The Shing Mun River (Chinese: 城門河) or Shing Mun River Channel (Chinese: 城門河道) is a river in Sha Tin , Hong Kong .
50-783: Sha Tin , also spelt Shatin , is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories , Hong Kong . Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District . Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project. The new town was founded in 1973 under the New Towns Development Programme of the Hong Kong government. Its current name was named after the nearby village of Sha Tin Wai . The literal English translation
100-606: A dozen people headed for the office of New Territories legislator Michael Tien that was inside the Discovery Park shopping mall in Tsuen Wan. At a rally in Yuen Long on 1 March, many shops along the protest route drew their shutters in anticipation of disturbances. Localist groups Civic Passion and Hong Kong Indigenous clashed with anti-protest groups such as Voice of Loving Hong Kong , and 38 arrests were made by
150-524: A magistracy, library , town hall , marriage registry, hotel, town square, and several residential towers. Sha Tin is located in a valley, on both sides of the Shing Mun River , running from the southwest to the northeast. It is bordered by Tai Wai in the southwest and by Fo Tan (left bank) and Shek Mun (right bank) in the northeast. Due to their proximity to the Shenzhen border, towns in
200-555: A population equivalent of 160,000 in the 1980s. At that time, hardly any living creatures were found in the river. The water quality of Shing Mun River has improved from bad to good in terms of the Water Quality Index since 1993. Lifeforms including fish and invertebrates have also reappeared in the river. In 2001, bioremediation and dredging works began to further improve the river environment. Levels of odour-causing sulphides and E. coli subsequently dropped sharply. But
250-494: A post office and a cinema were also put in place. In 1962 Sha Tin Hui was severely damaged by typhoon Wanda , and subsequently had to be rebuilt. In 1979 Sha Tin Hui was demolished as a result of the government's expansion plans. The land was leased to Sun Hung Kai properties , who then developed the area into New Town Plaza shopping centre. Starting in the 1970s, the area became part of the Sha Tin New Town development. Since then,
300-694: A shortage of milk formula for local consumers. Parallel trade activities have redistributed supplies of a lot of goods between Hong Kong and the mainland, increasing prices of the goods. For example, milk powder prices increased by 0.4 – 12% from 2009 to 2011. Apart from milk powder, prices of daily necessities in the New Territories also increased. Due to the appreciation of Renminbi against Hong Kong dollar, branded goods sold in Hong Kong which are denominated in Hong Kong dollars gave rise to big discounts for mainlanders who settle bills in Renminbi. Also,
350-460: A transaction centre that disturbed the livelihood of residents nearby, discontent among Hong Kong citizens towards mainland parallel traders surged. Furthermore, since parallel trading worsened inflation and caused serious milk powder shortage problems, some Hong Kong citizens regarded mainlanders as resource marauders. Conflict arose between the groups. Anti-mainland netizens formed 'North District Parallel Imports Concern Group' on Facebook to monitor
400-578: Is 'Sand Fields'. Tai Wai Village , located in Tai Wai , next to Sha Tin, and the oldest and largest walled village in Sha Tin District , was built in 1574, during the Ming Dynasty . Before British rule in Hong Kong , the area of Sha Tin and its vicinity was referred to as Lek Yuen (lit. "source of trickling" or "source of clear water"). In 1899, when colonial surveyors George P Tate and his assistant William John Newland were dispatched to survey
450-453: Is exported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person aged 16 or above leaving Hong Kong if the person did not leave Hong Kong in the last 24 hours and the formula does not exceed 1.8 kg in total net weight.' Since the opening of Costco in Shenzhen in 2024, many people, especially Hongkongers are taking cross-boundary trips to Costco in Shenzhen. On most days, there is a courier you can use to deliver goods to Hong Kong. This now gives
500-537: Is taking annually on Shing Mun River since 1984, at the time of the Dragon Boat Festival . Sha Tin is famous for certain local variants of Cantonese food such as ShanSui Tofu ( 山水豆腐 ; 'mountain-water beancurd'), barbecued pigeon and chicken congee . The cooked food stalls in Wo Che Estate and Fo Tan are hotspots for food. There are numerous transportation links both within
550-452: Is the hub for parallel trading activities. Crowding of smugglers together with the large amount of commodities and garbage blocked pedestrians, causing environmental problems and endangering the safety of children and the elderly, negatively affecting daily life of citizens in the community. According to a survey done by New Start ( 新起點 ) on 27 January 2013, among the 500 Northern District citizens interviewed, 100% of them were discontented with
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#1732773163966600-459: Is the largest in the territory. Cycling has been a distinctive feature in Sha Tin and is very popular among both local people and visitors. The first cycle track in Sha Tin was opened to public in 1981, running along Tolo Highway to Tai Po , and this remains the territory's most popular cycling venue, drawing many occasional riders at the weekends, as well as dedicated cyclists. To tie in with
650-694: The Customs and Excise Department and the Police Force had arrested 406 people in total, within which 60 had been convicted. At the same time, the Shenzhen Customs had arrested more than 4500 parallel traders, persons for receiving goods and 'Observatories'. The Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 prohibits the unlicensed export of powdered formula, including milk and soya milk powder for infants and children under 36 months. The Regulation 'does not apply to powdered formula that
700-716: The North District and expanding to Tuen Mun , Yuen Long , Tai Po and Shatin . Problems related to this include increasing congestion from day traders, overloading of infrastructure and disruption of the everyday lives of residents in the northern districts of Hong Kong. Demand for significant volumes of daily necessities favoured by Shenzhen residents has progressively decreased the numbers of stores catering to local needs, and caused rent inflation and shortage of certain goods such as infant formula. Visitors from mainland China have risen from 2.3 million in 1997, to nearly 41 million in 2012 and 53 million in 2013. Since 2012,
750-528: The Tai Wai area, through the Sha Tin town centre to the Tolo Harbour. It has three main tributaries, namely Tai Wai Nullah , Fo Tan Nullah and Siu Lek Yuen Nullah . Along the Shing Mun River are high-rise residential, commercial and industrial buildings with numerous village-type developments such as City One Shatin and Wo Che Estate scattered around. Several bridges were built to connect
800-692: The Town Hall , swimming pools, football pitches, indoor recreation centres 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
850-510: The Government on the issuance of multiple-entry permit. 57% and 72% of the interviewees believe the government was ignoring public grievance and were planning on moving away from gathering areas of parallel traders respectively. Parallel trading problem marked the penetration of Hong Kong–Mainland conflict from cultural aspect to livelihood aspect. As parallel traders carried large quantities of products, treating Sheung Shui MTR station as
900-693: The Hong Kong government does not levy any custom tariff on both imports and exports of most products. Therefore, Hong Kong goods are cheaper compared to those in China. Moreover, competition for shop space to open pharmacies, cosmetics and jewelry shops to support parallel trade in the New Territories has driven rent in the New Territories up by two to three times from 2010 to 2012. Small shops catering to local needs are forced to close down and residents have fewer choices. Regional prices rise and increase residents' cost of living. North District of Hong Kong
950-480: The New Territories, they likely mistook the name of the Sha Tin Wai village as the name of the area and hence "Sha Tin" has been used ever since. Nowadays, the original name is used to refer to Lek Yuen Estate . Sha Tin was the location of the first flight of a powered aircraft in Hong Kong in 1911. The aeroplane, a Farman Mk II bi-plane named “Wanda”, was flew by Belgian pilot Charles Van den Born. The plane
1000-698: The Sha Tin District and connecting it to other places in Hong Kong. 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 which makes it easy to reach from many areas of Kowloon as well as from Tsuen Wan. At present, there are over 110 routes of public bus serving Sha Tin. Shing Mun River The original Shing Mun River began at Needle Hill , and flowed into
1050-679: The blockades of MTR staff and police. There were several reasons behind the parallel trading in Hong Kong. First, the strength of the Renminbi against the Hong Kong dollar and the absence of taxes and duties in Hong Kong make goods and everyday commodities more attractive to mainland Chinese consumers. Secondly, the multiple entry visa policy allows visa holders crossing the Hong Kong–Mainland border many times with one application, so that they can export goods from Hong Kong frequently. Due to
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#17327731639661100-620: The border to Shenzhen. The volume of smuggling activity spilled over into Tuen Mun and Sha Tin in 2014. The first anti-parallel trading protest was started at Sheung Shui in September 2012. As government efforts to limit the adverse impact of mainland trafficking were widely seen as inadequate, so there have been further subsequent protests in towns in the New Territories including Sha Tin. Private housing estates in Sha Tin include: South bank of Shing Mun River. From west to east: North bank of Shing Mun River. From west to east: Lukfook ,
1150-748: The centre 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. It has pop culture exhibitions about Bruce Lee , Cantonese Opera , Jin Yong , development of Hong Kong popular music, film, and television and radio programmes. The museum, which can accommodate 6,000 visitors,
1200-678: The colour changes in the Fo Tan Nullah, tests conducted in December 2015 by a private laboratory at the behest of Sha Tin District Councillor Scarlett Pong Oi-lan revealed that pollution had worsened in the Shing Mun River. The tests showed that the E. coli are 1,300 times the EPD standard, while water acidity and suspended solids are three times the standard. Pong said that the E. Coli concentration
1250-566: The development of Ma On Shan, the cycle track was extended to Ma On Shan . Hiking is also a popular activity around Sha Tin. There are several starting points including Hin Tin Village, Sha Tin Tau Village and Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area leading to the track of Lion Rock Mountain hiking route. It takes 1 hour to 4 hours to complete the track depending on the chosen starting point and ending point. A Dragon Boat Racing competition
1300-872: The eastern New Territories. Other institutions which provide hospital services include the Sha Tin Hospital , the Cheshire Home and the Union Hospital . As of 2008, there were 46 primary and 44 secondary schools in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan. Shatin Town Centre is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 91. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money); no government schools are in this net. There are numerous cultural, recreational and sport facilities in Sha Tin including
1350-473: The economy in the area has greatly improved and living standards have also increased. Sha Tin Town Centre was developed during the mid-1980s to help "link the town's currently dispersed residents into one cohesive community." The 18-hectare site, adjacent to the railway station, was built up in stages to house an array of uses including the New Town Plaza , numerous smaller shopping malls, Sha Tin Park ,
1400-410: The elderly to help them to transport the milk powder across the border to avoid inspections. According to a staff member in a chain pharmacy, although the store limited each customer to purchasing no more than four cans of milk formula at once, shopkeepers who wanted to meet sales targets often sold more than four cans to mainlanders. Also, there were stores that only sold formula to mainlanders, causing
1450-537: The former Tide Cove (Sha Tin Hoi), a shallow bay. In the 1970s, Tide Cove was reclaimed and turned to Sha Tin New Town . The river was extended through a 7 km long, 200 m wide artificial channel in the middle of the area to flow into Tolo Harbour . Other rivers that had originally flowed into Tide Cove are now tributaries of Shing Mun River in the form of concreted nullahs . The Shing Mun River channel runs from
1500-520: The gates of the MTR station exporting goods to China, parallel traders earn 'transporting charges' by claiming themselves as travellers and that their products are for self-use, saving the costs of tax. Traders mainly gather in Sheung Shui station Exit C and the platform as trading centres to pass on goods to buyers in China. They linger thus causing serious blockage and crowding in the station. Targeting
1550-711: The government on solving the problem of parallel trading and advocate law enforcements against the parallel trading problem. When government officers claim the problem has been relieved, members of the group upload photos to social network, contradicting the claim made by governmental officials. Besides, Hong Kong citizens started the "Reclaim Sheung Shui" campaign in September 2012 to expressing their discontent toward parallel trades in Sheung Shui. About 100 Northern District residents gathered outside Sheung Shui Station and protested with slogans and banners. Protesters argued with parallel traders or even fought with those supporting
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1600-485: The implementation of the Individual Visit Scheme , and said the problem of parallel trading should not be exaggerated for political reasons. Zhang asserted that 60 percent of parallel traders were Hong Kong residents, and Shenzhen residents on multiple-entry permits accounted for the remainder. Through multi-entrancing within a day, separating goods into small boxes, exchanging goods in and out between
1650-531: The invasion of two shopping malls which were closed off by police for several hours; Police used pepper spray and batons inside the mall against protesters, and arrested 13 people. At another authorised rally attended by about 200 people on 15 February in Shatin culminated also in mall invasions and six people were arrested. A small protest march on 22 February organised by Population Policy Concern Group and North District Parallel Imports Concern Group and attended by
1700-637: The jewellery company, has its head office in Metropole Square ( 新都廣場 ), Sha Tin. While having been mass developed in the 1970s, Shatin's architecture maintains a degree of diversity. Most public housing estates were designed in a modern architectural style. Several shopping centres, hotels and government buildings around Shatin Central are clad in red brick. The Prince of Wales Hospital was officially opened in 1982. It provides about 1,400 hospital beds and 24 hours Accident & Emergency service to
1750-496: The milk powder shortage intensified greatly due to the intense parallel trading activity in Hong Kong. According to the Neo Democrats , during January 2013, parallel traders hired elderly persons and housewives, giving them $ 20–$ 50 per can of milk formula, to line up in front of stores at night to purchase multiple tins of milk powder and then transfer it to traders. Furthermore, ringleader traders hired women with children and
1800-436: The month it was ‘partly grey and partly turquoise’. Residents and green groups speculated on whether the pollution was caused by the illegal dumping of pigments or industrial waste. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and Drainage Services Department investigated but were unable to determine the cause of the pigmentation as of December 2015. An EPD test revealed that the river was polluted by sewage. Aside from
1850-451: The northern parts of Hong Kong, notably Sheung Shui and Yuen Long, have become hubs for parallel traders who have been buying up large quantities of goods, forcing up local prices and disrupting the daily lives of local citizens. Since 2012, there has been an increase in mainland parallel traders arriving in the North District of Hong Kong to re-export infant formula and household products – goods popular with mainlanders – across
1900-569: The parallel trading activities, The Hong Kong Immigration Department and the Police had jointly mounted anti parallel trading and employment operations on 19 September 2012 and 22 January 2013, codenamed Windsand ( 風沙行動 ) and Realpower ( 力鋒行動 ) respectively. Hong Kong had taken action against parallel trading activities together with Shenzhen . From September to November 2012, the Hong Kong Immigration Department,
1950-412: The police. Wildcat demonstrations occurred on 8 March successively in Sheung Shui, Tuen Mun and Tsim Sha Tsui. Approximately 20 people met up in Sheung Shui at 2 pm; the numbers of protesters increased to 100 when rallied moved on to Tuen Mun in the late afternoon. The protesters then adjourned to Tsim Sha Tsui at around 9 pm. A total of six individuals were arrested that day. Responding to
2000-402: The prevalence of counterfeiting in mainland China, Hong Kong-sourced products and daily necessities are preferred for their perceived quality and demand for Hong Kong goods is insatiable. Parallel traders who profit by buying goods locally and reselling them in the mainland push up the local prices. Despite the increasing importation of infant formula (powdered formula) from foreign countries,
2050-458: The problem of parallel trading in Hong Kong became more serious. Media reported that 95% of multi-entrance travellers were Chinese parallel traders. The Shenzhen customs department reported in 2015 that of 33,000 arrests made for trafficking parallel goods across the border since 2010, 80 percent were Hong Kong residents. Zhang Xiaoming , Director of the CGLO in Hong Kong, was satisfied overall with
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2100-442: The problem, MTR hired hundreds of staff, erected barriers and gates in attempt to control the situation. Station staff claimed that traders behaved negatively towards them. Although the MTR and the police had enhanced law enforcement, traders persisted. Some of the traders break down large appliances such as washing machines into pieces in an attempt to avoid the inspection of the staff and policemen. Others forcefully broke through
2150-615: The riverside, such as the Chinese Banyan and a few cotton trees . Shing Mun River is a popular place for water sports, such as: rowing , canoeing , kayaking and dragon boat racing. There are three boathouses in the river, located at Yuen Wo Road and Shek Mun respectively. The river has a standard of 2000 metres long for regattas. The Shing Mun River was once heavily polluted from the indiscriminate discharges from livestock, industrial, commercial and domestic sources. The total organic pollution load from these discharges amount to
2200-512: The situation immediately. 22°23′05″N 114°11′48″E / 22.384781°N 114.196529°E / 22.384781; 114.196529 Parallel trading in Hong Kong Parallel trading in Hong Kong is the phenomenon of Chinese parallel traders taking advantage of multiple entry visa policy to import goods from Hong Kong to mainland China , causing shortages of household goods in various locations starting in
2250-641: The traffickers. Some even rioted outside chained pharmacies to express their discontent as these shops stock up milk powder for sale to mainlanders at higher prices. On 1 February 2015, an arsonist targeted a warehouse that was used by suppliers to parallel traders in Sheung Shui. Since 8 February, the northern territories of Hong Kong have experienced demonstrations most weekend that descended into violence due to clashes between localist camp and police and/or pro-establishment camp. An authorised rally of 400 people that took place in Tuen Mun on 8 February ended with
2300-529: The two sides of the Shing Mun River. There are several major bridges across the Shing Mun River: Although the river is primarily designed for the drainage of storm water from Sha Tin with a catchment area of 37 km , it is also a popular place for recreational users such as rowers, anglers, riverside walkers and cyclists. There are continuous pedestrian promenades on both sides of the river. Many species of trees has been planted along
2350-495: The water quality is still threatened by the polluted condition of Tolo Harbour, which backflows into the Shing Mun River during high tide, causing contamination. An artificial river bank was also built along a 250-metre section near Man Lai Court , where there are relatively severe sediment accumulations and odour problems. In late 2015, the Fo Tan Nullah, which flows into the Shing Mun River, changed colours several times. In early December it turned an electric blue, while later in
2400-567: Was at its highest level since 1995. In early 2016, thousands of fish died in the river. On 1 November 2016, the real estate company Link REIT was fined $ 15,000 for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance because wastewater from the Mei Lam Shopping Centre, owned and managed by Link REIT, was being illegally discharged into the Shing Mun River. The company was ordered to rectify
2450-621: Was established on top of unused agricultural fields at the present location of Sha Tin Centre Street and New Town Plaza shopping centre, next to the Sha Tin station of the MTR East Rail line . The township was founded by Den Lau (劉贊瑞), the son of businessman Lau Hey Shing (劉希成) who owned the 150,000 sq ft. plot of land. Sha Tin Hui contained five streets with shops, restaurants, and residential buildings. Modern facilities such as
2500-564: Was later named as the Spirit of Sha Tin ( 沙田精神號 ). A full size replica of this plane now hangs in Hong Kong International Airport . The area was formerly agricultural farmland. Before Sha Tin's development into a new town , Hung Mui Kuk ( 紅梅谷 ), southwest of Sha Tin, was perennially the main site for school picnics . The hillside area remains a popular barbecue site. In 1956, a market township : Sha Tin Hui ,
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