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Sha Tin District (Traditional Chinese: 沙田區, Simplified Chinese: 沙田区; Cantonese , Yale: sā tìhn kēui, Jyutping: saa1 tin4 keoi1; Mandarin ; literally meaning "sand field") is one of the 18 districts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. One of the 9 districts located in the New Territories, it covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Siu Lek Yuen and Ma Liu Shui (Ma Liu Shui is where The Chinese University of Hong Kong is located). According to the 2001 census, it has a population of over 600,000, including about 27,000 people living in 48 indigenous villages.
Overview The Sha Tin District covers approximately 60 km² (37.28 mi²), including the Sha Tin New Town and several country parks. Built mostly on reclaimed land in Sha Tin Hoi, the well-developed Sha Tin New Town comprises mainly residential areas along the banks of the Shing Mun River Channel. In the early 1970s it was a rural township of about 30,000 people. After Sha Tin's first public housing estate, Lek Yuen Estate, was completed in 1976, the settlement began to expand. Today, about 65% of the district's population live in public rental housing, housing under Hong Kong's Tenants Purchase Scheme, or Home Ownership Scheme (HOS). Sha Tin has now become a major new community, including an extension at Ma On Shan, of about 640,000 people today. The total development area of the new town in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan is about 20 km². The Hong Kong Government used to showcase Sha Tin as an achievement in building a modern new town. Visiting foreign dignitaries were often invited to tour Sha Tin and its housing estates. History Tai Wai Village, the oldest and largest walled village in the town, was built in 1574. Sha Tin was a former market town at the present location of Sha Tin Centre Street and New Town Plaza shopping centre. Sha Tin was the second batch of satellite towns, or new town, to be built in the New Territories, on land reclaimed from the sea. Sha Tin was formerly named Lek Yuen (literally "Source of Trickling" or "Source of Clear Water"). Land use
Shing Mun River
Transport Sha Tin District has the largest number of KCR East Rail stations of any district in Hong Kong. It has five stations, namely Tai Wai, Sha Tin, Fo Tan, Racecourse and University. And KCR Ma On Shan Rail running along between Tai Wai, Che Kung Temple, Sha Tin Wai, City One, Shek Mun, Tai Shui Hang, Heng On, Ma On Shan, and Wu Kai Sha stations. Ma On Shan Rail is a very efficient public transportation. A network of cycle tracks throughout Sha Tin measures about 50 kilometers long and is the longest cycle track network in Hong Kong. Increasing population in the town has exerted pressure on the transportation. Several construction plans have been launched to cope with the demand. The construction of Route T7 linking Ma On Shan Road to Sai Sha Road has been started on January 2001 and is scheduled for completion in 2005. The Route 8 connecting Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon and Sha Tin is scheduled for construction at the end of 2003 and completion at the end of 2007. The construction of the Ma On Shan Railway (11.4 km long) began in December 2000 and was completed at the end of 2004. Tai Po Road, Sha Lek Highway, Sha Tin Road, Lion Rock Tunnel, Sai Sha Road, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Tolo Highway and Shing Mun Tunnels already serve the Sha Tin District. Schools Hospitals There are four hospitals in Sha Tin. Tourist attractions Local and tourist attractions in Sha Tin include, most famously, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, which is Hong Kong's newest and arguably best museum. The Museum was opened on 16 December 2000 and includes 12 galleries, a cafe and museum shop. Other attractions include: See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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