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See Shatoujiao for an area of Shenzhen(Sham Chun/Chim Tsoon/Sem Tsun), Guangdong, China neighbouring Sha Tau Kok.

Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok (Chinese: 沙頭角) is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with Guangdong province, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using pinyin, across Shum Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen.

Geography

The rural town Sha Tau Kok is located besides Starling Inlet, within the Closed Area. The town centre is closer to the sea and north of town is a hill of Yuen Tuen Shan (元墩山). The control point of the access to Shenzhen is located northwest of the hill in Shan Tsui (山咀).

Closed Area

Today, the Hong Kong-controlled Sha Tau Kok is a quiet rural town, part of North District and lies within the Closed Area. It has a post office, a bank, a few shops and a small population. Most of the residents are from Hakka farming or Hoklo (Hokkien) fishing backgrounds. Both farming and fishing have declined in the last few decades, with the younger better educated generation of people being more affluent as they have moved to live and work in more urban areas. The older generations, however, carry on living in some of the villages and government housing complexes in Sha Tau Kok, but during weekends, festivals and holidays, working families return to their villages and roots to spend time with them. The Hong Kong portion of Sha Tau Kok is within the Closed Area and access is limited.

Public housing

Sha Tau Kok Chuen (Chinese: 沙頭角邨) is a public housing estate within the Closed Area^[1] built to accommodate the residents affected by the clearance in Sha Tau Kok Closed Area.^[2] It consists of 51 low-rise blocks completed in 1988, 1989 and 1991, and it is the public housing estate with most number of blocks in Hong Kong.^[3]^[4]

Border

Sha Tau Kok is one of the four official border crossings between Hong Kong and Mainland China, the other two being Man Kam To, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau.

Chung Ying Street lies on the border between the mainland and Hong Kong. There is a perception that it is a notorious point for goods trafficking. When the checkpoint opens a flow of mainlanders enters Chung Ying Street with their visiting permits. Some may make several trips a day acquiring goods and abusing the custom tariff limits on goods. These traffickers then unload their burden to collect their pay inside mainland Shataujiao. Although there are a lot of goods leaving Hong Kong from Sha Tau Kok via Chung Ying Street there is also an inflow of foodstuffs and other commodities that come through from China into Hong Kong throughout the day, and only limited by the closure of the Chinese custom post.

An influx of mainland workers flow into Chung Ying Street from 7am when the custom post is opened. Residents from the Chung Ying Street area are free to pass in and out of the Chinese border post, because they have residency passes. Other non-residents must be issued with permits to enter from the Chinese authorities. Tourists are also found visiting Chung Ying Street to buy Western products from Hong Kong first hand, and prices may be higher than within China, but equivalent products found within China are suspected by mainland residents as not being wholly genuine.

It is now possible to travel conveniently into mainland Shatoujiao via the Sha Tau Kok border crossing. Coaches run a regular schedule from Luen Wo Hui (聯和墟) (a small town near Fanling, in the New Territories) Bus Terminus, situated near the recently opened Luen Wo Market and Library complex, and from Fanling MTR Station also. Tickets currently (2005) cost HK$20 for each passenger. The coaches also provide space for luggage. Travellers are taken through the Shek Chung Au (石涌凹) border check point without permit search, and are driven directly to the Sha Tau Kok Immigration checkpoint.

Here, passengers alight, go through customs, and have their documents processed, before reboarding the coach to be driven to the mainland border immigration checkpoint. They alight and take all their belongings through the mainland Chinese customs and again have their documents processed. Travellers from outside China are advised to obtain entry visas from the appropriate authorities, or via a travel agent before attempting the entry. Hong Kong residents should hold Home Visit Permits (回鄉證) (HuiXiang Zheng) for entry into China.

On the 27 January 2005, it was announced that street maps for tourists were put up around Shatoujiao, in order to aid tourists' navigation. In fact, the mainland government has strived to promote Sha Tau Kok tourism. A museum situated near the harbour in Chung Ying Street was built to celebrate the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China. It has on display, a history of Shataukok and its place in the annexing of territory by Imperial Great Britain at the end of the 19th century. A bronze Peace Bell was installed nearby.

Transport

The terminus of Sha Tau Kok Railway, which ceased to operate on 1 April 1929 and was replaced by Sha Tau Kok Road, was located here. Sha Tau Kok Railway was built from the original narrow gauge of the KCR British Section, which was replaced by standard gauge. Since that time, the area in which the terminus occupied is still called the train station or fo cha teu in the local dialects (火車頭 huochetou). Currently, both KMB and minibus services are available in the Sha Tau Kok area. There are a few shops nearby, and Sha Tau Kok Chuen.

Today, Shataukok has a bus station which is served by the KMB route 78K service as well as the smaller sixteen-seater minibus or public light bus service route number 55k. Both begin in Sheung Shui and pass through Luen Wo Hui and terminate in Sha Tau Kok. However, passengers may not proceed through the closed area border check point if they do not carry a valid permit. Police personel will board the bus at the check point to see each passengers ID Card or identification documents and the require permit. If passengers do not possess one, they will be asked to leave the bus by the police personel.

Famous people

Lee Wai Lim (Hong Kong First Division footballer)
Lee Hong Lim (Hong Kong First Division footballer)

References

External links

22°33′N 114°13′E / 22.550°N 114.217°E / 22.550; 114.217

[1] Service Boundary of Integrated Home Care Services Teams (Ordinary Cases) in North District

[2] Sha Tau Kok Chuen (Chinese)

[3] Sha Tau Kok Chuen

[4] Housing Society Continues to Freeze Rents for Another Year

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[2]

[3]

[4]

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 ==Transport==
 The terminus of [[Sha Tau Kok Railway]], which ceased to operate on 1 April 1929 and was replaced by [[Sha Tau Kok Road]], was located here.  Sha Tau Kok Railway was built from the original [[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] of the [[Kowloon-Canton Railway|KCR]] British Section, which was replaced by [[standard gauge]]. Since that time, the area in which the terminus occupied is still called the ''train station'' or ''fo cha teu'' in the local dialects (火車頭 huochetou). Currently, both [[KMB]] and [[minibus]] services are available in the Sha Tau Kok area. There are a few shops nearby, and Sha Tau Kok Chuen.
+Today, Shataukok has a bus station which is served by the [[KMB route 78K]] service as well as the smaller sixteen-seater minibus or [[public light bus]] service route number 55k. Both begin in [[Sheung Shui]] and pass through [[Luen Wo Hui]] and terminate in Sha Tau Kok. However, passengers may not proceed through the closed area border check point if they do not carry a valid permit. Police personel will board the bus at the check point to see each passengers ID Card or identification documents and the require permit. If passengers do not possess one, they will be asked to leave the bus by the police personel.
 ==Famous people==