Shau Kei Pai

Did you ever hear of a winnowing basket? Shau Kei Pai, also known as Middle Ground, takes its name from the larger Shau Kei Wan area. Shau Kei means “winnowing basket” and Wan means “bay”. The bay, now Aldrich Bay, once resembled this rice-washing tool. Shau Kei Pai itself isn’t a bay, but a reef. It lies within the larger context of Shau Kei Wan’s history. Imagine the bustling fishing village of the 18th century. Fishermen sought shelter from storms in Shau Kei Wan, drawn away from nearby Chai Wan. Hakka people arrived, establishing quarries along the coast. By 1841, Shau Kei Wan housed about 1,200 people. Many lived on boats, a testament to its seafaring nature. Shau Kei Wan’s strategic location at the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour made it a military stronghold. The Lei Yue Mun Fort, built in 1885, protected the harbor. This fort now houses the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. It showcases exhibits and military facilities, including a torpedo tube and ammunition dump. You can follow a historical trail to experience its past. Piracy plagued the area in the 1860s. Governor Richard Macdonnell implemented a crackdown. The area was replanned with roads, housing, and police posts. Shau Kei Wan transformed, leaving behind vestiges of its fishing past. Now, it is a densely populated residential district with a rich, layered history. The coastline has drastically changed since the late 19th century. This reveals the impact of development on this historic area. Shau Kei Pai remains, a natural reef connected to a vibrant past.