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.
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RECENT ARTICLES IN Sha Tin
Tourist jumps into Shing Mun River after family dispute

Tourist jumps into Shing Mun River after family dispute

Police told reporters that she had jumped into the river in an alleged suicide attempt after arguing with her husband.

Lost dog rescued after SPCA staff abseil down 60-ft cliff in epic 3-day search

Lost dog rescued after SPCA staff abseil down 60-ft cliff in epic 3-day search

Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you babe.

Burst saltwater pipe creates 5-storey high ‘fountain’ in Ma On Shan

Burst saltwater pipe creates 5-storey high ‘fountain’ in Ma On Shan

All these flavours, and you choose salty.

Never Give Up: Paraplegic athlete beats all odds to climb Lion Rock in a wheelchair

Never Give Up: Paraplegic athlete beats all odds to climb Lion Rock in a wheelchair

In challenging times, it's truly heartening to see this real-life embodiment of the Lion Rock Spirit... and at the eponymous mountain, no less!

Toe the Line: Daredevils perform incredible balancing act on Lion Rock highline

Toe the Line: Daredevils perform incredible balancing act on Lion Rock highline

Probably best to stay away if you get vertigo.

Sha Tin Spider-Man: Man scales 9 floors of an apartment block in gravity-defying stunt (VIDEO)

Sha Tin Spider-Man: Man scales 9 floors of an apartment block in gravity-defying stunt (VIDEO)

We feel queasy just watching him.

Hiking with Heart: Filipino hikers seen picking up litter in Ma On Shan praised widely by Hong Kong netizens

Hiking with Heart: Filipino hikers seen picking up litter in Ma On Shan praised widely by Hong Kong netizens

We've honestly never seen such a lovely outpouring of positive comments on Hong Kong social media before. Did the internet break?

Body of elderly Sha Tin woman living with disabled son only uncovered at home a week after death

Body of elderly Sha Tin woman living with disabled son only uncovered at home a week after death

A 77-year-old woman living with her mentally disabled son, 48, was found dead at home in Sha Tin on Saturday (Oct. 8). She was suspected to have died seven days before she was...

No silver lining: Asylum seeker jailed in Hong Kong for collecting scrap metal to make ends meet

No silver lining: Asylum seeker jailed in Hong Kong for collecting scrap metal to make ends meet

An asylum seeker from Bangladesh was jailed in Hong Kong last week for collecting scrap metal without a work permit.  The 30-year-old received a 15-month jail sentence at...

18-year-old CUHK student loses HKD580,000 in telephone scam

18-year-old CUHK student loses HKD580,000 in telephone scam

We hope the money wasn't going towards her tuition.

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