Governor Richard Macdonnell began to crack down on crime and revitalise the area. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB ( Chinese translated name 麥當奴 (3 September 1814 &ndash 5 February 1881 was an Anglo-Irish During the process, the entire area was replanned with proper roads and housing. Police dispatch posts were also built for the authorities to better combat piracy.

By 1911, Shau Kei Wan housed a total of 7,000 people, and life for Shau Kei Wan as an industrial area began in the 1920s, when light industries began to move into the area. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

After World War II, Shau Kei Wan gradually developed into a fish-trading market (a position it still holds today). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Also, many Mainland China refugees began to settle into the area at this time, and built around 13 mountain villages in the ensuing years. Most of them were slum houses, and sanitations in those areas were generally atrocious. In the 1960's, the Hong Kong Government began to replan the area once more, building public housing estates and beginning landfill projects. The plans went ahead slowly until 1983, when a large fire burnt down many of the slum houses on the mountains. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Afterwards, the government began to bulldoze slum areas and built public housing in its place.

Today, Shau Kei Wan is a densely populated residential district. However, the change over the years has come with a cost: it is said that the coastline has suffered a great change since the late 19th century.

Sights

Eastern District Tourist Trail (Shau Kei Wan Section)

Hidden amidst the high-rise residential towers of the Eastern District is a trail that will showcase the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the area. Visitors can discover vestiges of Hong Kong's seafaring past at the A Kung Ngam Shipyards and the Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Market. (The sea has always been an important part of life in Shau Kei Wan. Its name comes from the shape of the neighbouring bay: shau kei means "pail" and wan means "bay". )

The historical trail starts at the tram terminus and heads along Shau Kei Wan Main Street East towards the waterfront before ending at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. Along the way, you will see temples dedicated to different gods: Shing Wong, Tin Hau, Tam Kung and Yuk Wong.

Shau Kei Wan Main Street East

Shau Kei Wan Street East is one of the most important streets in Shau Kei Wan district. In the 19th century, the street was on the waterfront. In 1860s, to crack down the pirates hiding in the area, the Hong Kong government decided to open up the area and to build houses and stores on the two sides of the road.

Nowadays, some restaurants and groceries handed down from the past still operate along the street while the old houses have been replaced by modern high-rises.

When the street was widened the hundred-year-old fig in the middle of the street was preserved on the request of the community. The botanical name of this old fig is Ficus superba.

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

A famous tourist attraction of SKW is the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. Hong Kong Museum of Coastal DefenceJPG|thumb|220px|The general view of Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence before entering the Neo-classicism Arch entrance It is a museum located near Lei Yue Mun with a total area of 34,200 square meters. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the Lei Yue Mun ( literally "Carp's channel" (aka Lyemun, Lye Moon Passage, Ly-ee-moon Passage) is a short channel between The museum was built by the British in 1887. It was originally built for coastal defence, especially for the east Victoria Harbour, but it is currently an exhibition center. Victoria Harbour is a natural landform Harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. Inside, there are castle, defence basement, military vehicle and weapons on display.

Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Market

One important primary product of Hong Kong is marine fish. One can see fresh marine fish being distributed to outside retail market after wholesaling at Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Market. Facilities for the landing and wholesale of fresh marine fish are provided. It is one of the seven wholesale fish market operated by the Fish Market Organization. It is currently the second largest in Hong Kong, after the one in Aberdeen. For the harbour serving the Scottish city of Aberdeen see Transport in Aberdeen.

A Kung Ngam Shipyards

It was a port for export of stone materials in the mid 18th century. A Kung Ngam ( is a Village and an area in northeast Shau Kei Wan in the north of Hong Kong Island. As there were so many ships, it became a typhoon shelter and shipyards were built. Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships These can be Yachts military During the Dragon Boat Festivals, dragon boats races were held in Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter, where dragon boats were once made by the shipyards. At the end of the 20th century, land reclamation from the sea caused fishing boats to anchor elsewhere. Land reclamation is either of two distinct practices One involves creating new land from sea- or riverbeds the other refers to restoring an area to a more natural state (such as after Nowadays, the number of shipyards has decreased due to a decrease in number of ships going there.

Temples

Developed from a fishing village, special religious believes are formed. Besides worshiping Tin Hau, residents, who were historically mainly fishermen, also worship Tam Kung. Tin Hau redirects here For other meanings of Tin Hau see Tin Hau (disambiguation Mazu ( also spelt Matsu, is the Taoist Tam Kung (譚公 literally "Lord Tam" is a Sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau. It is believed that Tam Kung can control the weather and heal the sick. Hence people worship Tam Kung for a safe return from the sea. Tam Kung is a unique religious belief in Hong Kong and temples worshiping Tam Kung can only be found here.

There are temples on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East which are dedicated to Shing Wong, Tin Hau, Tam Kung and Yuk Wong. City gods or town gods are deities in Chinese mythology, responsible for the affairs of the city The Jade Emperor ( or 玉帝 Yù Dì) is the Taoist ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell Tin Hau Temple and Tam Kung Temple are relatively famous. In the past, fishermen worshiped them for safety at sea. Although the fishing industry in the area has been diminishing, the tradition still continues. On some special days, there will be drama and performance near the temples to celebrate.

Tsung Tsin Church

Located on Basel Road adjacent to Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, the church was built in 1862 by local Hakka and priests from the Swiss Basel Church. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly It was originally built to a country house style. After reconstruction in 1933, it became a well established church. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was occupied as the temporary headquarters of military police during the Japanese invasion in 1941. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1958, a school was built next to it. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After that, it was rebuilt and used as church again and was expanded in 1984. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar)

Community

Shopping Centres

There are several shopping arcades in Shau Kei Wan, such as Yiu Tung Shopping Centre, Oi Tung Shopping Centre, Hing Tung Shopping Centre and SoHo East. Each is located underneath a housing estate, and was built mainly for the residents in that area. The structure and the interior design of these shopping centres are different from those found in Central; the emphasis is placed on the internal function and practical space rather than detailed decoration or facade. The Central and Western District ( located on northern part of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, is one of the 18 administrative 18 districts of the City-state The shopping units inside include stores such as supermarket, Chinese restaurants and clothes shop. The goods here are relatively cheaper and usually are commodities.

Public Facilities

There are recreational facilities for the public. The Yiu Tung Public Library provide a place for people to read and borrow books and other publications. Yiu Tung Public Library (耀東公立圖書館 is a Public library, located in Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong. There is also the Island East Sports Centre (traditional Chinese: 港島東體育館), a sport complex which provides various sports facilities such as gym rooms and ball courts.

Schools

A number of schools including both primary and secondary schools can be found in Shau Kei Wan.

Secondary Schools (in alphabetical order):


Primary Schools (in alphabetical order):

Hospitals

The Shau Kei Wan Jockey Club Clinic provides various medical services, such as maternal and child health, and family health. The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College is a government aided co-educational Grammar school founded in 1978 The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College is a government aided co-educational Grammar school founded in 1978 The nearby UMP Aldrich Garden Medical Centre also offers medical care to local residents. Various private clinics are located in different housing estates.

Dental service is provided by a satellite location of Yan Chai Hospital, located on the main street of Shau Kei Wan. It was built to serve other nearby areas such as Chai Wan along with Shau Kei Wan. Chai Wan ( Yale: Chàaihwāan Pinyin: Chaiwan formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣 mistakenly is at east end of the urban area on Hong Kong Island

Authority office

There are also some authority offices located at Shau Kei Wan, such as The Film Service Office. It aims to promote film relevant service to local area. Details can be referred to the official site.

Transportation

In the past

In earlier times, Shau Kei Wan, along with the rest of the Island, did not have a good transportation system. This, coupled with the relative distance of Central and Wan Chai (other population centers of the time), makes transportation rather inconvenient.

For most of its modern history, Shau Kei Wan's major connection with the rest of the island was King's Road (英皇道). Its only major connection with its eastern neighbour of Chai Wan was Chai Wan Road (柴灣道), which was notorious for its steep incline. Chai Wan Road ( in Hong Kong, is one of the major roads in Chai Wan on Hong Kong Island.

In 1904, a single-track tram service between North Point (北角) and Shau Kei Wan was established. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on

After World War II, Hong Kong experienced a population boom, and factories, along with people, started to move into Shau Kei Wan. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This started to create congestions, and public buses began to serve the area in an effort to alleviate the problem. That did not reduce the congestions, however, which continued to get worse until the MTR and the Island Eastern Corridor were completed. MTR, or Mass Transit Railway, is the Rapid transit Railway system in Hong Kong. Island Eastern Corridor ( IEC;) is an Expressway along the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, China. At the worst period for traffic jams, ferry companies began a service from Shau Kei Wan to Central in order to get people to work on time.

All of these transportation impediments gave birth to a once-popular maxim: "英雄被困筲箕灣，不知何日到中環". This translates to "A 'hero' is trapped in Shau Kei Wan without knowing which day he will reach Central. "

Now, as different means of transportation are well developed, one can travel between the two places within very short time. Even if you take the slow tram. Hong Kong Tramways is one of the three Tramways in the world that have regular operation of Double-decker trams (the others being Blackpool, England

Tram

One of the seven Hong Kong Tramways termini is located in Shau Kei Wan. Hong Kong Tramways is one of the three Tramways in the world that have regular operation of Double-decker trams (the others being Blackpool, England It is at the junction of Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Kam Wa Street. The track system runs east from Sai Wan Ho to the west of the northern part of Hong Kong Island linking Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town. Sai Wan Ho is an area on the northeastern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, between Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan. Hong Kong Island ( is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong, China. Kennedy Town ( Jyutping: gin1 nei4 dei6 seng4 is at the western end of Sai Wan on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the longest tram track in Hong Kong while the whole track system was completed in 1904. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Although there exists various types of transportation, some residents still prefer using trams because of tradition and the extremely low price.

MTR

Shau Kei Wan is served by the station of the same name on the Island Line of the MTR metro system. Shau Kei Wan is a station on the Hong Kong MTR Island line. The retrofitting of platform screen doors The is one of 10 lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. MTR, or Mass Transit Railway, is the Rapid transit Railway system in Hong Kong. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The station is between Sai Wan Ho and Heng Fa Chuen. Sai Wan Ho is a station in Sai Wan Ho on the Hong Kong MTR Island line. Heng Fa Chuen is a station on the Hong Kong MTR. It is the only station on the line that is at ground level The MTR connects Shau Kei Wan to the rest of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Hong Kong Island ( is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong, China. Kowloon refers to an urban area in Hong Kong made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east It takes 18 minutes to travel to Central, and 26 minutes to travel to Mongkok. Central (also Central District; Cantonese Choong Wan or Chung Wan) the Central business district of Hong Kong was commonly known as part of Mong Kok or Mongkok ( Chinese: 旺角 the English name is a Transliteration of its older name 望角 or 芒角 which pronounced "Mong Gok"

Bus

There are over 20 bus lines passing through Shau Kei Wan which connects Shau Kei Wan to other districts. Passengers can take routes 2, 2X, 9, 77, 99, 102, 102P, 110, 529, 720, 720A, and N102 from the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus at Nam On Street. Other bus lines include: 14, 81, 81A, 82, 84S, 85, 106, 606, 682, 682P, 694, 698R, 802, N8 and N8X. Passengers can also travel to the Hong Kong International Airport via route A12. Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong.

Mini-bus

There are several green mini-buses that have their terminus at Po Man Street in Shau Kei Wan. These include 32 and 57M. Other minibus services include Routes 50, 65, and 66 and also:

Passengers can also easily board red mini-buses in Shau Kei Wan, which bring them to places such as Wan Chai, Chai Wan and Causeway Bay. Chai Wan ( Yale: Chàaihwāan Pinyin: Chaiwan formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣 mistakenly is at east end of the urban area on Hong Kong Island Kornhill ( Chinese 康怡花園 and Kornhill Gardens (康山花園 are Apartment buildings on the northern slope of Mount Parker, in Quarry Sai Wan Ho is an area on the northeastern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, between Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan. Chai Wan ( Yale: Chàaihwāan Pinyin: Chaiwan formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣 mistakenly is at east end of the urban area on Hong Kong Island P1010258JPG|thumb|right| Nam Fung Sun Chuen, a private housing estate in Quarry Bay]] Quarry Bay ( literally Crucian Carp Stream or River or 石礦灣 / 採石灣 Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong, China Chai Wan ( Yale: Chàaihwāan Pinyin: Chaiwan formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣 mistakenly is at east end of the urban area on Hong Kong Island Causeway Bay or East Point is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, located on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of

Boat

There are boat service at Saturday 9am, 10am, 11am, going to Tung Lung Island(東龍島). Tung Lung Chau ( Chinese 東龍洲 lit eastern dragon island) also known as Nam Tong Island (南堂島 is an Island located Which is a famous hiking site.

Housing development

Implementation

A long term strategic implementation is taken up by The Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). URA will focus on project on Shau Kei Wan Road and Nam On Street.

The stage of the project is now at the beginning, the 17 buildings that will be acquired are over 40 years old. Project is expected to be finished on 2009 and will provide 300 residential units.

Project Information

Site Area1,890 square meters
No. of affected buildings17
No. of affected householdsabout 230
No. of affected shopsabout 35
No. of affected property interestsabout 130

Development Content

Residentialabout 17,800 square meters
Commercialabout 1,700 square meters

Housing developments in Shau Kei Wan include:

Environment

There are two Champion Trees in Shau Kei Wan, both of which are located on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East by the side of the road. One is located beside Shau Kei Wan Government School. It is a large-leaved banyan. A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an Epiphyte when its Seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host Tree (or on structures like The other is a Coconut Palm, which is located in front of the Urban Council market.

See also

External links

The following is a list of areas of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Island Central and Western District Central
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