A bustling market town. That’s Sai Kung’s essence. Sai Kung Town nestled on the Sai Kung Peninsula. It faces Sai Kung Hoi a sheltered harbor. Sai Kung is more than just a pretty face. It’s a historical hub for nearby villages. Its name itself hints at its past. Sai Kung meaning “Western Kung”. “Kung” often refers to a market.
Sai Kung’s story isn’t one of grand palaces or ancient dynasties. It’s a story of small shops and resilient people. A hundred years ago it was a humble market town serving surrounding villages. Professor David Faure’s research reveals a surprising detail. No market existed here during the Qing dynasty. The Xin’an Xianzhi a historical gazetteer makes no mention of it. Instead Leung Shuen Wan High Island was a key mooring point. Boat-dwelling communities thrived there. A Tin Hau Temple built in 1741 served them. Objects discovered within its walls bear witness to this history.
Sai Kung’s growth accelerated before 1898. This is when the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory ceded the peninsula. By the early 1900s Sai Kung boasted 50 shops. Four boat-building sheds supported local fishing. A smaller market with 18 shops operated in Hang Hau. This is now part of Tseung Kwan O New Town separate from Sai Kung Town.
Education was limited in early Sai Kung. Traditional schools were scattered across smaller villages. The Catholic Church established a Western-style primary school. This contributed to a unique blend of cultures in the town’s development. The British colonial government also established a police station and a dispensary.
World War I brought unforeseen advantages. Ships needed Royal Navy inspection entering Victoria Harbour. Sai Kung’s location outside the harbor proved beneficial. It became a crucial resupply point. The temple within Sai Kung even became a local civic center. It acted as a place to resolve disputes. Local merchants who weren’t from nearby villages represented Sai Kung. They did this within the Heung Yee Kuk a rural representative body. By the 1930s they established their own chamber of commerce. Their influence within Sai Kung steadily increased. Today Sai Kung Central constituency elects its Heung Yee Kuk representative through universal suffrage.
The 1950s saw further expansion. A worldwide embargo against the People’s Republic of China fueled smuggling activity. Sai Kung Town found itself at the center of this clandestine trade.
Sai Kung’s transformation continued in the 1970s. The High Island Reservoir project displaced villagers and fishermen. This relocation led to new government-funded housing and commercial development within Sai Kung Town. Before the Hong Kong International Airport moved to Chek Lap Kok Sai Kung was popular. International airport employees and airline workers made it their home.
Sai Kung’s waterfront. It was once a bustling fishing harbor. Today it’s a typhoon shelter. Motorized junks offer sightseeing fishing and swimming trips.
The Sai Kung Town Outline Zoning Plan defined its boundaries in the 2000s. The plan received approval by 2006. Sai Kung’s story. It’s a tale of small beginnings. It’s a testament to adaptation resilience and growth. It reflects Hong Kong’s unique history and its blend of old and new. Sai Kung’s charm lies in this remarkable journey.