Sham Shui Po District
Encyclopedia
Sham Shui Po District is one of 18 districts
of Hong Kong
. It covers the Shek Kip Mei
, Sham Shui Po
, Cheung Sha Wan
, Lai Chi Kok
and Yau Yat Chuen
areas of New Kowloon
, and Stonecutter's Island of Kowloon
. It is the poorest district in Hong Kong, with a predominantly working-class population of 365,540 and the lowest median household income, and the fourth least educated residents.
Sham Shui Po was already a densely populated district in 1950s and 1960s. It is heavily poverty-stricken, having the lowest median monthly domestic household income among the 18 districts. It has the highest percentage of elderly over 65 years. The percentage of new immigrants is also very high.
Local private housing Mei Foo Sun Chuen
in Lai Chi Kok
, which was built in 1966, was Hong Kong's first large-scale private housing estate, comprising 8 phases with a total of 99 blocks.
, Mr Tam Kwok-kiu, is a veteran local politician fighting for the interests of public housing tenants for many years.
Sham Shui Po is the stronghold of Tam's political party, the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood
. Of the 26 District Councillors in Sham Shui Po, nine belong to his group, including party chief Frederick Fung Kin-kee. Fung was returned to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
in 2000 by direct election in the geographical constituency of Kowloon West, in which Sham Shui Po is the biggest area.
However, Hong Kong's largest pro-government and pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), has gained a foothold in Sham Shui Po too. In 2000, Tsang Yok-sing
, the then chairman of DAB and member of the Executive Council
, Hong Kong SAR chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's inner cabinet, won a seat in the Legislative Council representing the Kowloon West constituency, which includes Sham Shui Po.
DAB members Chan Wai Ming, representative of So Uk, Fu Shu-wan, a representative of Lei Cheng Uk, and Cheung Man-to, a representative of Nam Cheong Central are District Councillors in Sham Shui Po.
The Democrats have been less successful at canvassing grass-roots support. Pro-Beijing politicians have won favour in Sham Shui Po by organizing such things as free banquets and tours to southern China.
serving the district. Most of them are operated by Kowloon Motor Bus
, and some by New World First Bus
and Citybus
. These three companies also jointly operate some routes, most of these crossing the harbour
to the Hong Kong Island
.
Districts of Hong Kong
The Districts of Hong Kong are the 18 political areas by which Hong Kong is geographically divided. Each district has a district council, which was formerly known as a district board. The districts were established in the early 1980s, when Hong Kong was under British rule...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It covers the Shek Kip Mei
Shek Kip Mei
Shek Kip Mei, originally known as Kap Shek Mi, is an area in New Kowloon, the North Eastern Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong.-History:A major fire on 25 December 1953, destroyed the Shek Kip Mei shantytown of immigrants from Mainland China that had fled to Hong Kong, leaving 53,000 people...
, Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is an area of Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei. Sham Shui Po is known for its street market for electronic devices.-History:Sham Shui Po...
, Cheung Sha Wan
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. The Sham Shui Po District includes Mei Foo as well as Lai Chi...
, Lai Chi Kok
Lai Chi Kok
Lai Chi Kok is a neighborhood in New Kowloon, Hong Kong, east of Kwai Chung and west of Cheung Sha Wan. Mei Foo Sun Chuen is the largest housing estate in the area. Administratively, it belongs to the Sham Shui Po District.-History:...
and Yau Yat Chuen
Yau Yat Chuen
Yau Yat Tsuen Garden City is one of the very few low density residential areas in the central urban area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is located in North Kowloon, at the foot of Beacon Hill.-Facilities:...
areas of New Kowloon
New Kowloon
New Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...
, and Stonecutter's Island of Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
. It is the poorest district in Hong Kong, with a predominantly working-class population of 365,540 and the lowest median household income, and the fourth least educated residents.
Administration
Sham Shui Po District administers:- Cheung Sha WanCheung Sha WanCheung 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. The Sham Shui Po District includes Mei Foo as well as Lai Chi...
長沙灣 - Kowloon TongKowloon TongKowloon Tong , formerly Kau Lung Tong, is an area in Hong Kong. Within New Kowloon, it is administratively divided by Kowloon City District and Sham Shui Po District...
九龍塘 (west of the route of East Rail Line) - Lai Chi KokLai Chi KokLai Chi Kok is a neighborhood in New Kowloon, Hong Kong, east of Kwai Chung and west of Cheung Sha Wan. Mei Foo Sun Chuen is the largest housing estate in the area. Administratively, it belongs to the Sham Shui Po District.-History:...
荔枝角- Mei Foo Sun ChuenMei Foo Sun ChuenMei Foo Sun Chuen or simply Mei Foo is a large private housing estate in Lai Chi Kok , Kowloon, Hong Kong. Mei Foo Sun Chuen was the first private housing estate in Hong Kong and at the time of completion, the 99 tower complex was considered the largest private housing development in the world,...
美孚新邨
- Mei Foo Sun Chuen
- Sham Shui PoSham Shui PoSham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is an area of Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei. Sham Shui Po is known for its street market for electronic devices.-History:Sham Shui Po...
深水埗 - Shek Kip MeiShek Kip MeiShek Kip Mei, originally known as Kap Shek Mi, is an area in New Kowloon, the North Eastern Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong.-History:A major fire on 25 December 1953, destroyed the Shek Kip Mei shantytown of immigrants from Mainland China that had fled to Hong Kong, leaving 53,000 people...
石硤尾 - So UkSo UkSo Uk is an area at the north of Cheung Sha Wan in New Kowloon of Hong Kong. It was originally a village of family surname So. It is now includes the area surrounding the So Uk Estate. A major hospital Caritas Medical Centre is also located with the area....
蘇屋 - Stonecutter's Island 昂船洲 (excluding the reclaimed lands for Container Terminal 8)
- Yau Yat Tsuen 又一村
Famous for
Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po is a well known place where electronics enthusiasts go. Here, one will find almost anything they need for their electronic projects. Aside from electronic items, one may also find the power tools, electrical devices, mobile phones and accessories they need. Even car accessories shops can be found.Demographics and housing
Local private housing Mei Foo Sun Chuen
Mei Foo Sun Chuen
Mei Foo Sun Chuen or simply Mei Foo is a large private housing estate in Lai Chi Kok , Kowloon, Hong Kong. Mei Foo Sun Chuen was the first private housing estate in Hong Kong and at the time of completion, the 99 tower complex was considered the largest private housing development in the world,...
in Lai Chi Kok
Lai Chi Kok
Lai Chi Kok is a neighborhood in New Kowloon, Hong Kong, east of Kwai Chung and west of Cheung Sha Wan. Mei Foo Sun Chuen is the largest housing estate in the area. Administratively, it belongs to the Sham Shui Po District.-History:...
, which was built in 1966, was Hong Kong's first large-scale private housing estate, comprising 8 phases with a total of 99 blocks.
Politics
Partly because of the large presence of the low-income group in Sham Shui Po, the area has bred many pro-grassroots politicians. The current chairman of the Sham Shui Po District CouncilDistrict Council of Hong Kong
The District Councils, formerly District Boards until 1999, are the local councils for the 18 Districts of Hong Kong. Under the supervision of Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, they are consultative bodies on district administration and affairs.- History :In 1982, under the...
, Mr Tam Kwok-kiu, is a veteran local politician fighting for the interests of public housing tenants for many years.
Sham Shui Po is the stronghold of Tam's political party, the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood
The Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood is a pro-democracy political party in the Hong Kong. It was established on 26 October 1986. The current chairman of the party is Bruce Liu.-History:...
. Of the 26 District Councillors in Sham Shui Po, nine belong to his group, including party chief Frederick Fung Kin-kee. Fung was returned to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
in 2000 by direct election in the geographical constituency of Kowloon West, in which Sham Shui Po is the biggest area.
However, Hong Kong's largest pro-government and pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), has gained a foothold in Sham Shui Po too. In 2000, Tsang Yok-sing
Tsang Yok-sing
Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, GBS JP was the founding Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong , the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong....
, the then chairman of DAB and member of the Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
, Hong Kong SAR chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's inner cabinet, won a seat in the Legislative Council representing the Kowloon West constituency, which includes Sham Shui Po.
DAB members Chan Wai Ming, representative of So Uk, Fu Shu-wan, a representative of Lei Cheng Uk, and Cheung Man-to, a representative of Nam Cheong Central are District Councillors in Sham Shui Po.
The Democrats have been less successful at canvassing grass-roots support. Pro-Beijing politicians have won favour in Sham Shui Po by organizing such things as free banquets and tours to southern China.
MTR
- Kwun Tong Line: This oldest MTRMTRMass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
line's original western terminus is at Shek Kip Mei EstateShek Kip Mei EstateShek Kip Mei Estate is the first public housing estate in Hong Kong. It is located in Sham Shui Po and is under the management of the Hong Kong Housing Authority...
in this district. - Tsuen Wan Line: Stopping at stations Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan, Lai Chi Kok and Mei Foo.
- Tung Chung Line: Has a stop at Nam CheongNam Cheong StationNam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...
. - West Rail Line: Has a terminus at Nam Cheong, its trains also call at Mei Foo.
Buses
There are also various bus routesBuses in Hong Kong
Bus services in Hong Kong have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR, and residents' services for residential estates...
serving the district. Most of them are operated by Kowloon Motor Bus
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
, and some by New World First Bus
New World First Bus
New World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...
and Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
. These three companies also jointly operate some routes, most of these crossing the harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
to the Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
.
- KMB:2,2A,2B,2C,2D,2E,2F,6,6A,6C,6D,6F,12,12A,13P,18,30,30X,31B,32,33A,35A,35S,36A,36B,37,38,38A,40,40P,41,41A,42,42A,42C,43C,44,44P,45,46,46X,52X,58X,59A,59X,59S,60X,61X,62X,63X,66,66X,67X,68X,69X,72,81,86,86A,86B,86C,86P,86X,87A,87B,98C,98S,203,212,230X,234X,238X,242X,258D,259C,259D,265B,268C,269C,296C
- NWFB:701,701S,702,702A,702S,796C,970,970X,971
- CitybusCitybus (Hong Kong)Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
:A21,E21,E21A,E22,E22A,E22B,E22P,E22S,N21,N21A,N26,N29 - Cross Harbour Tunnel:102,102P,102R,104,112,117,118,118P,171,171P,904,905,914,914X,N118,N122,N171