Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong: 70 Years of Prohibited Areas Moving towards an Open Future
2024-02-18
"At sunrise, the sand rises, and the moon hangs over the corners of the sea." The eight large red characters are engraved on the imitation boundary stone, which is particularly eye-catching. According to legend, this is a poem written by Qing Dynasty ministers during their inspection of Shatoujiao, hence the name Shatoujiao. Since being designated as a border restricted area by the Hong Kong British authorities in the 1950s, Sha Tau Kok in the New Territories of Hong Kong has been isolated from the world for more than half a century, and its development has stagnated, becoming a true "border city". On January 1st of this year, following the first phase of opening, the Sha Tau Kok area in Hong Kong, except for Chung Ying Street, was fully opened, allowing up to 1000 tourists to enter every day. This restricted area, which has been closed for over 70 years, gradually unveils its mysterious veil. After checking the restricted area permit, reporters were allowed to enter the Sha Tau Kok restricted area in Hong Kong, which was divided into two parts. Along the renovated seaside trail, you can see check-in points such as Sha Tau Kok, Sun Moon Pavilion, and Zhongying Street Garden. On the small square, a group of cartoon animal sculptures holding colorful fish lanterns dancing attracted the attention of tourists. The Sha Tou Jiao Yu Lantern Dance has a history of over 300 years and has long been selected as a national intangible cultural heritage. Here is the longest pier in Hong Kong, Sha Tau Kok Pier, which was first built in the 1960s and has a total length of 280 meters. The pier corridor is decorated with cultural and historical murals from Shatoujiao, and the railings are adorned with fish shaped wooden plaques praying for blessings. From afar, the sea and sky are one color. From here, you can take a boat to popular tourist destinations in Hong Kong such as Lai Chi Wo, Ya Chau, and Ji Ao. Located near the pier, Xinlou Street was built in the 1930s. Due to its convenient water transportation, it was once an important landmark and trading center in Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong. At that time, there were numerous shops and stalls, and there was everything from grain and oil to general merchandise. Xinlou Street is a typical group of Cantonese style arcade buildings, consisting of 22 two-story buildings connected together. Li Yiqiang, a resident of Sha Tau Kok who founded the "Sha Tau Kok Story Museum" here, told reporters that it is rare to have such a large-scale row of buildings in Hong Kong. In 2011, it was rated as a Grade II historical building in Hong Kong. Starting from the 1840s, Britain gradually occupied Hong Kong by forcing the Qing government to sign a series of unequal treaties such as the Treaty of Nanjing. In March 1899, the Qing government and Britain delineated the northern border of the New Territories, and Sha Tau Kok was divided into two parts: the "Chinese boundary" and the "British boundary". Climbing up the narrow wooden stairs of the story hall, each step is inscribed with the year and major events in large white letters. The first step reads "The first wooden boundary post is erected on Zhongying Street to establish the Sino British boundary.". In 1951, Sha Tau Kok in Hong Kong was declared a "border restricted area" by the British authorities. Hong Kong citizens entering the Sha Tau Kok restricted area not only needed to apply for a restricted area permit, but also required residents in the area to provide guarantees. The procedures were cumbersome, and since then, it has been "sealed" for more than 70 years. Due to the long-term lag in development, many local residents have traveled long distances to work outside or moved to the urban area to seek new development. Today, Xinlou Street has nine out of ten shops. The restricted area is open and pressing the start button is separated from Xinlou Street by a channel, which is Zhongying Street. In the 1980s and 1990s, with the spring breeze of mainland China's reform and opening up, Zhongying Street became a "shopping paradise" attracting mainland tourists due to its special location and tax exemption advantages. It was prosperous in both people and money, and once stimulated the economic activity of the Sha Tau Kok area in Hong Kong, also allowing people in the restricted area to taste the sweetness of opening up for the first time. Currently, the largest village in the district is Yanliao Xia
Edit：He Chuanning Responsible editor：Su Suiyue
Source：Xinhua
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