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Sai Kung District is one of the 18 districts of
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 List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
, a special administrative region of China. The district comprises the southern half of the Sai Kung Peninsula, the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the
New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...
and a strip of land to the east of
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 ...
. Areas in the district include Sai Kung Town, Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, Tseung Kwan O and over 70 islands of different sizes. The administrative centre had been located in Sai Kung Town until the Sai Kung District Office was relocated to Tseung Kwan O recently. The district's population is concentrated in Tseung Kwan O, as of 2011. In 2011, the district was the third youngest district, with a median age of 39.3. Known as the "back garden of Hong Kong", Sai Kung has been able to retain its natural scenery. Many traditional customs and cultures are still retained in the rural villages.


History

The modern geopolitical entity of Sai Kung District was formed after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Settlements existed in the area prior to the signing of the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, which ceded the area to the
colony of Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
from the
Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu people, Manchu-led Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin (1616–1636), La ...
in 1898. Those ceded areas are now collectively known as the
New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...
and New Kowloon. According to Professor , unlike other villages of the New Territories, villages in Sai Kung did not form any ''yeuk'' (), a kind of inter-village alliances in the 19th century in the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
. Under the colonial rule, villages in Sai Kung were grouped under Tung Yeuk (also known as Tung Hoi Yeuk; ) in 1898. Soon after, the district office of New Territories was established. The New Territories was divided into Northern and Southern District (both not the same as the modern day districts of HK) and New Kowloon in the 1920s. The area around the modern day Sai Kung Town was under the District Office North until 1947, which the area was under the administration of the Southern District (not the same as modern day Southern District) from 1947. The Southern District was under further reform since 1957. After the end of World War II (the author did not state the exact year, however), the New Territories was divided into 8 sub-divisions, one of which was named after Sai Kung. Such sub-divisions was soon abolished. The North and South District Office were merged to form New Territories Administration, a department of the executive branch of the government, in 1948–1952, which has 3 sub-divisions: Tai Po (covers some of the area of the former Northern District),
Yuen Long Yuen Long is a town in the western New Territories, Hong Kong. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu (), Tin Shui Wai, Lau Fau Shan and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin (), and to the north N ...
and Southern District. Sai Kung was under the aforementioned Southern District. Tsuen Wan District Officer was established in 1959 and craved out from the Southern District. The Southern District at that time only administrated the modern-day Sai Kung District and
Islands District The Islands District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is part of the New Territories. It had a population of 170,900 in 2018. Hong Kong consists of a peninsula and 263 islands. The Islands District consists of some twenty large a ...
. A branch office of the Southern District was also established in
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo is located on Silvermine Bay, so named for the silver mines that were once worked along ...
in 1957, which now belongs to
Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...
of the Islands District. It was reported that circa the early 1960s, the Southern District was further split into Sai Kung District and Islands District, but merged back in 1963. By 1969, the New Territories Administration had 7 district offices, of which one was named after Sai Kung. In 1977, the Hong Kong Governor announced to establish District Advisory Boards to invite locals to become advisors. Although Sai Kung locals, as well as other rural villages of the New Territories, already established their chambers and voting representatives to Heung Yee Kuk, an advisory body to the colonial government, as early as the 1930s. The Sai Kung District and its District Council (at that time known as District Board) were formally formed in 1982. (Established in 1981, first election in 1982) A year before, the New Territories Administration was merged with its Kowloon and Hong Kong Island counterpart, the Home Affairs Department to form the City and New Territories Administration (it was renamed the Home Affairs Department again in 1993), although the Administration had transferred some functions to the
Lands Department The Lands Department is a government department under the Development Bureau responsible for all land matters in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republi ...
in 1982. Since 1985, the district officers of the Hong Kong Districts no longer chaired their respective districts councils. In a larger scale of history, due to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, which would hand over the whole colony to the People's Republic of China, the colonial government had made several political reforms on local politics. A water route from the northern Sai Kung Peninsula to Tai Po existed at least since the Qing dynasty. For this historical and other reasons, the northern portion of the Sai Kung Peninsula belongs to the
Tai Po District Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The suburban district covers the areas of Tai Po New Town (including areas such as Tai Po Market, , Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Wo Estate), Tai Po Tau, Tai Po Kau, Hong Lok Yuen, ...
, but not part of Sai Kung District. Sai Kung was a local industrial centre before the 1900s. For example, in Sheung Yu (), villagers produced mortar and fertiliser from their own lime kiln. Villages also scattered on the islands of Port Shelter, Rocky Harbour, on the Sai Kung Peninsula, on the Clear Water Bay Peninsula as well as other land areas of the District. A temple located on High Island (known in Chinese as Leung Shuen Wan), dates back to 1741. Sai Kung market town was expanded into the local town centre of the district after the 1950s. However, the District's population are now concentrated around the Tseung Kwan O New Town, partially built on reclaimed land in
Junk Bay Junk Bay known in Chinese as "Tseung Kwan O" (; also transliterated as "Cheung Kwan O") is a bay in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong. In the northern tip of the bay lies the Tseung Kwan O Village. The Tseung Kwan O New Town, o ...
(or known as its Chinese name Tseung Kwan O) in the 1980s.


Population and settlement

Sai Kung District covers approximately land area as of 2018, It had a population of 461,864 in 2016 by-census, most of it in Tseung Kwan O (398,479). Sai Kung Central election constituency, which roughly has the same boundary as Sai Kung Town planning zone, has a population of 9,623 in the same by-census. Tseung Kwan O is a new town and has multiple constituencies. However, all Tseung Kwan O constituencies are belongs to Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan in term of town planning administration.


Sai Kung Town

Sai Kung Town is a former fishing village and market township. The designation of the country park areas during the 1970s was a huge boost to the local tourist industry. Sai Kung town underwent significant expansion during the 1970s when the High Island Reservoir and associated water scheme required some villagers and fishermen to be rehoused in Sai Kung. This provided a core of government-funded new development, both housing and commercial, in the town centre. This was followed by the Tui Min Hoi (literal translation 'over the harbour') development under the government's market town programme.


Tseung Kwan O

In addition to Sai Kung, Tseung Kwan O, a booming
new town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
, is also part of Sai Kung District. Tseung Kwan O connects Sai Kung Peninsula with the
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 ...
urban area.
Junk Bay Junk Bay known in Chinese as "Tseung Kwan O" (; also transliterated as "Cheung Kwan O") is a bay in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong. In the northern tip of the bay lies the Tseung Kwan O Village. The Tseung Kwan O New Town, o ...
was once a natural bay area in Sai Kung, quite near the seafood village of Lei Yue Mun. There once was an iron and steel factory, and the area around Hang Hau Village was known for its shipyards. In 1997, the Hong Kong Government started a major development project in this area, developing it into the seventh Hong Kong new town. Reclamation has since covered the whole bay area and it is now able to accommodate around 380,000 inhabitants, accounting for 95% of the district's total population. This new town was renamed ''Tseung Kwan O'', its present name. Tseung Kwan O now includes several high-rise residential estates and an industrial estate. 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 ...
metro system was extended to Tseung Kwan O, facilitating access to Sai Kung District.


Geography

In contrast to the densely populated areas of
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an 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/km2, . The island had a population of a ...
and
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 ...
, Sai Kung District's heartland is a coastal area characterised by its scenery, small villages and seascapes. The area is known for its pristine
beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells ...
and quiet living. Sai Kung remains only partly urbanised and is known as the "last back garden" of Hong Kong.


UNESCO Global Geopark and Country Parks


Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region, Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark

Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region lies in
Sharp Island Sharp Island or Kiu Tsui Chau () is the largest island in the Kiu Tsui Country Park located at Port Shelter of Sai Kung, Hong Kong. The area is most known for fishing, swimming as well as diving. Sharp Island is under the administration of Sa ...
, High Island, the Ninepin Group and the Ung Kong Group ( Wang Chau, Basalt Island and Bluff Island), where volcanic rocks, intrusive rocks and world-unique acidic hexagonal volcanic columnar rock joints created by Hong Kong's last large-scale volcanic activity some 16.5 million to 14 million years ago crop out. With a host of volcanic rock coastal landforms, they form a comprehensive showcase of diverse and complex volcanic activities that explain Sai Kung's geological past.


Sai Kung East Country Park

Sai Kung East Country Park occupies a vast area of east Sai Kung Peninsula. With the High Island Reservoir, High Island, Tai Long Wan, Pak Tam Au, Chek Keng, Sheung Yiu, Wong Shek Pier and the surrounding countryside, the 4,494 hectare protected area consists of the largest number of bays and coves among all country parks in Hong Kong. Part of the Geopark is also located there.


Sai Kung West Country Park

Sai Kung East Country Park, including the Sai Kung West Country Park (Wan Tsai Extension), occupies a vast area of west Sai Kung Peninsula. Old preserved villages, such as
Pak Sha O Pak Sha O () is an area and a village of Sai Kung North, in Tai Po District, Hong Kong. Administration Pak Sha O and Pak Sha O Ha Yeung () are recognized villages under the New Territories Small House Policy. History It has been reported tha ...
, Yung Shue O and Lai Chi Chong are the places of interest.


Clear Water Bay Country Park

Clear Water Bay Country Park occupies the rugged terrain around High Junk Peak in the eastern and the western part of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula. High Junk Peak, one of the Three Sharp Peaks of Hong Kong, is a top attraction in the country park.


Beaches

Sai Kung has some of the cleanest beaches in Hong Kong, including: * Clear Water Bay First Beach * Clear Water Bay Second Beach * Long Ke Wan * Silverstrand Beach * Tai Long Wan


Islands

On summer nights, many people hire small boats known as '' kaitos'' or ''
sampan A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed Chinese and Malay wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like ...
'', some to catch
cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...
which is a popular pastime for local residents, others for leisurely trips through the island-dotted inland sea of Port Shelter. Islands in the area include: * Kau Sai Chau *
Kiu Tsui Chau Sharp Island or Kiu Tsui Chau () is the largest island in the Kiu Tsui Country Park located at Port Shelter of Sai Kung, Hong Kong. The area is most known for fishing, swimming as well as diving. Sharp Island is under the administration of S ...
(Sharp Island) * Leung Shuen Wan Chau (High Island) * Pak Sha Chau (White Sand Island) * Yeung Chau (Sheep Island) * Yim Tin Tsai (Little Salt Field) The large island of Kau Sai Chau is the location for a public
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...
developed and run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.


Local and tourist attractions

There are numerous cultural sites, heritage sites and country parks in the Sai Kung peninsula, such as: * Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (香港聯合國教科文組織世界地質公園) * Sheung Yiu Folk Museum (), located in a former
Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
village * Memorial Monuments for Sai Kung Martyrs During World War II () * Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre () * Lions Nature Education Centre () * Sai Kung East Country Park () * Sai Kung West Country Park () * Clear Water Bay Country Park () *
Che Kung Temple Che Kung Miu (), also called Che Kung Temple, are temples dedicated to Che Kung, who was a general during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) in imperial China. He is believed by some worshipers to have been involved in the attempt to ...
at Ho Chung () *
Tin Hau Temple, Joss House Bay The Tin Hau Temple in Joss House Bay, sometimes referred to as Tai Miu,Jin Island (or Tiu Chung Chau, ) * Leung Shuen Wan Tin Hau Temple () * High Island Reservoir () * Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course () * Yim Tin Tsai Village and St. Joseph's Chapel () The town centre of Sai Kung has a high concentration of seafood restaurants which attract many tourists. In addition, there are golf courses and
nature trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...
. There is a golf driving range center in Ho Chung. In recent years, the government has invested heavily in Sai Kung, with improvements being made to the town seafront, such as the Waterfront Park. An attractive mix of small boutique-style shops has sprung up as well, due to a sizeable expat population and increasing numbers of local visitors, selling everything from secondhand books to cat-themed accessories, and alternative lifestyle stores that offer items like surfboards, candles, incense, seashells, etc.


Transport

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 ...
system's Tseung Kwan O line currently has five stations in Tseung Kwan O New Town. The new town is also served by a comprehensive bus network that connects it to
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 ...
via several main roads including Tseung Kwan O Tunnel and Po Lam Road. Hang Hau Road and Ying Yip Road link Tseung Kwan O with Sai Kung Town and Clear Water Bay. The nearest
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 ...
station to Sai Kung Town is
Hang Hau Hang Hau () is a residential area in Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is located at the eastern edge of the Tseung Kwan O New Town. Most of the land was reclaimed from Hang Hau Village and Shui Bin Village (). H ...
. Some isolated parts of Sai Kung Peninsula have no road access and can only be reached on foot or by boat. Where a destination is accessible by public transport, it is usually served via a network of bus routes, public light buses (i.e. minibuses) and taxis.


Education

The education in the Sai Kung District is administrated by the
Education Bureau The Education Bureau (EDB) is responsible for formulating and implementing education policies in Hong Kong. The bureau is headed by the Secretary for Education and oversees agencies including University Grants Committee and Student Fina ...
and not administrated by Sai Kung District Office. The latter is a division of Home Affairs Department instead. The Education Bureau has its own zoning scheme. For example, Primary One Admission School Net no.95, covers the whole Sai Kung District, as well as Sai Kung North which is part of
Tai Po District Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The suburban district covers the areas of Tai Po New Town (including areas such as Tai Po Market, , Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Wo Estate), Tai Po Tau, Tai Po Kau, Hong Lok Yuen, ...
. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, one of the eight publicly funded tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, is located in Clear Water Bay Road, Sai Kung District. The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education has in
Tiu Keng Leng Tiu Keng Leng (), formerly Rennie's Mill, is an area of Hong Kong in the Sai Kung District adjacent to Tseung Kwan O (Junk Bay). The area used to be a refugee village housing former Kuomintang officials and followers who escaped to Hong Kon ...
, Tseung Kwan O. The
Hong Kong Design Institute Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) is a design school in Tiu Keng Leng, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. It was founded by the Vocational Training Council in 2007 and moved into a purpose-built campus in 2010. The school offers higher diplomas, a ...
is next to the IVE Tiu Keng Leng campus.


Miscellaneous

* The northern half of Sai Kung Peninsula belongs to nearby
Tai Po District Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The suburban district covers the areas of Tai Po New Town (including areas such as Tai Po Market, , Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Wo Estate), Tai Po Tau, Tai Po Kau, Hong Lok Yuen, ...
, and not Sai Kung District. This is because communities in the northern half of Sai Kung Peninsula used to be more connected to Tai Po via '' kai-to'' sea transport before roads were built leading into this area in the 20th century. * Coincidentally, the
Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji ...
"西貢" for ''Sai Kung'' are also the Vietnamese Chu nom characters for the name ''Saigon'' (now called
Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
), a major city in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
. However, there is also a street called Saigon Street (西貢街) named after the Vietnamese city, not Sai Kung.


Media

Sai Kung District is served by '' Sai Kung Magazine'', a free-distribution English language monthly magazine and the community websit
Saikung.com
The magazine covers the areas of Sai Kung Town, Clear Water Bay, Pak Sha Wan and Ma On Shan.


See also

* Beaches of Hong Kong * Conservation in Hong Kong * List of places in Hong Kong


References


External links

{{Districts of Hong Kong New Territories