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Sham Shui Po () is an area of
Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, situated in the northwestern part of the
Kowloon Peninsula The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong, alongside Victoria Harbour and facing toward Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collect ...
, north of
Tai Kok Tsui Tai Kok Tsui is an area west of Mong Kok in Yau Tsim Mong District, Yau Tsim Mong district in the Kowloon region of Hong Kong. The mixed land use of industrial and residential is present in the old area. The Cosmopolitan Dock and oil depots we ...
, east of
Cheung Sha Wan Cheung Sha Wan () is an area between Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is mainly residential to the north and south, with an industrial area in between. Administratively it is part of Sham Shui Po District, which al ...
and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the
Sham Shui Po District Sham Shui Po District is one of 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is the second poorest district by income in Hong Kong, with a predominantly working-class population of 405,869 in 2016 and the lowest median household income of all districts. Sham ...
. A predominately lower-income neighborhood, Sham Shui Po is one of the densest and most vibrant neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. It has a diverse mix of migrants from rural China, working-class families and seniors, with many living in cage homes,
subdivided flat Subdivided flats (also called subdivided units) are Apartment, flats divided into two or more separate units to house more people. The flats' original partition walls are usually removed, and new ones are erected. New toilets and kitchens are in ...
s and public housing estates. Sham Shui Po has many lively street markets, electronics outlets, fabric stores, restaurants and food vendors. It is famous for Golden Computer Shopping Arcade for bargain electronics and accessories.


History

The discovery in 1955 of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb indicates that as early as 2,000 years ago, there were Chinese people settled in what is now Sham Shui Po. Sham Shui Po means "Deep Water Pier" in
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
. At the time, the water in Sham Shui Po was deeper than the beach of Cheung Sha Wan to the northwest. It is close to the former
peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
of Tai Kok Tsui, the low ridge of which ends in Sham Shui Po. At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Sham Shui Po was 1,577. The number of males was 1,028. In the first stage, the town of Sham Shui Po was bounded by Yen Chow Street, Tung Chau Street, Wong Chuk Street, and
Apliu Street Apliu Street () is a street in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Apliu Street runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham Shui ...
. Part of the town was on reclamation land. The town was surrounded by the villages of , Tin Liu, and Tong Mei. A
nullah A nullah or nala (Hindustani language, Hindustani or "nallah" in Punjabi language, Punjabi) is an 'arm of the sea', stream, or watercourse, a steep narrow valley. Like the wadi of the Arabs, the nullah is characteristic of mountainous or hilly co ...
along Nam Cheong Street was constructed to drain the water of rivers to the north and east (which explains the street's wideness). The town was closed to Cosmopolitan Dock on the outer shore of Tai Kok Tsui. Under Japanese occupation, a concentration camp was maintained here for most of the duration of the Second World War. An account of life by a British POW has been published as ''The Hard Way: Surviving Shamshuipo POW Camp 1941–45'' by Victor Stanley Ebbage (Spellmount, 2011).


Land use

As Sham Shui Po was one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong, it was once a commercial, industrial and transportation hub of the territory. As of 2003, Sham Shui Po is covered mainly by residential buildings, with public housing estates built on approximately of land. Factories and warehouses are still concentrated mainly in Cheung Sha Wan. It is connected to the
MTR The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...
rail network via the Sham Shui Po station on the
Tsuen Wan line The Tsuen Wan line () is one of the ten lines of the rapid transit, metro network in Hong Kong's MTR. It is indicated in on the MTR map. There are 16 stations on the line. The southern terminus is Central station (MTR), Central statio ...
.


Cityscape


Urban renewal

Sham Shui Po is an area where
urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...
is serious in Hong Kong, so the government is carrying out
urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...
projects. In July 2003 the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) announced that its first urban renewal project would be to improve the living environment at Po On Road/Wai Wai Road in Sham Shui Po. Covering an area of and affecting approximately 500 households, this project will provide 330 residential flats and some retail units. Government, institutional, and community facilities will also be erected for the community. This development will require the HKHS to acquire about 157 properties, costing an estimated HK$240 million. The total development cost of the project is about HK$720 million. To promote creative tourism in old Hong Kong districts of
Wan Chai Wan Chai (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 灣仔) is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is bounded by Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal St ...
and Sham Shui Po Hong Kong Design Centre unveiled a budget of HK$60 million.


Shopping

The street market in Sham Shui Po is a hotspot for both locals and tourists. The
Apliu Street Apliu Street () is a street in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Apliu Street runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham Shui ...
market is well known in Hong Kong for its electronics. The vendors in this open-air street market sell a wide variety of products at reasonable prices, allowing individuals to trade second-hand goods here. Different shops sell a variety of goods including industrial electronics, analogue and digital radio communications equipment, disco effects equipment, crockery, 1940s-era radios, LPs, torches, and audiophile hi-fi amplifiers in various stages of repair. The Hong Kong government promotes
Apliu Street Apliu Street () is a street in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Apliu Street runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham Shui ...
as Hong Kong's answer to
Akihabara is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan, generally considered to be the area surrounding Akihabara Station (nicknamed ''Akihabara Electric Town''). This area is part of the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts of Chiyoda. There is an ...
(in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
). Golden Computer Centre is one of the major malls selling computer-related equipment (see next section). The annual Hong Kong computer fair held in the streets of Sham Shui Po attracts a large crowd. The market on Ki Lung Street is also famous for its fresh food and cheap prices. In the early 1990s, the Hong Kong government rebuilt the market and also added air conditioning. There are numerous fashionwear wholesalers along Cheung Sha Wan Road. On weekends, some shops allow retail purchases, offering quality clothes at very affordable prices. Nam Cheong Street and Ki Lung Street are most famous for their
fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...
stores, containing cloth, sash, ribbons and buttons.


Golden Shopping Centre

Once infamous for counterfeit software but today considered one of the cheapest places in Hong Kong to purchase a
personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...
, the Golden Shopping Centre is a prominent IT shopping centre. Products range from complete systems, cell phones, to various peripherals. Unlike purely consumer-oriented IT shopping centres, Golden features several stores specializing in professional and esoteric network equipment. The Golden Shopping Centre is also known for the number of
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
stores it contains, where people purchase gaming systems, software and accessories at either a slightly discounted price, or in special in-store packages which might include an extra game or extra accessories. Since the halls are extremely narrow, it is often very congested, especially on weekends. The mall has two floors. The upper floor, Golden Computer Centre (), mainly sells games and gaming
software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...
, while the lower floor, Golden Computer Arcade (), focuses on the sales of computer-oriented hardware. They were originally fashion markets named "Golden Shopping Centre" and "Golden Shopping Arcade" respectively.


Influence on Hong Kong's Internet culture

In the late 1990s, when the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
started becoming popular, the shop owners of the Golden Computer Centre launched a website to post the prices of computer hardware and software. Later, a forum known as HKGolden was set up on the website, which later became one of the largest Internet forums in Hong Kong.


Dragon Centre

Dragon Centre is a nine-storey
shopping centre A shopping center in American English, shopping centre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, spelling differences), shopping complex, shopping arcade, ...
. It was the largest shopping centre in West Kowloon until Elements opened its doors above the Kowloon MTR station.


Local Delicacies

As Sham Shui Po is usually regarded as one of the poorest and oldest districts in Hong Kong, it is well known for people to find cheap and local food in Sham Shui Po. A lot of local restaurants are located in Fuk Wa Street, Fuk Wing Street, Pei Ho Street and Kweilin Street. Some of the famous restaurants include Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, Wai Kee Noodle Cafe, Man Kee Cart Noodle and Kwan Kee Store, which are highly praised for their
soy milk Soy milk (or soymilk), also known as soya milk, is a plant-based milk produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original ...
and pudding, pork liver noodles, cart noodles and traditional puddings respectively.


Streets

Streets and roads in Sham Shui Po include: *
Apliu Street Apliu Street () is a street in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Apliu Street runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham Shui ...
() *
Boundary Street Boundary Street ( Chinese: 界限街) is a three-lane one-way street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It runs in an easterly direction from its start at the intersection with Tung Chau Street in the west, and ends at its intersection with Princ ...
() *
Castle Peak Road Castle Peak Road ( Chinese: 青山公路) is the longest road in Hong Kong. Completed in 1920, it has the approximate shape of an arc of a semi-circle. It runs west from Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po, New Kowloon, to Tuen Mun, then north to Y ...
() * Cheung Sha Wan Road () * Fuk Wa Street – street market with numerous stalls selling varieties of goods like old books and clothes. It spans from Castle Peak Road to
Tai Po Road Tai Po Road ( Chinese: 大埔公路) is the second longest road in Hong Kong (after Castle Peak Road). It spans from Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Tai Po in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Initially, the road was named Frontier Road. Location ...
. Unlike the names of streets nearby, it does not follow the place names in China. Its name means blessing (fuk, ) and prosperous (wa, ). * Fuk Wing Street – Toy Street in Hong Kong. Unlike the names of streets nearby, it does not follow the place names in China. Its name means blessing and glorious. * Ki Lung Street () * Lai Chi Kok Road () * Nam Cheong Street () * Pei Ho Street *
Tai Po Road Tai Po Road ( Chinese: 大埔公路) is the second longest road in Hong Kong (after Castle Peak Road). It spans from Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Tai Po in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Initially, the road was named Frontier Road. Location ...
*
Tonkin Street Tonkin Street () is a street between Sham Shui Po and Cheung Sha Wan of New Kowloon in Hong Kong. It runs northeast to southwest and crosses many major roads in the Cheung Sha Wan area. After extensive Land reclamation in Hong Kong, reclamatio ...
* Yen Chow Street *Un Chau Street


Historic buildings

* Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb *
Lui Seng Chun Lui Seng Chun is a List of Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong, Grade I Historic Building located at 119 Lai Chi Kok Road, in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, at the junction with Tong Mi Road. It is a four-storey ''tong-lau'' (the local term for Hong ...
*
North Kowloon Magistracy The North Kowloon Magistracy (, before Handover of Hong Kong, 1 July 1997) is a historic building and former Magistrates' court (Hong Kong), Magistrate's Court located at No. 292, Tai Po Road, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building ...
. In 2008, the building was part of the seven buildings of Batch I of the Hong Kong Government's
Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme The Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme () is an initiative launched by the Hong Kong Government, part of a broader policy of heritage conservation in Hong Kong. In order to preserve and put historic buildings into good use ...
seeking
adaptive reuse Adaptive reuse is the reuse of an existing building for a purpose other than that for which it was originally built or designed. It is also known as recycling and conversion. The adaptive reuse of buildings can be a viable alternative to new con ...
of government-owned historic buildings. This building was used by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) as its Hong Kong campus from 2010 until 2020. * Sam Tai Tsz Temple and Pak Tai Temple Complex * Sham Shui Po Police Station * Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir


Education

The district is home to several prestigious schools, including * San Wui Commercial Society YMCA of Hong Kong Christian School * St. Francis of Assisi's English Primary School * St. Margaret's Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School * Tsung Tsin Primary School And Kindergarten, among others. Sham Shui Po is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 40. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and two government schools: Fuk Wing Street Government Primary School and Li Cheng Uk Government Primary School.


Other facilities

*Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool * Precious Blood Hospital (Caritas) * Nam Cheong Park * Sham Shui Po Park * Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool * Shek Kip Mei Park * Tung Chau Street Park * Public housing estates in Sham Shui Po * Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar


Notable people

Ladies World Snooker champion
Ng On-yee Ng On-yee (; born 17 November 1990) is a Hong Kong professional snooker player who has won three IBSF World Snooker Championships and three World Women's Snooker Championship, World Women's Snooker world championships. She held the number one ...
grew up in the area, and learned the game at her father's snooker hall there.


See also

*
List of buildings, sites and areas 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 *** ...
* Sham Shui Po Barracks


References


External links

* {{Authority control New Kowloon