Yau Ma Tei is an area in the
Yau Tsim Mong District 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 a ...
. 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) 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 and
Austin Road its south border with Jordan and
Tsim Sha Tsui. To its west is
Victoria Harbour and its east the hilly region of
Ho Man Tin.
Southern Yau Ma Tei was traditionally known as
Kwun Chung, 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 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 ...
fishermen. Its water remains a harbour for fishermen after several times of reclamation by the
Hong Kong Government. The
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter 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 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.
Inland, the reclamation became the residential area for the ever-increasing Chinese population, with retail shops on the street level.
Shanghai Street 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 Gol ...
.
Along
Waterloo Road is the century-old
Fruit Market; 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 provi ...
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 in London, originally ...
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 provi ...
, 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 street in the area where
the famous Tin Hau Temple was built in 1876. The Temple is at
Public Square Street
Public Square Street (; formerly ) is a street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Location
The street runs in an east-west alignment from Cliff Road to Ching Ping Street (), meeting Nathan Road, Temple Street, Shanghai Street, Reclamation S ...
. The square, known as
Yung Shue Tau, was a
night market. 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, 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 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 provi ...
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 ()
* Old
Yau Ma Tei Police Station
*
Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market
*
Yau Ma Tei Theatre
Yau Ma Tei Theatre, sometimes transliterated as "Yaumati Theatre"), once the largest theatre in Kowloon, is located at the junction of Waterloo Road and Reclamation Street, in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. It is classified as " Grade II Historic ...
*
Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station
The Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station, Water Supplies Department, sometimes called "The Red Brick House", is located at No. 344 Shanghai Street, in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. It has been classified as a Grade I historical building ...
(Red Brick Building)
*
Old South Kowloon District Court
The former Kowloon Magistracy is a historic building and former Magistrate's and District Court in Hong Kong, located at No. 38 Gascoigne Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.
History
Constructed under the direction of Director of Public Works Richar ...
* Kowloon Union Church
Public housing
Prosperous Garden
In the 1980s, the Government handed over the
redevelopment 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. This became Prosperous Garden (), an "Urban Improvement Scheme" estate in
Public Square Street
Public Square Street (; formerly ) is a street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Location
The street runs in an east-west alignment from Cliff Road to Ching Ping Street (), meeting Nathan Road, Temple Street, Shanghai Street, Reclamation S ...
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 be ...
court and public estate built on
reclaimed land of the old
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter. 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 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 be ...
and Private Sector Participation Scheme.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The Wah Yan College, Kowloon 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 mi ...
, which is a girls' EMI school, is adjacent to Wah Yan College. The Methodist College is located in 50 Gascoigne Road in Yau Ma Tei. It's an EMI school 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 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. Trains of 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 ...
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 fl ...
and Kwun Tong lines on 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, 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
* 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
* Portland Street
* Public Square Street
Public Square Street (; formerly ) is a street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Location
The street runs in an east-west alignment from Cliff Road to Ching Ping Street (), meeting Nathan Road, Temple Street, Shanghai Street, Reclamation S ...
* Reclamation Street
* Shanghai Street
* Temple Street
See also
* List of places in Hong Kong
* Broadway Cinematheque
* Eaton Hotel Hong Kong
Eaton HK (), owned by the Great Eagle Group, is a four-star hotel located at 380 Nathan Road in Kowloon, between Jordan and Yau Ma Tei, near the Temple Street Night Market and the Jade Market.
History
The Eaton Hotel occupies the location ...
* Fo Pang
Fo Pang () is an area located in a valley of Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is at the northeast of Danger Flag Hill and south of Ho Man Tin proper. It is about present-day Wylie Road and east of Wah Yan College, Kowloon
Wah Yan College, Kowloon ( ...
* King's Park, Hong Kong
* Kowloon Central Post Office
* Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building
* Yaumatei Ferry Pier
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
History of Yau Ma Tei
(pp. 5–12)
*
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