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57-489: The site of the promenade was formerly occupied by the Kwun Tong Public Cargo Working Area, which was home to many waste paper recycling businesses. The cargo area was reduced in size in 2009 to make way for the first phase of the promenade, a 200-metre long section near the ferry piers. This section opened to the public on 16 January 2010. The existing Hoi Bun Road Sitting-out Area, south of

114-761: A barrier between the Kwun Tong Promenade and the Hoi Bun Road Sitting-out Area. The reconstruction of the sitting-out area was completed in 2014, effectively extending the promenade about 80 metres southward. The waste paper recyclers in Kwun Tong protested the closure of the public cargo working area. The government responded that there was adequate space at other cargo areas in Tuen Mun , Rambler Channel , and Chai Wan and encouraged them to relocate. The public cargo working area

171-660: A juror, salaried taxpayer, or a member of certain professional organisations as listed in Schedule 1 of the Urban Council Ordinance (Cap. 101, Laws of Hong Kong ). Half of the members of the Urban Council were elected, but by a minority of the population. It was estimated that in 1970 there were 250,000 eligible voters and in 1981 the number had increased to 400,000 – 500,000. Prominent elected Urban Councilors included Elsie Tu and Brook Bernacchi of

228-536: A juror, salaried taxpayer, or a member of certain professional organisations. More details can be found in Schedule 1 of the Urban Council Ordinance (Cap. 101, Laws of Hong Kong ). It was estimated that in 1970 there were 250,000 eligible voters and in 1981 the number had increased to 400,000 – 500,000. In the 1960s, the duties of the Urban Council continued to multiply. City Hall in Central

285-667: A large number of Chinese and Westerners to seek their fortune in the city. Its population increased rapidly and the city became overcrowded. The outbreak of bubonic plague in 1894 became a concern to the Hong Kong Government . There was a need to expand the colony to accommodate its growing population. The Qing Dynasty 's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War had shown that it was incapable of defending itself. Victoria City and Victoria Harbour were vulnerable to any hostile forces launching attacks from

342-484: A row at the Urban Council and was unpopular with the public. Likewise, the pre-handover government opposed China's decision to disband the two councils and the 18 district boards, and to reintroduce appointed seats, which had been abolished under democratic reforms. The post-Handover Provisional Executive Council met in May 1997 and drafted new legislation that would allow the chief executive-designate to appoint members to

399-708: A significant role in the artistic and cultural development of Hong Kong. It also managed the Urban Council Public Libraries system in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon which, upon the dissolution of the municipal councils, was merged with the Regional Council Public Libraries to form Hong Kong Public Libraries . The Council held the Festival of Asian Arts every year since 1976. The Council also sponsored

456-681: Is now located at Chatham Road in Tsim Sha Tsui . The Hong Kong Space Museum presents shows in the Space Theatre and exhibitions on astronomy, nature and space exploration with IMAX techniques. The Council directly financed and often even managed many local arts groups. In 1983, at "An Evening With the Council's Performing Companies" – one of the events in the Urban Council Centenary Celebration –

513-505: The ADPL , called the bills a "retrogression of democracy" while Chan Kam-lam of the pro-Beijing DAB claimed that "elections were divisive and appointments would stabilise the community". Also on 1 July, elements of the Urban Council Ordinance and Regional Council Ordinance were repealed to allow the government to determine the composition and tenure of the councils. After the Handover,

570-610: The Hong Kong Public Libraries , and are available online in digitised form. Before 1973, the chairmanship was occupied by the Director of Urban Services: New Territories The New Territories (abbr. N.T. , Chinese : 新界) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong , alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula . It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of

627-523: The Reform Club . The size of the Urban Council is as follows: The electorate and turnout of selected Urban Council elections before the expansion of electoral franchise is as follows: The Green Paper: A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong was published on 6 June 1980 for public consultations on reforming local administration in Hong Kong. The Green Paper recommended that: Upon

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684-409: The 18 councils, including Kwun Tong District Council. During its first meeting, the council passed a motion calling on the government to halt the project. The government's secretary for home affairs Lau Kong-wah refused an invitation to the council and refused to send representatives of his department, and stated that the project would go ahead as planned. Pro-democracy council members suggested that if

741-602: The British did not take over the New Territories immediately. During this period, there was no Hong Kong Governor and Wilsone Black acted as administrator. James Stewart Lockhart , the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong , was sent back from England to make a survey of New Territories before formal transfer. The survey found that the new frontier at Sham Chun River (Shenzhen river) suggested by Wilsone Black

798-415: The British made concessions to the indigenous inhabitants with regards to land use, land inheritance and marriage laws; the majority of which remained in place into the 1960s when polygamy was outlawed. Some of the concessions with regard to land use and inheritance remain in place in Hong Kong to this day and is a source of friction between indigenous inhabitants and other Hong Kong residents. Lord Lugard

855-566: The Council and both the chairman and vice-chairman were elected among the 24 members. At the time, the Council was unique in consisting solely of members of the public. The Urban Council celebrated its centenary in 1983, with the Urban Council Centenary Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui East named to commemorate the occasion. In the 1960s, the council proposed that its jurisdiction should be expanded to encompass

912-663: The Germans in Qingdao (Tsingtao) and the Russians in Port Arthur. Chinese officials stayed in the walled cities of Kowloon City and Weihaiwei. The extension of Kowloon was called the New Territories. The additional land was estimated to be 365 square miles (950 km ) or 12 times the size of the existing Colonial Hong Kong at the time. Although the convention was signed on the 9 June 1898 and became effective on 1 July,

969-631: The Governor's proclamation of the takeover date. Fearing for their traditional land rights, in the Six-Day War of 1899 , a number of clans attempted to resist the British, mobilising clan militias that had been organised and armed to protect against longshore raids by pirates. The militia men attempted a frontal attack against the temporary police station in Tai Po that was the main British base but were beaten back by superior force of arms. An attempt by

1026-641: The International Film Festival, which took place annually mid-year and which gave Hong Kong people a rare chance to see a range of international film making, as well as Chinese films. The Independent Short Film and Video Awards were founded in 1993. The Hong Kong Museum of Art regularly exhibits Chinese and Western art and frequently arranges art exchanges with overseas countries. The Hong Kong Museum of History , once housed in Kowloon Park, records local history and oral tradition. It

1083-608: The Kwun Tong Promenade, was built by the Urban Council in 1982. After the new promenade opened in 2010, this existing sitting-out area was reconstructed to adopt the same architectural style. In addition, a dry weather flow interceptor (DWFI) belonging to the Drainage Services Department was demolished and moved underground. This was completed in December 2013. The DWFI would have otherwise served as

1140-507: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department when the Urban Council was dissolved. In 2001, the groups were privatised and became limited companies, but still receive funding from the government. The Council operated sports grounds, parks, indoor games halls, and public swimming pools . The Council was responsible for street cleansing, refuse collection, and pest control. It operated refuse collection points, public toilets and bathhouses, and

1197-658: The Outlying Islands. It comprises an area of 952 square kilometres (368 sq mi). Nevertheless, New Kowloon has remained statutorily part of the New Territories instead of Kowloon. The New Territories were leased from Qing China by the United Kingdom in 1898 for 99 years in the Second Convention of Peking (The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory). Upon the expiry of

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1254-614: The Urban Council. The New Territories Services Department was reorganised to form the Regional Services Department , separate from the USD, the executive arm of the Regional Council. In 1994, the Council became fully elected based on universal and equal adult suffrage. After the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July 1997, the Council's name was changed to Provisional Urban Council , consisting of members of

1311-529: The Urban Council. Two members were elected. Later in 1952, the number of elected members was doubled, their terms of office extended to two years, and the franchise enlarged. By April 1956, half of the members of the Urban Council were elected, but by a minority of the population. A voter had to be at least 21 years of age, to have lived in Hong Kong for at least three years and to be qualified in at least one of 23 categories, which included educational qualifications ( School Certificate Examination or equivalent), be

1368-461: The White Paper, which marked an increase by 17 times: The electorate and turnout of selected Urban Council elections after the expansion of electoral franchise are as follows: Changes to the electoral system of unofficial members in the Urban Council are outlined as follows: The Urban Council provided many services to the Hong Kong people over the years. The Urban Services Department was

1425-413: The area did not become fully committed until the late 1970s, when many new towns were built to accommodate the population growth from urbanised areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Despite rapid development of the new towns, which now accommodate a population of over 3 million, the Hong Kong Government confines built-up areas to a few areas and reserves large parts of the region as parkland . As

1482-633: The boundary remain at the Sham Chun River. The new Hong Kong Governor, Henry Blake arrived in November 1898. The date for the takeover of the New Territories was fixed as 17 April 1899, and Tai Po was chosen as the administrative centre. The transfer was not smooth and peaceful. In early April 1899, Captain Superintendent of Police, Francis Henry May and some policemen erected a flagstaff and temporary headquarters at Tai Po and posted

1539-468: The clansmen at guerilla warfare was put down by the British near Lam Tsuen with over 500 Chinese men killed, and collapsed when British artillery was brought to bear on the walled villages of the clansmen. Most prominent of the villages in the resistance Kat Hing Wai , of the Tang clan , was symbolically disarmed, by having its main gates dismounted and removed. However, in order to prevent future resistance

1596-650: The conclusion of public consultations, the White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong was published in January 1981. The White Paper solidified expansion of suffrage for Urban Council elections. The Urban Council (Amendment) Ordinance 1981 was subsequently enacted in 1981 to provide for the expansion of electoral franchise and creation of constituencies to the Urban Council election on 8 March 1983 : The electoral franchise were expanded to around 568,000 voters upon implementation of

1653-503: The council was disbanded and replaced with the Provisional Urban Council, which comprised pre-Handover councillors plus new members appointed by the new government. The same was done with the Regional Council. The government then announced that the councils would be abolished in 1999. Both councils jointly objected to this plan, putting forward an alternative merger proposal entitled "One Council, One Department", which

1710-737: The council's executive arm, the Urban Services Department . Later, the equivalent body for the New Territories was the Regional Council . The council was founded as the Sanitary Board in 1883. It was renamed the Urban Council when new legislation was passed in 1936 expanding its mandate. In 1973 the council was reorganised under non-government control and became financially autonomous. Originally composed mainly of ex-officio and appointed members, by

1767-614: The entire colony, but this was not accepted. The Urban Services Department already provided services in the New Territories despite the council not having jurisdiction there. In 1979, the New Territories Services Department was created (within the Urban Services Department) as a dedicated unit to take up these responsibilities. In 1986, Regional Council was set up to serve the New Territories (excluding New Kowloon ), analogous to

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1824-453: The executive branch of the Council to implement policies and services. In 1997, it had about 16,000 employees, according to its published leaflet of 'service promises'. The Council's services included: recreational venues and activities, libraries, museums, cultural and entertainment venues, ticketing, wet markets, hawker registration and control, cremation , street cleansing, issuing licenses, and operating abattoirs. The Urban Council played

1881-535: The expiry date of the lease neared in the 1980s, talks between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China led to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration (1984), in which the whole of Hong Kong would be returned, instead of only the New Territories. The New Territories comprises nine districts each with their own District Council : According to the 2021 census ,

1938-502: The fountain was closed for repairs a day after opening as "too many children came to play", thereby damaging the pavers. 22°18′N 114°12′E  /  22.3°N 114.2°E  / 22.3; 114.2 Urban Council The Urban Council ( UrbCo ) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon ). These services were provided by

1995-529: The government began to separate out from the medical and health service. On 28 May 1946, the Council met for the first time after the Japanese occupation . It was given power to carry out all its old duties – cleaning, burying the dead, running bath houses and public lavatories, hawker control – as well as some new ones, such as the use of bathing beaches throughout Hong Kong. Only in May 1952 did elections return to

2052-657: The government had promised that some powers and duties of the Urban Council and Regional Council would be passed to the District Councils, in fact all were taken up by two newly created government departments: the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department , along with the Home Affairs Department . The archives of the two municipal councils are held by

2109-646: The hills of Kowloon. Alarmed by the encroachment of other European powers in China, Britain also feared for the security of Hong Kong. Using the most favoured nation clause that it had negotiated with Peking, the United Kingdom demanded the extension of Kowloon to counter the influence of France in southern China in June 1898. In July, it secured Weihaiwei in Shandong in the north as a base for operations against

2166-544: The lease, sovereignty was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997, together with the Qing-ceded territories of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. In 2021, the population of the New Territories was recorded at 3,984,077, with a population density of 4,140 per square kilometre (10,720/sq mi). Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain in 1842 and Kowloon south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island in 1860. The colony of Hong Kong attracted

2223-405: The new provisional bodies. Three bills re-introducing appointed seats to the post-Handover municipal councils and district boards were passed by the provisional legislature on 7 June 1997. The Urban Council, Regional Council and District Boards (Amendment) Bills 1997 stipulated that Tung Chee-hwa could appoint no more than 50 seats to the provisional municipal councils. Frederick Fung , chairman of

2280-403: The not too distant future we hope to see Hong Kong recognised as a major international centre of the performing arts." The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra was established in 1977, under direct financial support and management by the Urban Council. The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre was also founded in 1977 and was directly financed and administered by the Urban Council. It aims to promote and raise

2337-531: The opposite result, finding that 85 per cent of respondents opposed it. The government cited the DAB poll in seeking the project's approval from the Legislative Council (LegCo). Funding for the project was approved by LegCo in November 2018. The 2019 district council elections , which took place against the backdrop of the 2019–20 pro-democracy protests , saw the pro-democracy camp take control of 17 of

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2394-656: The population of Hong Kong. Historically, it is the region described in the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory . According to that treaty, the territories comprise the mainland area north of Boundary Street on the Kowloon Peninsula and south of the Sham Chun River (which is the border between Hong Kong and Mainland China ), as well as over 200 outlying islands , including Lantau Island , Lamma Island , Cheung Chau , and Peng Chau in

2451-599: The population of the New Territories was 3,984,077, representing 53.7% of Hong Kong's total population. 90.4% of the residents of New Territories use Cantonese as their main language. 3.5% of its residents use English , 2.0% use Mandarin Chinese , and 2.3% of New Territories' residents use other Chinese dialects. 93.1% of the district's population is of Chinese descent. The largest ethnic minority groups are Filipinos (2.1%), Indonesians (1.8%), South Asians (1.1%), Mixed (0.8%) and Whites (0.7%). New Kowloon covers

2508-608: The pre-handover Council, and new members were appointed by the Chief Executive . Elections for unofficial members of the Urban Council were held since 1888. Suffrage was restricted to residents on the special and common jury lists between 1888 and 1973. In 1973, the electoral franchise was widened to residents above 21 years of age who have lived in Hong Kong for at least three years that qualified in at least one of 23 specified categories, which included educational qualifications (School Certificate Examination or equivalent), be

2565-403: The project could not be halted, the musical fountain could play Glory to Hong Kong and be surrounded by such features as a permanent Lennon Wall and a Speakers' Corner . However, the project was implemented by the government without any such changes. In addition to the fountain, the site includes "three interactive wet play zones equipped with sensory devices" and an "amenity lawn". Part of

2622-606: The same until the Second World War broke out. The board was renamed the Urban Council in 1936 when the government passed the Urban Council Ordinance, which gave legal motive to the already expanding range of services provided by the Council. After the Second World War ended in 1945, the Council returned to its pre-war form but without any elected members. The work of the Sanitary Department of

2679-492: The standards of the theatrical "stage play" drama in Cantonese in the territory with professional actors, directors, playwrights, administration, training and production. The Hong Kong Dance Company was established in May 1981, and was at one time directly administered by the Urban Council. It aims to combine classical and folk traditions of China with contemporary international awareness. These groups were later taken over by

2736-546: The territory of Hong Kong. Later, after New Kowloon was defined from the area between the Boundary Street and the Kowloon Ranges spanned from Lai Chi Kok to Lei Yue Mun , and the extension of the urban areas of Kowloon, New Kowloon was gradually urbanised and absorbed into Kowloon. The New Territories now comprises only the mainland north of the Kowloon Ranges and south of the Sham Chun River, as well as

2793-476: The then-council chairman Hilton Cheong-Leen said, "Together with the Government, the Urban Council is committed to the development of the arts in Hong Kong. We aim to do so at the professional level so that gifted Hong Kong citizens can develop their artistic potential. We also aim to make available to all members of the community a wide range of artistic performance for their enjoyment and appreciation. And in

2850-540: The time the Urban Council was disbanded following the Handover it was composed entirely of members elected by universal suffrage . The Urban Council was first established as the Sanitary Board in 1883. In 1887, a system of partial elections was established, allowing selected individuals to vote for members of the Board. On 1 March 1935, the Sanitary Board was reconstituted to carry out the work which remained much

2907-419: Was Governor from 1907 to 1912, and he proposed the return of Weihaiwei to the Chinese government, in return for the ceding of the leased New Territories in perpetuity. The proposal was not received favourably, although if it had been acted on, Hong Kong might have remained forever in British hands. Much of the New Territories was, and to a limited extent still is, made up of rural areas. Attempts at modernising

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2964-477: Was far from ideal. It excluded the town of Shenzhen (Sham Chun), and the boundary would divide the town. There was no mountain range as a natural border. Lockhart suggested moving the frontier to the line of hills north of Shenzhen. This suggestion was not received favourably and the Chinese official suggested the frontier be moved to the hill much further south of the Sham Chun River. It was settled in March 1899 that

3021-508: Was fully decommissioned in December 2011. The promenade was subsequently extended by 750 metres to the north, to a total length of about one kilometre. This second stage opened on 27 May 2015. A musical fountain opened on 22 April 2021. It was built under the Signature Project Scheme, under which the Hong Kong government provided grants for the implementation of projects recommended by district councils. The musical fountain

3078-441: Was not accepted by the government. Both councils were dissolved on 31 December 1999 as planned. Within days of the dissolution of the Urban Council, its distinctive symbol was systematically removed from public sight, such as by pasting over it with paper on all litter bins and information boards. Shortly afterwards, all the litter bins were themselves discarded, replaced by a similar design, but in green rather than purple. Although

3135-456: Was opened in 1962, followed by the first multi-storey market in Jardine's Bazaar in March 1963. In 1973, the Council was reorganised under non-government control. It was given financial autonomy, which meant the budget could be planned without the approval of the Legislative Council. It was also no longer primarily in charge of housing. From then onwards, there were no government officials on

3192-443: Was proposed by the fourth term of the Kwun Tong District Council . It was endorsed by the council in 2015. The HK$ 50-million cost of the fountain was widely criticised, and the project was called a "white elephant" by some residents and district councillors. A poll by the pro-Beijing political party DAB reported that 85 per cent of residents supported the project, while a 2015 poll by the Kowloon East Community Concern Group reported

3249-617: Was responsible for rubbish bins throughout the urban area. It was also responsible for the control of hawkers, issuing hawker licences and operating hawker bazaars. In early 1997, chief executive-designate Tung Chee-hwa announced that the two municipal councils would be disbanded on 1 July 1997 ( the Handover ) and replaced by two provisional councils, with members appointed by the government, that would serve until elections in 1999. Tung said that those reappointed must "love China [and] love Hong Kong" and refused to clarify whether democratic politicians met this definition. The announcement caused

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