Sai Kung District

Infobox HK District
official_name = Sai Kung




map_caption = Location in Hong Kong
google =
leader_title = District Council Chairman
leader_name = Ng Sze-fuk, BBS, JP
constituencies = 23
area_note =
area_magnitude =
area_total = 136.39
area_land =
area_water =
population_as_of = 2006
population_note =
population_total = 406,442 | population_density = 3,135
latitude =
longitude =
website = [http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/sk/english/welcome.htm Sai Kung District Council]
footnotes =

Sai Kung District is the second largest district in Hong Kong, China in terms of area. It comprises the southern half of Sai Kung Peninsula in the New Territories plus a strip to the east of Kowloon. The administrative centre is Sai Kung Town but the district's population is concentrated in Tseung Kwan O New Town. The district has the second youngest residents.

Geographical characteristics and population

Sai Kung District covers approximately 136 km² and as of 2006, it had a population of 406,442 in 2006, most of it in Tseung Kwan O.

In contrast to the densely populated areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Sai Kung District's heartland is a coastal area characterised by beautiful scenery, charming small villages and stunning seascapes. The area is known for its pristine beaches and quiet living. Inasmuch as it remains only partly urbanized, many people describe Sai Kung as the "last back garden" of Hong Kong.

ai Kung Town

As a former fishing village, Sai Kung Town is a mecca for seafood lovers, locals and tourists alike. The designation of the country park areas during the 1970s was a huge boost to the local tourist industry. Sai Kung town underwent significant expansion during the 1970s when the High Island Reservoir and associated water scheme required some villagers and fishermen to be rehoused in Sai Kung. This provided a core of government-funded new development, both housing and commercial, in the town centre. This was followed by the Tui Min Hoi (literally 'over the harbour') development under the government's market town programme. Visitors can stroll around the regional market centre of Sai Kung Town or explore the back lanes, visit the Tin Hau Temple, feast on seafood or enjoy diverse delicacies at both Eastern and Western-style pubs and restaurants. There is also a famous dessert restaurant called Honeymoon Dessert that brings in many visitors from all over Hong Kong and even from abroad.

Country Park

Sai Kung Country Park is an area of restricted development featuring numerous small villages and beautiful beaches. Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay), approximately 1.5 hours' walk from the nearest road, is one of the few places in Hong Kong where surfing is possible, particularly in the winter months. The dozen or so buildings still standing in the Tai Long Valley are home to a handful of indigenous residents.

Beaches

Sai Kung has some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in Hong Kong.
*Clear Water Bay 1st Beach
*Clear Water Bay 2nd Beach
*Silverstrand Beach
*Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay)
*Long Ke Wan

Tseung Kwan O

In addition to this beautiful garden, Tseung Kwan O or "Junk Bay", a booming new town, is also part of Sai Kung District. Tseung Kwan O connects Sai Kung Peninsula with the Kowloon urban area.

Junk Bay was once a natural bay area in Sai Kung, quite near the famous seafood village of Lei Yue Mun. There once was an iron and steel factory, and the area around Hang Hau Village was famous for the shipyards. In 1977, the Hong Kong Government started a major development project in this area, developing it into the seventh Hong Kong new town. Reclamation has since covered the whole bay area and it is now able to accommodate around 380,000 inhabitants, accounting for 95% of the district's total population. This new town was renamed "Tseung Kwan O", its present name.

Tseung Kwan O now includes several high-rise residential estates and an industrial estate. The MTR metro system was extended to Tseung Kwan O, facilitating access to Sai Kung District.

Islands

On summer nights, a lot of people hire small boats known as "kaitos" or "sampan", some to catch cuttle-fish which is a popular pastime for local residents, others for leisurely trips through the island-dotted inland sea of Port Shelter. Popular islands to visit include:

* Kau Sai Chau
* Kiu Tsui Chau (sharp island)
* Leung Shuen Wan Chau (high island)
* Pak Sha Chau (white sand island)
* Yeung Chau (sheep island)
* Yim Tin Tsai (little salt field)

The large island of Kau Sai Chau is the location for a public golf course developed and run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Local and tourist attractions

There are numerous cultural sites, heritage sites and country parks in the Sai Kung peninsula, such as:

* Sheung Yiu Folk Museum (上窰民俗文物館), located in a former Hakka village
* Memorial Monuments for Sai Kung Martyrs During World War II (烈士墓園)
* Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre (西貢戶外康樂中心)
* Lions Nature Education Centre (獅子會自然教育中心)
* Sai Kung East and West Country Parks (西貢郊野公園)
* Clear Water Bay Country Park (清水灣郊野公園)
* Che Kung Temple at Ho Chung (蠔涌車公廟)
* Tin Hau Temple at Fat Tong Mun (大廟, or 天后廟)
* Jin Island (or Tiu Chung Chau, 吊鐘洲)
* Leung Shuen Wan Tin Hau Temple (糧船灣天后廟)
* High Island Reservoir (萬宜水庫)
* Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course (賽馬會滘西洲公眾高爾夫球場)
* Yim Tin Tsai Village and St. Joseph's Chapel (鹽田仔村及古老教堂)

The town centre of Sai Kung has a high concentration of seafood restaurants which attract a lot of tourists.

In addition there are golf courses and nature trails. The golf driving range center in Ho Chung is popular with local residents and tourists alike. Visitors can also enjoy barbecues at Ho Chung.

In recent years, the government has invested heavily in Sai Kung, with improvements being made to the town seafront, such as the Waterfront Park. An attractive mix of small boutique-style shops has sprung up as well, due to a sizeable expat population and increasing numbers of local visitors, selling everything from secondhand books to cat-themed accessories, and alternative lifestyle stores that offer items like surfboards, candles, incense, seashells, etc.

Transport

The MTR system's Tseung Kwan O Line currently has four stations in Tseung Kwan O New Town. The new town is also served by a comprehensive bus network that connects it to Kowloon via several main roads including Tseung Kwan O Tunnel and Po Lam Road.

Hang Hau Road and Ying Yip Road link Tseung Kwan O with Sai Kung Town and Clear Water Bay. The nearest MTR station to Sai Kung Town is Hang Hau.

Some of the most beautiful and thus isolated parts of Sai Kung Peninsula can only be reached on foot or by boat. Where a destination is accessible by public transport, it is usually served via a complicated network of bus routes. Information on certain bus routes may be found [http://www.travelinsaikung.org.hk/english/bus/index.shtml here] .

The details of bus and minibus routes going to Sai Kung Town are as follows.

* Bus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/kmb3/kmb-92.htm 92] from Diamond Hill (MTR) Station
* Bus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/kmb3/kmb-99.htm 99] from Wu Kai Sha (KCR) Station
* Bus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/kmb3/kmb-299.htm 299] from Sha Tin Town Centre (near Sha Tin (KCR) Station)
* Bus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/nwfb2/nw-792m.htm 792M] from Tiu Keng Leng (MTR) Station
* Minibus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/mxn/mxn-1.htm 1] from Telford Gardens (near Kowloon Bay (MTR) Station)
* Minibus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/mxn/mxn-1a.htm 1A] from Choi Hung (MTR) Station (The most popular method)
* Minibus route [http://hk.geocities.com/city8888/mxn/mxn-101.htm 101M] from Hang Hau (MTR) Station (Quickest way from Hong Kong Island)

Scheduled ferry services also operate between coastal points on the peninsula and in and around the islands: [http://www.travelinsaikung.org.hk/english/ferry/index.shtml] .

Miscellaneous

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, one of the eight publicly-funded tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, is located in Clear Water Bay, Sai Kung.

Coincidentally, the Chinese characters "西貢" for "Sai Kung" are also the Vietnamese chu nom characters for the name "Saigon" (now called Ho Chi Minh City), a major city in Vietnam. In fact, "Sai Kung" and "Saigon" are not only written but also pronounced the same way in Chinese.

See also

* Sai Kung Town
* Sai Kung Peninsula
* Tseung Kwan O New Town
* Beaches of Hong Kong
* Hong Kong Country Parks & Special Areas
* List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong

External links

* [http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/sk/english/welcome.htm District Council website]
* [http://www.eac.gov.hk/pdf/distco/2007dc/dc2007q1.pdf List and map of electoral constituencies 1 (large PDF file)]
* [http://www.eac.gov.hk/pdf/distco/2007dc/dc2007q2.pdf List and map of electoral constituencies 2 (large PDF file)]
* [http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/achievements/regional/regi_tko.htm Tseung Kwan O New Town]
* [http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/newparks/eng/hiking/mtrail/mtrail.htm MacLehose Trail website]
* [http://www.tickshop.com/hc-golf Sai Kung Ho Chung Golf Driving Range Center]
* [http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/newparks/eng/country/cps/cp_sk.htm Sai Kung country park website]
* [http://www.exploresaikung.com Explore Sai Kung - Portal about Sai Kung]
* [http://www.saikung-hk.com Sai Kung Forum]
* [http://www.dhphk.com/map.php Sai Kung Map]
* [http://www.saikung-hk.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=12 Sai Kung Food Map]