Here’s a question. How many bays in Hong Kong have transformed from remote coastlines to bustling industrial hubs? Today we explore Kwun Tong Tsai Wan. It is a bay with a fascinating past. Kwun Tong Tsai Wan sits between Kai Tsz Shan and Ling Nam San Tsuen. It is near Cha Kwo Ling. Shau Kei Wan’s Aldrich Bay lies opposite it. For many years it was also called Yau Tong Bay.
Let’s step back in time to the early 1950s. Kwun Tong Tsai Wan was a remote and sparsely populated area. By the late 1950s things began to change. Between 1958 and 1962, significant parts of the bay were reclaimed. This smoothed and straightened the coast. The new land became home to shipyards and sawmills. These reclaimed areas were divided into lots. They were called Kwun Tong Marine Lots or K.T.M.L.
In 1989, the Hong Kong Government had new plans. They proposed further reclamation of Yau Tong Bay. The goal was to eliminate the polluting factories. The restructuring plans continued into the 1990s. The vision included a 22-hectare residential and commercial area. 12.5 hectares would come from reclaiming land from the sea.
Industrial activity slowly declined. By the early 2010s, most factories were gone. Further development was announced but never started. As of now, in 2023, the area remains largely unchanged.
The filling material for the reclamation came from nearby hills. This created new areas for housing estates. This led to the construction of resettlement estates. The first was Yau Tong Estate. It had 26 blocks built in 1964, 1965, and 1971. Ko Chiu Road Estate followed. It consisted of 11 blocks built between 1971 and 1973.
The eastern side of the reclaimed area was occupied by sawmills. One example was the Bonanza saw-mill. In 1966, timber rafts floated on the water near the sawmills. Yau Tong Estate was visible in the background. On the northern and south-eastern sides of the bay, companies built and repaired ships. Goltens Ship Repair and Chung Wah Shipbuilding & Engineering Co were active on the northern side. Universal Dockyard Ltd and the Yau Wing Shipyard operated on the south-eastern side.
The 1970s and 1980s were prosperous decades. Shipbuilding and timber industries thrived. By 1992, most sawmills and shipbuilding activities continued. Yau Tong Estate was still visible. You could also see the entrance to the Eastern Harbour Crossing.
However, plans for further reclamation faced strong public opposition. People protested against further reclamation of Victoria Harbour. As a result, the reclamation plan was dropped.
Inland, major developments took place. The MTR Yau Tong Station was constructed. It serves the Kwun Tong line and the Tseung Kwan O line. The station opened in 2002. The Yau Tong Estate was demolished in the late 1990s to make way for the station. It was later rebuilt on a smaller area.
Plans still exist to convert the former industrial area into housing estates. Progress has been slow. The area is fenced off. Almost all buildings have been demolished. Today, grass grows on the marine lots.
Kwun Tong Tsai Wan stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s ever-changing landscape. It shows how industry and community have shaped its shores.