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2 Demographics and housing 3 Urban renewal 4 Politics 5 Scenic spots 6 Shopping 7 Crime 8 Areas include 9 Transportation 10 External link |
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 81 hectares of land. Factories and warehouses are still being concentrated mainly in Cheung Sha Wan.
Sham Shui Po was already a densely populated district in 1950s and 1960s. It is most heavily poverty-stricken, having the lowest median monthly domestic household income among the 18 districts. It has the highest percentage of elderly over 65 years. The percentage of new immigrants is also very high.
Private housing Mei Foo Sun Chuen in Sham Shui Po, which was built in 1968, was Hong Kong's first large-scale private housing estate, comprising 8 phases with a total of 99 blocks.
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.
Partly because of the large presence of the low-income group in Sham Shui Po, the area has bred many pro-grassroots politicians. The current chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Tam Kwok-kiu, is a veteran local politician fighting for the interests of public housing tenants for many years.
Sham Shui Po is the stronghold of Tam's political party, the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood. Of the 26 District Councillors in Sham Shui Po, nine belong to his group, including party chief Frederick Fung Kin-kee. Fung was returned to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 2000 by direct election in the geographical constituency of Kowloon West, in which Sham Shui Po is the biggest area.
However, Hong Kong's largest pro-government and pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), has gained a foothold in Sham Shui Po too. In 2000, Tsang Yok-sing, the then chairman of DAB and member of the Executive Council, Hong Kong SAR chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's inner cabinet, won a seat in the Legislative Council representing the Kowloon West constituency, which includes Sham Shui Po.
DAB members Chan Wai Ming, representative of So Uk, Fu Shu-wan, a representative of Lei Cheng Uk, and Cheung Man-to, a representative of Nam Cheong Central are District Councillors in Sham Shui Po.
The Democrats have been less successful at canvassing grass-roots support. Pro-Beijing politicans have won favour in Sham Shui Po by organizing such things as free banquets and tours to southern China.
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 (黃金商場/高登電腦廣場) is a must-visit place. Besides software, they also have extensive computer products from accessories like CD-R, to main component like mainborad, RAM and CPU. For those who are looking for electronic stuffs and accessories, the Ap Liu Street market (鴨寮街) is a must-visit place. This open street market provides a wide variety of products on a reasonable price, also, you can sell and buy second hand goods here. Hong Kong government promote Ap Liu Street as Japan's Akihabara (秋葉原), which currently resembles a big, neon-lit electrical goods store.
A Hong Kong computer fair, held outdoors in the streets of Sham Shui Po every year, attract many visitors.
The market in 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.
The area is served by the Tsuen Wan Line of the MTR metro system. In the future, it will be served by the West Rail extension of the KCR railway system.
See also:
Land use
Demographics and housing
Urban renewal
Politics
Scenic spots
Shopping
Crime
At night, large number of prostitutes centre on Fook Wah Street and Un Chau Street, causing the problems of prostitutes accosting on the street. Black-market labourers from mainland China gather at Ki Lung Street, working illegally for hard labour.Areas include
Transportation
External link