Sai Ying Pun is an area in Western District, on

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 ...

, in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. It is administratively part of the

Central and Western District The Central and Western District () located on northwestern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 243,266 in 2016. The district has the most educated residents with the secon ...

Etymology

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...

, ''Sai'' () means "west" and ''Ying Pun'' () means "camp", especially a military camp. It was where the early British military stayed.

Location

Sai Ying Pun is built on the steeply sloping lower slopes of

Victoria Peak Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in H ...

and also on the western

reclamation Reclaim, reclaimed, reclaimer, reclaiming or reclamation means "to get something back". It may refer to: * Land reclamation, creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or lake beds * Dedesertification, reversing of the land degradation in arid ...

. The areas of

Shek Tong Tsui Shek Tong Tsui or Belcher Point is an area in Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it belongs to the Central and Western District. This area is bounded north by the Victoria Harbour, south by Pok Fu Lam Road and Third ...

and

Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District. Due to its ...

are located to the west,

Sheung Wan Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District. The name can be variously interpreted as ''Upper Dist ...

and Tai Ping Shan are to the east, and the Mid-Levels is higher up the hill to the south.

Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental i ...

is to the north. While the boundaries are not ''de jure'' drawn, they are nevertheless ''de facto'' defined by Whitty Street in the west and Tung Wah Hospital in the east. The HKU MTR station exit B1 straddles the boundary between Shek Tong Tsui and Sai Ying Pun. Good Luck Mansion and The Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building are in Shek Tong Tsui, while Saint Anthony's Church, Pao Siu Loong Building, and the Main Building are in Sai Ying Pun. The eastern boundary is blurry. Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College is in Sai Ying Pun while Tung Wah Hospital is in Sheung Wan. The section of Queens Road West from Medal Court to Hollywood Road marks part of the boundary. Elsewhere, the location of the border is unknown. On a map, Sai Ying Pun can be distinguished from Sheung Wan because it is left of the street grid of the Tai Ping Shan neighborhood.

Geology

Sai Ying Pun is built on top of Hong Kong granite. The granite was formed in the Upper

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

Period and is from the last phase of intrusions in the Hong Kong area. The granite is found over most of the north and centre of Hong Kong Island, and also

Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...

. The flat parts of Sai Ying Pun near the harbour are reclaimed land, built from landfill.

History

Queen's Road was the first road built in the area. It meandered around the camp structures and extended along the north coast of Hong Kong Island. Sai Ying Pun was settled as Chinese immigrants moved into Hong Kong and built to the west of Tai Ping Shan. Europeans were assigned areas above

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

where Chinese were excluded from living. In the early 1880s, sewerage was installed into the area, with the main flow coming down Centre Street. Streets were also macadamised or concreted at this time. Around 1882, Battery Road was renamed

Bonham Road Bonham Road is a main road in West Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, running mainly East-West. The road connects Pok Fu Lam Road in the west, near the University of Hong Kong, and Caine Road in the east, at the junction with Hospita ...

. From 1884 to 1887, many brothels were declared by the Government to be unlicensed and closed down. These were mainly in

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

and Third Street, but also in Sheung Fung Lane, Ui On Lane and Centre Street. In 1894, an epidemic of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

struck and afflicted Sai Ying Pun residents. It was not initially as bad as in neighbouring Tai Ping Shan, which was abandoned and demolished to improve hygiene. However, Sheung Fung Lane residents were almost wiped out. Government reports called this area the number IX health district and went into great detail about the buildings where the disease occurred. In 1896, there were 115 cases, in 1898, 153 cases, in 1899, 263 cases, in 1900 98 cases, in 1904 there were 149 cases with 144 dying, and 55 cases in 1905. The great majority of infections in this district resulted in death. 英皇書院 20111105 22

In 1902, number 10 and 12 Second Street partially collapsed killing four people and injuring six. An additional storey had been added to number 10 at the beginning of 1901. It fell on number 12 and caused it to collapse as well. The extension had been designed by architects Denison and Ram. Also in 1902, a cookhouse at 56 First Street collapsed, one person was killed. In 1899, there were 1017 houses and a population estimate of 24,800. Most houses in

Des Voeux Road Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West are two roads on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named after the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Des Vœux. The name was sometimes spelt with the ligature œ i ...

and First Street were three stories, and in Second and Third Street they were two stories. In 1904 population was 24,900 and average occupancy per floor of each house was 8.9. In 1905, the population was 25083. In 1903, most houses were made from soft blue bricks, they had basements, and retaining walls at the front and back due to the steep slope. In the early 1900s, there was a Berlin Foundling House in High Street, a Sailors Home, and a Lunatic Asylum.

Main streets

* Centre Street *

Connaught Road West Connaught Road is a major thoroughfare on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It links Shing Sai Road in Kennedy Town to the west and Harcourt Road in Admiralty to the east. Location The road consists of two adjoining sections, ...

Des Voeux Road West Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West are two roads on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named after the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Des Vœux. The name was sometimes spelt with the ligature œ in ...

Eastern Street Eastern Street is an early street of Hong Kong, located in the Sai Ying Pun area of Hong Kong Island. Eastern Street North (東邊街北) is an extension of the street leading to the seafront following progressive harbour reclamations. Ea ...

* First Street *

Pok Fu Lam Road Pok Fu Lam Road, or Pokfulam Road, is a four-lane road in Hong Kong. Built on Hong Kong Island, the road runs between Sai Ying Pun and Wah Fu, through Pok Fu Lam. Description It runs south from Sai Ying Pun, passing University of Hong Kong, T ...

Queen's Road West Queen's Road is a collection of roads along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong, within the limit of Victoria City. It was the first road in Hong Kong, constructed by the British between 1841 and 1843, spanning across Victori ...

* Second Street * Third Street *

Western Street Western Street is an uphill One-way traffic, one-way street (from north to south) in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. It connects Bonham Road in the south and Connaught Road West in the north. There are 337 units in 17 buildings in the street. Add ...

Whitty Street Whitty Street is a street in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Named after R.C. Whitty, the first manager of Hong Kong and China Gas Company, p. 248 the street is well known as one of seven terminals of the Hong Kong Tramways. The ...

Minor lanes

There are many small lanes in Sai Ying Pun, mostly open only to pedestrians. They had more importance in historical times when they were used to access many houses. Now they are mainly cross connects and back alleys. Some lanes are private, and some may have disappeared. The interest nowadays is in their names, as very few places now have addresses in them. *Algar Lane *Cheung On Lane *Chung Ching Street *David Lane *Fuk Luk Lane *Fuk On Lane *Fuk Sau Lane *Fuk Shing Lane *Fuk Ching lane *Heung Hing Lane *Ki Ling Lane *Kung Shu Lane *Kwok Hing Lane *Lau U Lane *Leung I Fong *On Wai Lane *Praya West – renamed to Connaught Road when reclamation moved the shoreline of the harbour. *Rienacker Street *Sai Yuen Lane *Sheung Fung Lane *Sheung Hing Lane and Alley *Tak Sing Lane *Torsien Street *Tuck Wa Lane *Ui On Lane *Un Fuk Lane *Un Shing Lane *Wai On Lane *

Water Street Water Street may refer to: *Water Street, Hong Kong ** Water Street (constituency) around Water Street, Hong Kong * Water Street, Milwaukee *Water Street, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated village * Water Street (Augusta, Maine) *Water Street (St. Jo ...

*Yu Lok Lane – contains the oldest existing houses in the suburb

Public facilities

* Western District Community Centre (built 1922 as Tsan Yuk Hospital) *

King George V Memorial Park, Hong Kong King George V Memorial Park, Hong Kong is an urban park in Sai Ying Pun and one of the few parks in Hong Kong bearing the former colonial links to the territory's past. The park contains a basketball court, a hard surface football ground, si ...

* Prince Philip Dental Hospital *

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park is a waterfront park in the Sai Ying Pun area of Hong Kong Island, facing Victoria Harbour. The park is named after Sun Yat-sen, and is the only one in Hong Kong named for a Chinese historic figure. History Resident ...

Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Sai Ying Pun Community Complex is located at 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. It is a 9-storey building built on the site of the Old Mental Hospital, of which only the granite facade and arched verandah were preserved. History The Old ...

* Sai Ying Pun Market * Second Street Public Bathhouse (built 1925) * Western Magistracy (built 1953)

Education

;Primary schools *Kau Yan School *

Bonham Road Government Primary School Bonham Road Government Primary School () is a primary school in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. Its school building is a declared monument of Hong Kong. Rachel Yeo of the ''South China Morning Post'' wrote that "The building is considered to be a rare s ...

*St Clare's Primary School *Li Sing Primary School ( 李陞小學) Kennedy Town is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 11. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Bonham Road and Li Sing government primary schools. Li Sing Primary originated from the attached primary school of

Northcote College of Education The Education University of Hong KongUniversity title ...

. Li Sing Primary is named after Li Sing, one of the co-founders of

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (), with a history dating back to 1870, is the oldest and largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong. It provides extensive education and community services through 194 service centres spread across Hong Kong. ...

, and the father of Li Po-chun (李寶椿), who decided to fund the school because it carried his father's name. Li Po-chun gave $250,000

Hong Kong dollars The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and ...

towards the school's construction. Leigh & Orange built the school, which opened in February 1955. The

Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. ...

formally opening the facility. Originally the school had 12 schools and special vocational facilities. It became a site for adult education in the evenings, catering to adults with no secondary education diplomas, on 18 October 1955. This was the first such adult education centre in Hong Kong. It is on the Sai Ying Pun Heritage Trail (西營盤歷史文化徑). ;Secondary schools * King's College *

Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College (, abbreviated as LSTLKKC) is a government-subsidised co-educational secondary school located in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. The institution is affiliated with The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon and is s ...

St. Louis School, Hong Kong St. Louis School (), located in Sai Ying Pun (historically West Point, Hong Kong) is a privately run, Catholic primary and (government-subsidized) secondary English grammar school. There are currently about 800 secondary students and 350 prim ...

St. Paul's College, Hong Kong St. Paul's College (SPC; zh, t=聖保羅書院) is an Anglican day school for boys in Hong Kong. It was established in 1851, the oldest continuously-operated school in Hong Kong. The college first opened in 1851 with only one tutor and nine pu ...

* St. Stephen's Church College * St. Stephen's Girls' College ;University *

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...

Historical buildings

Grade 1 *Façade of Old Mental Hospital (

) *

Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital The Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital is located at No. 36A Western Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1922 under the Chinese Public Dispensary Committee. After the war, Tsan Yuk Hospital has moved to Hospital Road and the site ha ...

- Main Building *Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong Kau Yan Church * King's College Grade 2 *No. 207 Des Voeux Road West- a four-storey shop house *Old Lunatic Asylum Chinese Block - Main Building & Staff Quarters *

- Annex Block *

- East Wing Grade 3 *Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong Kau Yan Church *No. 19 Hing Hon Road *Old Upper Levels Police Station *Nos. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane

Transportation

Sai Ying Pun station Sai Ying Pun is a station on the MTR network. The station is between and on the . It serves the neighbourhood of Sai Ying Pun and the western part of Mid-Levels in northwestern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Sai Ying Pun station was opened ...

, which is one of the

MTR stations The MTR, the rapid transit system of Hong Kong, encompasses 10 heavy rail lines and 98 stations as of May 2022. The following list sorts the stations according to their service line. In addition to the 98 metro stations listed on this page, t ...

and part of Hong Kong Island line, started servicing the area on 29 March 2015.

Trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

run along Des Voeux Road West, taking passengers to the east or west of

. Many bus routes run along Des Voeux Road and Queen's Road West, with some routes routed through the lower parts of

and Pok Fu Lam Road. Most streets are too steep or narrow for buses, however green minibuses and some

red minibus The public light bus or minibus is a public transport service in Hong Kong. It uses minibuses to serve areas that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach efficiently. The vehicles are colloquially known by the code-switch ' (Van Jái) lite ...

routes travel through the upper streets.

Taxis A taxis (; ) is the movement of an organism in response to a stimulus such as light or the presence of food. Taxes are innate behavioural responses. A taxis differs from a tropism (turning response, often growth towards or away from a stimulu ...

frequent First, Second and Third Streets. A series of escalators can take pedestrians up Centre Street, from Second Street to

via the Sai Ying Pun Market. The

Western Harbour Crossing The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isla ...

tunnel goes from Sai Ying Pun under Victoria Harbour to West Kowloon, and is a popular route for cars, trucks and buses.

References

* Geological Map of Hong Kong 1979
Hong Kong Government Reports Online from Hong Kong University

External links

* {{Central and Western District Central and Western District, Hong Kong Populated coastal places in Hong Kong Sai Wan Victoria City