Yau Ma Tei is an area in the
Yau Tsim Mong District
Yau Tsim Mong District is one of 18 districts of Hong Kong, located on the western part of Kowloon Peninsula. It is the core urban area of Kowloon. The district has the second highest population density of all districts, at . The 2016 By ...
in the south of the
Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong.
Name
''Yau Ma Tei'' is a phonetic transliteration of the name (originally written as ) in
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 ar ...
. It can also be spelt as Yaumatei, Yau Ma Ti, Yaumati or Yau-ma-Tee.
''Yau'' (
油) literally means "oil", ''Ma'' (
麻 or
蔴) can either refer to "sesame" or "jute", and ''Tei'' (
地
''Di'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the earth and a key concept or figure in Chinese philosophy and religion, being one of three powers (', ) which are Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (, ), a phrase which originates from the Yijing.
Ety ...
) means "field" or "open ground". Hence, ''Yau Ma Tei'' can be interpreted to mean either "oil-sesame field" or "oil and jute ground". This dual-interpretation is perhaps the reason for there being two explanations for the origin of the place name.
[Architectural Conservation Office, HKSAR Government. (2008). ''Heritage Impact Assessment Report of the Yau Ma Tei Theatre & Red Brick Building''](_blank)
Retrieved October 21, 2009
Geography
Dundas Street marks the north border of Yau Ma Tei with
Mong Kok
Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised ...
and
Austin Road
Austin Road is a road in-between Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was named after John Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1868 to 1879. The northeast part of this street is noted for clubs, fields, and mi ...
its south border with Jordan and
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...
. To its west is
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 in ...
and its east the hilly region of
Ho Man Tin.
Southern Yau Ma Tei was traditionally known as
Kwun Chung
Kwun Chung, or Koon Chung in early documents, is an area of Hong Kong, Yau Ma Tei or Tsim Sha Tsui located in the Yau Tsim Mong District.
In 1979, the MTR station running through Kwun Chung was named Jordan since it intersected Jordan Road ...
, but came to be called
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
after the completion of
Jordan MTR station at its heart.
History
Yau Ma Tei was a village in Kowloon. It was mentioned that a Chinese burial ground was assigned at a mile northeast of a village of Yau-ma-Tee at 2 December 1871.
The name Yau Ma Tei is not thought to pre-date British rule. However, Kwun Chung is mentioned in many historic documents. Kwun Chung was a river valley with village and cultivation. On the hill south near the coast was
Kwun Chung Fort built by Chinese (
Qing) official
Lin Tse-hsu to defend against the British. During the
Battle of Kwun Chung
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in 1839, the fort — together with
Tsim Sha Tsui Fort — successfully kept the British from Kowloon. The fort with the hill was demolished for development during early British rule of
Kowloon.
Before the ceding of Kowloon to the British in 1860, Yau Ma Tei was a beach and a bay gathering many
Tanka
is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature.
Etymology
Originally, in the time of the '' Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short p ...
fishermen. Its water remains a harbour for fishermen after several times of reclamation by the
Hong Kong Government. The
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter () is a typhoon shelter located near Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
History
The Government of Hong Kong planned for the construction of a second typhoon shelter after Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in late 1906. In ...
became an exotic water area where restaurants on boats offered dishes of indigenous seafood. These 'typhoon shelter dishes' remain famous to this day and are even offered on land. The
typhoon shelter
A typhoon shelter () is a shelter for fishing boats during typhoons. These facilities are often found in Hong Kong.
Structure
In its usual form, a typhoon shelter is in the form of a bay or a cove, with a narrow opening for access, as most of t ...
not only hosted fishermen, but was also a port in Hong Kong. Numerous piers were built along its shore.
Ferry Point in the southern part of Yau Ma Tei was a transportation hub where many commuters took ferries to and from
Hong Kong Island. The service was offered by
Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry
The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited (HYF), is a ferry company founded in 1897 in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as Yaumati Ferry. After restructuring the company in 1989, it became a subsidiary of Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Company Li ...
.
Inland, the reclamation became the residential area for the ever-increasing Chinese population, with retail shops on the street level.
Shanghai Street
Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It origina ...
was the main street before being replaced by
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post–World War II years as the Golden ...
.
Along
Waterloo Road is the century-old
Fruit Market
Fruit Market, also known as Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, is a wholesale fruit market in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Etymology
It is known as ''gwo laan'' () in Cantonese. ''gwo'' () means fruit while ' ...
; its adjacent
Yaumati Theatre was once the largest in Kowloon. The
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a 1,141-bed Charitable district general hospital in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Located on 25 Waterloo Road, the hospital was founded by the Tung Wah Group in 1911, and managed by the Hospital Authority since 1991. It provid ...
was the first hospital on the Kowloon peninsula, established in 1911.
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
headquarters and its
hostel in Hong Kong are located on the road.
On 26 January 2021, 12 buildings in Yau Ma Tei were placed under lockdown due to COVID-19.
Public health
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a 1,141-bed Charitable district general hospital in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Located on 25 Waterloo Road, the hospital was founded by the Tung Wah Group in 1911, and managed by the Hospital Authority since 1991. It provid ...
, run by charity
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. ...
, is the first major hospital in the area. Historically, there was a
small pox hospital () at the hill northeast of Kwong Wah Hospital. Founded by
Hong Kong Government,
Queen Elizabeth Hospital is another major hospital in the area.
Yaumatei Maternal & Child Health Centre () is under Family Health Service, Department of Health.
Sightseeing
The district is mainly an area of mixed residential and retail. During day time, the Yau Ma Tei wet market and fruit market are the markets to visit, buying souvenirs like dried noodles and some fruits. Every night there is a market selling many different kinds of products including clothes, decorations, VCD and toys in
Temple Street
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called church (building), churches), Hindui ...
, a street in the area where
the famous Tin Hau Temple was built in 1876. The Temple is at
Public Square Street. The square, known as
Yung Shue Tau
Yung Shue Tau ( Chinese: 榕樹頭) is the public square in front of the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei of Kowloon in Hong Kong. The name in Cantonese means ''banyan tree head'', and many banyan trees are still there. ''Yung Shue Tau'' is known n ...
, was a
night market
Night markets or night bazaars are street markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets. They are typically open-air markets popular in East Asia, So ...
. Jade Market and Jade Street, China's most revered green stone is in abundance here, with around 400 registered stall owners ready to pitch jade amulets, ornaments, necklaces and trinkets.
Museums
The Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum (), located at No. 330
Shanghai Street
Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It origina ...
, showcases models, toys and pop culture memorabilia from around the world. Exhibits include toy vehicles, dolls, action figures, cartoon characters, science fiction collectibles, model rockets, Japanese anime, classic toys.
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Museum
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Museum is a museum housed in the former Main Hall Building of Kwong Wah Hospital, located at 25 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Only this building was preserved when Kwong Wah Hospital was re-developed in 1958–19 ...
in
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a 1,141-bed Charitable district general hospital in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Located on 25 Waterloo Road, the hospital was founded by the Tung Wah Group in 1911, and managed by the Hospital Authority since 1991. It provid ...
details the history 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 its relation with Hong Kong people, is also located in Yau Ma Tei.
Historic buildings
*
Tin Hau Temple
Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong are dedicated to Tin Hau (Mazu). Over 100 temples are dedicated (at least partially) to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. A list of these temples can be found below.
Famous temples
Famous Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong include:
...
()
* Old
Yau Ma Tei Police Station
Yau Ma Tei Police Station is a police station in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its buildings at No. 627 Canton Road, at the junction of Public Square Street, were erected in 1922 after relocation from the junction of Public Square Street ...
*
Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market
*
Yau Ma Tei Theatre
*
Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station (Red Brick Building)
*
Old South Kowloon District Court
* Kowloon Union Church
Public housing
Prosperous Garden
In the 1980s, the Government handed over the
redevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses. It represents a process of land development uses to revitalize the physical, economic and social fabric of urban space.
Description
Variations on redevelopment include: ...
project of Lee Tat Street () and Cheung Shui Street () in Yau Mei Tei (the two streets were later removed during redevelopment) to the
Hong Kong Housing Society
The Hong Kong Housing Society or Housing Society for short, is the second largest public housing provider in Hong Kong (the first being the Hong Kong Housing Authority). The Society housed around 130,000 residents as of 2020. The Housing Society ...
. This became Prosperous Garden (), an "Urban Improvement Scheme" estate in
Public Square Street Phase 1, including Block 1, 2 and 5, was completed in the site in 1991. Block 1 and 2 were for sale while Block 5 was for rental. Its Phase 2, including Block 3 and 4, was completed in 1995 and was for sale.
Hoi Fu Court
Hoi Fu Court () is a mixed
Home Ownership Scheme
The Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) is a subsidised-sale public housing programme managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It was instituted in the late 1970s as part of the government policy for public housing with two aims – to encourage b ...
court and public estate built on
reclaimed land
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
of the old
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter () is a typhoon shelter located near Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
History
The Government of Hong Kong planned for the construction of a second typhoon shelter after Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in late 1906. In ...
. It is the only public housing estate built by
Hong Kong Housing Authority in the District. It comprises 6 blocks completed in 1999 and 2004.
Hoi Yu House of the estate was put under lockdown for mandatory COVID-19 testing on 7 February 2021.
RTHK
/ref>
Hoi Fu Court is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.
Charming Garden
Charming Garden
Charming Garden () is a Home Ownership Scheme and Private Sector Participation Scheme court in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, built on reclaimed land of the old Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter. It was jointly developed by Hong Kong Housing Authority an ...
is an 18-block estate built under the Home Ownership Scheme
The Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) is a subsidised-sale public housing programme managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It was instituted in the late 1970s as part of the government policy for public housing with two aims – to encourage b ...
and Private Sector Participation Scheme
The Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) is a subsidised-sale public housing programme managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It was instituted in the late 1970s as part of the government policy for public housing with two aims – to encourage be ...
.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The Wah Yan College, Kowloon
Wah Yan College, Kowloon (WYK; ; demonym: ''Wahyanite'', pl.: ''Wahyanites'') is a Catholic secondary school for boys run by the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus. It is located in Kowloon, Hong Kong and is a grant-in-aid secondary sch ...
is located in 56 Waterloo Road in Yau Ma Tei and is a boys' school. True Light Girls' College
True Light Girls' College (TLGC, ) is a Christian girls' secondary school in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1973, to commemorate the centenary of the first True Light Middle School, which was founded in 1872 in Canton by the American ...
, which is a girls' EMI school
EMI schools in Hong Kong are secondary schools that English-medium education, use English as a medium of instruction. there are currently around 100 EMI schools, accounting for around 30% of the total local secondary schools.
Larry Chuen-ho ...
, is adjacent to Wah Yan College. The Methodist College is located in 50 Gascoigne Road in Yau Ma Tei. It's an EMI school
EMI schools in Hong Kong are secondary schools that English-medium education, use English as a medium of instruction. there are currently around 100 EMI schools, accounting for around 30% of the total local secondary schools.
Larry Chuen-ho ...
for both boys and girls. There are also a few primary schools next to the Fruit Market. Tung Koon Society Fong Shu Chuen School (東莞同鄉會方樹泉學校) is one of them.
Yau Ma Tei is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.[
]
Public Library
Hong Kong Public Libraries
The Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL; ) is a system of 70 static and 12 mobile public libraries in Hong Kong. Offering a total collection of 14.35 million items, the system is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The ne ...
operates the ().
Transport
Nathan Road goes north–south across the heart of Yau Ma Tei. Most of buses routes via Nathan Road to the destinations in North Kowloon and 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 ...
. Trains of MTR shuttle beneath the road. Yau Ma Tei is served by Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and flee ...
and Kwun Tong lines on the MTR metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
system, at a single station with the same name, Yau Ma Tei MTR station.
Other streets in the area or partly in the area include:
* Canton Road
Canton Road is a major road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It st ...
* Dundas Street - shares its Chinese name (登打士街) with the Chinatown section of Dundas Street and in Toronto and are both named for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British Prime Minister William Pitt and the most powerful politician in Scotland in the late 18t ...
* Portland Street
Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district.
Geography
Running north-south and parallel to (an ...
* Public Square Street
* Reclamation Street
Reclamation Street is a street stretching from Jordan to Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. As its name suggests, it was built on the reclaimed western shore of the Kowloon Peninsula.
Location
Reclamation Street is on a north–south axis and ...
* Shanghai Street
Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It origina ...
* Temple Street
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called church (building), churches), Hindui ...
See also
* List of places in Hong Kong
The following is a list of areashttp://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/download/imts18.pdf of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Island
* Central and Western District
** Central District
***Admiralty
**Mid-Levels
***Soho
**Sai Wan
***Kennedy ...
* Broadway Cinematheque
* Eaton Hotel Hong Kong
* Fo Pang
* King's Park, Hong Kong
King's Park is an area in Yau Tsim Mong District in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Location
It is bounded approximately by Waterloo Road to the north, the East Rail line to the east, Austin Road to the south, and Nathan Road to the west. There is an e ...
* Kowloon Central Post Office
Kowloon Central Post Office () is the main post office in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is located at 405 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei, underneath the .
See also
* Hongkong Post
* Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station
The Engineer's Office of ...
* Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building
Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building () was a public multi-storey car park located at No. 250 Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei, Yau Tsim Mong District, Hong Kong. Built in 1970, the building is scheduled for demolition in 2021.
History
The Yau Ma Tei Car P ...
* Yaumatei Ferry Pier
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
History of Yau Ma Tei
(pp. 5–12)
*
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