SHA TIN

Sha Tin is the name of a town, the area around Shing Mun River, and the administrative district which covers said area as well as Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Tai Wai, and more (take that, New York!). Many years ago, the area was predominantly agricultural farmland, and was once known as “Lek Yuen”, meaning “source of clear water”. In 1911, the first flight of a powered aircraft (called the “Spirit of Sha Tin” took place in this very district, and a replica of the plane can be seen hanging near the Departures area of the Hong Kong International Airport to this day. In the 1970s, development began on Sha Tin New Town, which transformed the former farmland into a bustling residential area, with housing estates, extensive transport links, shopping centres, town plazas, hotels, parks, and a magistracy. It’s now become the most populated of Hong Kong’s 18 districts, which is no small claim in the Fragrant Harbour. Despite its massive population, the district’s got loads of green expanses, thanks to its abundance of protected country parks. As the home to the bigger of Hong Kong’s two racecourses, Sha Tin also played host to a little competition you might know as the Olympics a few years back. Yeah. Those Olympics. Outside of the Sha Tin town centre, you can find historical walled villages in Tai Wai, a “monkey hill” where wild macaques play, a thriving arts community in Fo Tan, a jaw-dropping Buddhist temple with 10,000 golden Buddha statues, and the ever-popular Che Kung Temple, where worshippers queue around the block on Chinese New Year to spin a fan-bladed wheel of fortune.
read moreread less
RECENT ARTICLES IN Sha Tin
Burglar breaks into Ma On Shan apartment, places woman in chokehold before fleeing

Burglar breaks into Ma On Shan apartment, places woman in chokehold before fleeing

The man smashed the woman's head against the wall before running away.

Traffic cop opens fire, shoots reckless driver who rammed into several vehicles

Traffic cop opens fire, shoots reckless driver who rammed into several vehicles

Police defended the shooting, calling it "legal and reasonable."

Tests for bizarrely colored Shing Mun River show no abnormalities, environmental officials say

Tests for bizarrely colored Shing Mun River show no abnormalities, environmental officials say

It is not known what caused the color change.

‘MMA’ fraudster arrested for indecent assault over fake film auditions

‘MMA’ fraudster arrested for indecent assault over fake film auditions

The self-described “mixed martial arts expert” who was accused of sexually assaulting women who agreed to appear in “instructional videos” with him has...

Mixed Martial Arse: 4 women file report against touchy-feely ‘instructor’ who hired them for viral pics

Mixed Martial Arse: 4 women file report against touchy-feely ‘instructor’ who hired them for viral pics

Four women have filed a police report against a self-styled “mixed martial arts expert” after accusing him of touching them inappropriately in a series of...

Riot police descend on Sha Tin mall during Labor Day ‘Sing With You’ protest

Riot police descend on Sha Tin mall during Labor Day ‘Sing With You’ protest

After a day of failed flash protests around the city, Hong Kong protesters have turned out to New Town Plaza in Sha Tin for a “Sing With You” demonstration in one of...

Remembering Ming General, the sushi restaurant where dining was ironic

Remembering Ming General, the sushi restaurant where dining was ironic

Ming General, a local restaurant famed for its… creative take on Japanese cuisine, has sadly closed the doors of its last remaining branch in Sha Tin after over 20 years in...

Student alleges sexual assault while in police detention, Hong Kong police vow to investigate

Student alleges sexual assault while in police detention, Hong Kong police vow to investigate

Police have said they will investigate a claim made by a university student during an open forum last night that she was sexually assaulted while being held in police custody...

Masked man with cap splashes red paint on lawmaker’s office

Masked man with cap splashes red paint on lawmaker’s office

An unidentified man was caught on camera splashing red paint onto a prominent pro-democracy lawmaker’s office in the New Territories early Tuesday morning. CCTV footage...

Police officer loses finger, 37 arrested in clashes after Sha Tin rally

Police officer loses finger, 37 arrested in clashes after Sha Tin rally

Police have arrested at least 37 people, and 28 people were taken to hospital in relation to a violent clash that took place at a Hong Kong mall last night following a protest in...

POPULAR NEIGHBORHOODS

  • Central & Western

    Central & Western

    Hong Kong’s reputation as a cutthroat financial hub – a city that never...

  • Yau Tsim Mong

    Yau Tsim Mong

    Yau Tsim Mong is set of the western side of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Peninsula,...

  • Wan Chai

    Wan Chai

    Perhaps best known to international audiences as the world of Suzie Wong, Wan...

  • Eastern District

    Eastern District

    Hong Kong’s Eastern District has a rich marine heritage, having played a big...

  • Kowloon City

    Kowloon City

    Once synonymous with the cramped, lawless walled city that gave the district...

  • Outlying Islands

    Outlying Islands

    The Outlying Islands District, also known simply as the Islands District,...

view all