So Kwun Wat
So Kwun Wat, commonly (but incorrectly) pronounced So Kwun Fat (Chinese: 掃管笏), is an area on the south coast of the western mainland New Territories in Hong Kong. The proper So Kwun Wat is a human inhabitant in the valley between Siu Lam and Sam Shing Hui. It currently includes So Kwun Tan (掃管灘) on the shore, which is turned into a residential area, Hong Kong Gold Coast (香港黃金海岸), with a villa on Pearl Island (龍珠島) off the coast.
The confusion regarding its name originates from a common mistake when a person, with some knowledge of Chinese/Cantonese, tries to guess the pronunciation of the last character in the name, based on the form of its Chinese character. The English transliteration actually came from the correct (but no longer used in everyday life) pronunciation, although it's the common (but technically incorrect) pronunciation that is recognised by the locals. This causes many to wrongly deduce that the transliteration was not properly done. (When in fact it was - much like the case with the name Mong Kok)
Administratively, the area belongs to Tuen Mun District.
Northwest of So Kwun Tan is the Perowne Camp (寶龍軍營 or 掃管軍營).
Geography
The valley of So Kwun Wat collects water for adjacent ranges and empties into the sea by So Kwun Tan. The area surrounding was reclaimed. A breakwater is constructed from Gold Coast Hotel towards the Pearl Island. While the interior water formed a haven for boats, the exterior become a man-made beach of Golden Beach (黃金泳灘).
Transport
The major road access in the area is Castle Peak Road. It is thus also known as 18 miles (milestone) Castle Peak Road (青山公路十八咪).
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