Sham Shui Po

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This article is about the area of Sham Shui Po. For the administrative district covering Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan, Lai Chi Kok, etc., see Sham Shui Po District.

Skyline of Sham Shui Po

Sham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, China. It is located north of Tai Kok Tsui and east of Cheung Sha Wan. It is administratively part of Sham Shui Po District.

[edit] History

Sham Shui Po in Cantonese Chinese means Deep Water Pier. Its water was deeper than the beach of Cheung Sha Wan northeast. It is close to former peninsula of Tai Kok Tsui. The low ridge of the peninsula ends in Sham Shui Po.

In the first stage, town of Sham Shui Po was bounded by Yen Chou Street, Tung Chow Street, Wong Chuk Street and Apliu Street. Part of the town was on reclamation. The town was surrounded by villages of Un Chau, Tin Liu and Tong Mei. A nullah along Nan Chang Street was constructed to drain the water of rivers north and east. The town was closed to Cosmopolitan Dock on the outer shore of Tai Kok Tsui.

[edit] Land use

Squatters in the district. Many age-old residential buildings are waiting for renovation carried out by the government.

A 1930s building which still exists

As Sham Shui Po was one of the earliest developed districts in Hong Kong, it was once a commercial, industrial and transportation hub of the territory. As of 2003, Sham Shui Po is covered mainly by residential buildings, with public housing estates built on approximately 810,000 m² of land. Factories and warehouses are still being concentrated mainly in Cheung Sha Wan.

[edit] Urban renewal

Sham Shui Po is an area where urban decay is serious in Hong Kong, the government has concerned the problem and decided to carry out urban renewal project.

In July 2003 the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) announced that its first urban renewal project would be to improve the living environment at Po On Road/Wai Wai Road in Sham Shui Po. Covering an area of 2,436 square metres and affecting approximately 500 households, this project will provide 330 residential flats, and some retail units. Government, institutional and community facilities will also be erected for the community. This development will require the HKHS to acquire about 157 properties, costing an estimated HK$240 million. The total development cost of the project is about HK$720 million.

[edit] Shopping

Erhu performance is a popular pastime for the district dwellers.

Signboard of a snake restaurant.

Colourful parasols cropped up along the busy Ap Liu Street.

The street market in Sham Shui Po is a hotspot for both locals and tourists. For those who are looking for pirated software, the Golden Shopping Centre is a prominent local mall for this such purpose (though its popularity has dropped significantly in recent times, in favour of other near-by centres and broadband internet downloading). Besides software, the shops have extensive computer products from perpipherals to main components like motherboards, RAM, and CPUs, as well as complete systems. It is generally considered one of the cheapest places in Hong Kong (if not the world) to get (or buy parts to build) a personal computer.

For those who are looking for electronics and accessories, the Apliu Street market is well known in Hong Kong. This open street market provides a wide variety of products at a reasonable price, allowing individuals to sell and buy second hand goods here. The sheer variety of things available at the market is astounding - one shop may sell disco balls, crockery, 1940s-era radios, LPs, torches, and audiophile hi-fi amplifiers in various stages of repair. The Hong Kong government promotes Ap Liu Street as Hong Kong's answer to Akihabara (in Japan). A Hong Kong computer fair held outdoors in the streets of Sham Shui Po every year attracts many visitors.

The market on Ki Lung Street is also famous for its fresh food and cheap prices. The Hong Kong government rebuilt the market in the early 1990s to a modern air-conditioned market.

A street stall selling pornography, which attracts gazes of an old man.

[edit] Crime

At night, large numbers of prostitutes centre on inner streets and old buildings of the district, causing serious crime problems. Black-market labourers from mainland China gather at Ki Lung Street, working illegally for hard labour.

[edit] Scenic spots

• Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
• Sam Tai Tsz Temple and Pak Tai Temple Complex
• Shek Kip Mei Park
• Dragon Centre
• Apliu Street
• Lui Seng Chun

[edit] See also

• Sham Shui Po District
• List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong

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Sham Shui Po