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North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects toward Kowloon Bay.


Location

North Point is bounded by Oil Street () to the west and by Tin Chiu Street () to the east, by Victoria Harbour to the north and Braemar Hill to the southeast. Causeway Bay neighbourhood lies west of North Point, while the Tsat Tsz Mui is east of North Point.


History

Parts of North Point have been inhabited since before the British arrived in the mid-19th century. The Metropole Hotel was built in 1899 and was used until 1906. In 1919, the
Hongkong Electric Company The Hongkong Electric Company (HEC; ) is one of Hong Kong's two main electricity generation companies, the other being China Light & Power. The company is owned by several companies including Power Assets Holdings, State Grid Corporation of Chi ...
started operation of the territory's second power station at North Point. In the 1920s, Ming Yuen Amusement Park became a popular entertainment venues on the Island. During the 1930s, the beaches of North Point became one of the most popular places for holding swimming gala in Hong Kong. In 1938, the North Point Refugee Camp was built to accommodate the influx of refugees from the Mainland. The camp comprised 26 huts. Access to the camp was via Kam Hong Road and Marble Road. During World War II, the camp was renamed the North Point Camp, and used as a prisoner of war camp for captured Canadian soldiers during the Japanese occupation. During the Chinese Civil War, a large number of the rich and middle class from Shanghai fled to Hong Kong to escape the turmoil of war, many of them settled in North Point. In 1950, North Point became known as "Little Shanghai", since in the minds of many, it has already become the replacement for the surrendered Shanghai in China. The first wave of emigrants introduced Shanghai-style restaurants, beauty parlours and barbershops. They also learned Cantonese and intermarried with people of other dialect groups. During the 1950s, North Point was the premiere place of residence for these emigrants, leading to a massive population boom; by the end of 1960, North Point was listed as the most densely populated place on earth by the ''
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''. The first school in Hong Kong to use Mandarin as the main medium of instruction, Kiangsu and Chekiang Primary School, was founded in 1953 in North Point by these early Shanghainese immigrants. Shanghai at the time was heavily associated with
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
movements; leftist-supported businesses in North Point, such as the Sunbeam Theatre which showcases
Chinese Opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
, are a legacy of their influence. The second group that moved to North Point were the Hokkien Fujianese, who were mostly displaced by political events in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
but then soon mostly moved to countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines and Indonesia. Small Indonesian specialist grocery shops selling coffee, coconuts, and bumbu are some of the remaining traces of their identity. The area became known as "Little Fujian". And Chun Yeung Street which is one iconic place that you can easily find variety of traditional Fujianese food from the grocery shops, such as "misua", "tokwa", "tikoy", "lumpia" & "green bean cake", which are all also part of
Chinese Filipino cuisine Filipino Chinese cuisine is a style of Filipino cuisine influenced from Chinese cuisine. History Filipino cuisine is influenced principally by China and Spain have been integrated with pre-colonial indigenous Filipino cooking practices. In t ...
in the Philippines.


Culture

After Cantonese, Hokkien
Min Nan Southern Min (), Minnan (Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Sinitic languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwan ...
is the most widely spoken language in North Point. Many Min Nan associations () are based in North Point to bring people from the same towns or villages together. Several Min Nan-speaking churches are located in North Point to serve the Min Nan Christians. Today, North Point comprises a mix of new luxury developments and older Chinese buildings. These are the cultures of North Point nowadays.


Economy

The head office of Sino United Publishing is in the S U P Tower () in North Point.


Housing

City Garden, built from 1983 to 1986, is a private housing estate consisting of 14 blocks, each 28 storeys tall. Part of the site was occupied
North Point Power Station North Point Power Station () was a power station in Hong Kong located on Electric Road in North Point and near Fortress Hill, to the west side of where the City Garden housing estate is now located. It was built to replace the inadequate Wan Ch ...
before 1983.
North Point Estate North Point Estate () was a public housing estate at the harbour front of North Point, Hong Kong near North Point Ferry Pier and its bus terminus, approaching Victoria Harbour. It was the largest public housing estate in the Eastern District. It ...
, beside that, the North Point Ferry Pier, was demolished in 2003.


Education

There are three government primary schools in North Point. Located at 888 King's Road, the North Point Government Primary School (NPGPS) opened in 1954. The North Point Island Place Primary and Kindergarten School is located on Tanner Road and is in the Island Place Estate. The North Point Government Primary School (Cloud View Road) abbreviated as NPCVR, also opened in 1954, is located at 22 Cloud View Road. All three schools are whole-day, co-ed and have nominated secondary school status with Shau Kei Wan GSS, Shau Kei Wan East GSS and Clementi Secondary School. The Chinese International School is located on Hau Yuen Path in Braemar Hill and is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
, co-educational school providing education to students from Reception to Year 13. Established in 1983, the school has a diverse student body with over 30 nationalities represented.
Secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
students pursue the IB Primary Years Programme before moving on to the IB Diploma. North Point is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 14. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and North Point Government Primary School. ; Former schools * Java Road Government Primary School * The Hong Kong Japanese School's Secondary Section was formerly on Braemar Hill in North Point.About JIS
"
Archive.today archiveWebcitation Archive
. Hong Kong Japanese School. Retrieved on 12 January 2015. "Hong Kong Japanese School - Secondary (Junior Hgh) School - Braemar Hill, North Point. "
In April 2018 the junior high school moved to the Happy Valley campus.


Transport

;MTR North Point is served by the Island line and the Tseung Kwan O line of the
MTR The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...
rapid transit railway system. North Point station is the terminus of the Tseung Kwan O line. ;Tramway North Point is also served by Hong Kong Tramways, of which it is one of the seven terminal points. ;Bus Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus and Citybus have routes through North Point. ;Ferry Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry services connect North Point Ferry Pier to various places in Hong Kong, including
Hung Hom Hung Hom () is an area in the southeast of Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Including the area of Whampoa, Tai Wan, Hok Yuen, Lo Lung Hang and No. 12 Hill are administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of Hung Ho ...
, Kowloon City, and
Kwun Tong Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon ...
. During the annual Tin Hau Festival, special ferries operate from North Point Ferry Pier to Joss House Bay. North Point is also served by public light buses. ;Thoroughfares There is one highway, Island Eastern Corridor, serving North Point; it runs along the waterfront of the area. Streets in North Point include: * Boat Street * Cheung Hong Street * Ching Wah Street * Chun Yeung Street * City Garden Road * Comfort Terrace * Electric Road * Fort Street * Fortress Hill Road * Hei Wo Street * Java Road * Kam Hong Street * Kam Ping Street * Kin Wah Street * King's Road (partially) * Marble Road * Ming Yuen Western Street * North Point Estate Lane * North Point Road * North View Street * Oil Street * Peacock Road * Power Street * Shu Kuk Street * Tanner Road * Tin Chiu Street * Tin Chong Street *
Tin Hau Temple Road Tin Hau Temple Road () is a road starting in Causeway Bay near Tin Hau MTR station with a large portion being in the North Point Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Starting from King's Road on the west, the road then slopes up, befor ...
() (partially) *
Tong Shui Road Tong Shui Road ( Chinese: 糖水道) is a road on reclaimed land in North Point on Hong Kong Island. The road runs from Victoria Harbour at its northern end to a T-junction with King's Road in the south. An exit slip road from the Island Eastern Co ...
* Tsat Tsz Mui Road * Wharf Road () * Yuet Tuen Street


See also

* List of places in Hong Kong *
State Theatre (Hong Kong) The State Theatre is a former cinema in Hong Kong. It is located in the North Point area along King's Road (nos. 277-291). Concerns were raised in 2015 that it may be demolished in the near future. The building was listed as a Grade I hist ...
*
Fujianese organized crime Fujianese organized crime or Fujiang gang () refers to crime syndicates, similar to triad gangs, composed of Fujianese people. The term primarily refers to Fujianese immigrant gangs in Hong Kong, but can also refer more broadly to Fujianese commu ...


References


External links

* History of North Point, in ''Heritage Impact Assessment on the Former Clubhouse of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club at 12 Oil Street'
Vol 1 Part 1
pp. 9–70
Sun Ferry

Fortune Ferry
{{Eastern District, Hong Kong Eastern District, Hong Kong