Sha Tin Park — Attraction in Hong Kong

Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District. Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project. Wikipedia

Over the mountains there’s another Hong Kong: one where cacophonous streets are replaced by the quiet whir of bicycles, where concrete gives way to lush greenery. Welcome to Sha Tin, which lies on the other side of Lion Rock from the congested urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

Sha Tin was once a rural backwater of fishing and farming settlements, but it was transformed into a suburban new town in the 1970s. Today, it is Hong Kong’s most populous district, home to 641,000 people, but it still retains the flavour of the countryside, with historic walled villages, lush hills and a string of green spaces along the Shing Mun River.

Though it isn’t typically regarded as a top tourist attraction, Sha Tin offers some unexpected rewards. The Hong Kong Heritage Museum has crowd-pleasing exhibitions on everything from ancient ceramics to kung fu pop culture. Not far away, Sha Tin Town Hall plays host to public art and regular theatrical performances, while New Town Plaza is one of Hong Kong’s largest shopping malls — just in case you need a break from nature and culture.

Sha Tin is served by two MTR lines, the East Rail Line and the Tuen Ma Line​, and you don’t need to go far from either of them for adventure. In Fo Tan, old factory blocks have been colonised by artists, while Che Kung Temple is one of the city’s largest places of worship. In the hills above MTR Sha Tin Station, you’ll find the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery and the idyllic pathways of Pai Tau Village, lined by lychee trees and...

I'm always surprised by how relaxing and enjoyable Sha Tin Park can be, especially after enduring the maddening crowds of New Town Plaza Mall just beside the park.

One of the things I like about the Sha Tin Park are the traditional Chinese style gardens which are situated around this large 8 hectre public space. Opening hours 6.30am to 11pm daily.

There is an enclosed Walled Garden which is accessed by two traditional Moon Gate entrances. Within are four trellis pavilions, landscaped shrubs and a fair variety of flowering plants. There are park benches, usually available when I pass by. The wall does a great job of keeping out traffic noise. As such, this is one of those rare places, in the heart of a busy city, that is actually quiet. You can hear birds chirping and nothing else. Just magic here in Hong Kong.

The North and South Garden are also nice to visit, featuring traditional architecture in the forum of pavilion buildings, bridges and ponds with koy fish and turtles. You will often find locals practicing tai chi here in the early mornings. Again, this is a tranquil place to sit, read the paper and just appreciate those moments of quietness that elude the rest of the day.

Note: The Sha Tin Park runs up against the Shing Mun River (really just a canal) where you find a walking, jogging and biking path. There is a kiosk and refreshment stand and quite a few shaded seats. This can make for a nice place for a break or to rest if you want to see more activity taking place in the park...

Most of the land that the park occupies was reclaimed from Tide Cove during the construction of the Sha Tin New Town, though some of the land existed beforehand and was previously occupied by the Sha Tin Airfield, a military air base.

While the park was under construction, a "sneak preview" was provided to the public as it was temporarily opened from 14 to 17 March 1987 for the Hongkong Flower Show.[1]

The park was opened on 24 August 1988.[2] It was then named as Sha Tin Central Park. It was built and administered by the Regional Council.

Shortly following the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China erected a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue in Sha Tin Central Park, on a temporary basis, with the approval of the council.[3] Over 4,000 people attended its unveiling on 3 July 1989, with many laying wreathes at the foot of the statue.[4] In 1997, the pro-Beijing camp within the council voted down another application by the alliance to temporarily exhibit the Pillar of Shame statue in the park on the anniversary of...