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Sha Tin




:''For the new town in Hong Kong, see Sha Tin New Town .


Sha Tin (also spelt '''Shatin''') is an Area in the New Territories , in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region . It lies in the centre of the Sha Tin District .

HISTORY

Before effective British rule in Hong Kong, the area of Sha Tin and its vicinity was referred to as Lek Yuen. The officials mistook the name of Sha Tin Wai as the name of the area and have used it ever since.

Sha Tin was formerly a Market Town at the present location of Sha Tin Centre Street and New Town Plaza shopping centre, near the Sha Tin Station of the KCR East Rail . In present-day usage, "Sha Tin" may refer to the area around the original location of the market town, the market town and its environs, the Sha Tin New Town excluding the Ma On Shan extension, or the Sha Tin District .

Sha Tin was agricultural farmland many years ago, its most famous product was Sha Tin Pomelo. Before Sha Tin's development into a New Town , Hung Mui Kuk (紅梅谷) in southwestern Sha Tin was perennially ''the'' site for school Picnic s. The valley remains a popular barbecue site.

Sha Tin was the location of the first flight of a powered aircraft in Hong Kong. A full size replica of this plane now hangs in Hong Kong International Airport .


Name origin: Lek Yuen


Lek Yuen is the original name of the Sha Tin area and its environs. When British surveyors first came to the area, they visited Sha Tin Wai and tried to get the name of the whole area. The villagers answered the officials it is '' Sha Tin'' and therefore the officials mistakenly recorded this as the name of the whole area. Sha Tin has been used instead of Lek Yuen even since.

The name literally means Source of Trickling or '''Source of Clear Water'''.

Nowadays, the original name is used to refer to Lek Yuen Estate .


TRANSPORTATION

There are numerous transportation links both within the Sha Tin district and connecting it to other places in Hong Kong.


Roads

The road network in Sha Tin is well developed to provide efficient cross-town and local access traffic. Connection between Sha Tin and Kowloon mainly relies on the Lion Rock Tunnel , Tate's Cairn Tunnel , Shing Mun Tunnel and Tai Po Road .

  • Tai Po Road spans from Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Tai Po in the New Territories , connecting Sha Tin en route. It was once the only road connecting Kowloon and the eastern part of the New Territories.

  • Opened in the 1960s, the Lion Rock Tunnel offers access to Central Kowloon.

  • The Tate's Cairn Highway was completed in 1991, connecting East Kowloon ( Wong Tai Sin , Diamond Hill , Choi Hung and Kowloon Bay ) with the North East New Territories (Sha Tin, Tai Po and Fanling ) via the Tolo Highway and through Tate's Cairn Tunnel.

  • Route 5 connects Sha Tin to Tsuen Wan via the Shing Mun Tunnel and to Hong Kong Island via the Western Harbour Tunnel. The travelling time is only about 30 minutes.

  • Sai Sha Road was opened in 1988, connecting Sha Tin to Sai Kung via Ma On Shan . Route T7, opened in August 2004, allows traffic to bypass Ma On Shan Town Centre when going from north of Ma On Shan to Sai Kung.

  • An expressway connecting Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon to Sha Tin is also under construction. It aims at distributing traffic from Sha Tin and the area to its north, to Lai Chi Kok , Kwai Chung , and the airport at Chek Lap Kok and Mong Kok . The expressway is expected to be completed in 2007. Upon completion, it will only take 35 minutes to go from Sha Tin to the airport.


At present, there are over 110 routes of public bus serving Sha Tin.


Railway

  • The Kowloon-Canton Railway (East Rail) is a major means of transportation between Kowloon and Lo Wu via Sha Tin. After the electrification of the Line between 1979 and 1983, the East Rail now carries over 730,000 passengers daily.


  • Ma On Shan Railway has been opened on 21 December 2004. The 11.4 km long railway has 9 stations linking Ma On Shan and Tai Wai , where it connects with the main East Rail line.


  • Sha Tin To Central Link (Traditional Chinese: 沙田至中環線) is a proposed railway line which will run from Tai Wai Station to Central via a new tunnel under the harbour.



LOCAL DELICACIES

Sha Tin is famous for certain and Chicken Congee . The cooked food stalls in Wo Che Estate and Fo Tan are hotspots for food.


Restaurants

  • Lung Wah Hotel is a long-established restaurant known for its roast pigeon. It is popular with families, since it has a play area for children and a small aviary which houses peacocks and other birds.

  • Keung Kee Tai Wai Shatin Chicken Congee Restaurant

  • Shui Wah Restaurant



CULTURE, SPORTS & RECREATIONAL FACILITIES


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There are numerous cultural, recreational and sport facilities in Sha Tin such as the Town Hall, swimming pools, football pitches, indoor recreation centers and various track and field facilities for the use of Sha Tin residents.

The 8-hectare Sha Tin Park was opened to public in 1988. Apart from its horticultural gardens and impressive water features, it also includes a large open plaza and a bandstand. The Ma On Shan Park, which is adjacent to Ma On Shan Swimming Pool, occupies 5.5 hectare of land.

The Sha Tin Racecourse, occupying approximately 70 hectares, rests on reclaimed flatland. At the center of the racecourse is the Penfold Garden which opens to the public on non-racing days.

Located in Tai Wai, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum was opened at the end of 2000. Apart from introducing the art, culture and history of the New Territories, the Museum also exhibits a variety of cultural artifacts for public appreciation. The Museum, which can house 6,000 visitors, is the largest museum in the territory.

Cycling has been a distinctive feature in Sha Tin and is very popular among people living in or outside Sha Tin. The first cycle track in Sha Tin was opened to public in 1981, running along Tolo Highway to Tai Po. To tie in with the development of Ma On Shan, the cycle track is extended to Ma On Shan .




PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ESTATES



EDUCATION


At present, there are 46 primary and 44 secondary schools in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan. Besides, there are tertiary institutions such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Heng Seng School of Commerce and the Hong Kong Sports Institute, etc located in Sha Tin.



SHOPPING CENTRES




OTHER FACILITIES



HEALTH

The Prince Of Wales Hospital was officially opened in 1982. It provides about 1 400 hospital beds and 24 hours Accident & Emergency service to the eastern New Territories. Other institutions which provide hospital services include the Sha Tin Hospital , the Cheshire Home and the Union Hospital .


SEE ALSO



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