Differing from the bustling cityscapes nearby, Nam Sha Leng offers a peaceful retreat. Before us stands Nam Sha Leng. Its history is subtly etched into the surrounding landscape.
Nam Sha Leng was strategically important. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Nam Chung area was on a major transportation route. This is because Xin’an County’s seat was in Nantou City. Nantou City is now Nanshan District in Shenzhen near Nam Chung. Also Dapengsuo City in Mirs Bay East was a significant military base. Land and water transportation went through the Starling Inlet area due to natural barriers. Villages south of today’s New Territories East needed to pass through Nam Chung to reach the market or county town.
After the British leased the New Territories in 1898, they valued the Sha Tau Kok area. They built the Fanling-Sha Tau Kok Railway Extension and the Sha Tau Kok Highway. However, Shenzhen and Hong Kong separated. Hong Kong shifted its development focus and agriculture declined. Nam Sha Leng became a remote rural area.
During World War II, Nam Sha Leng became the first anti-Japanese guerrilla base in Hong Kong. Villagers joined the Hong Kong and Kowloon Brigade of the East River Column to fight the Japanese. The Japanese military retaliated by rounding up villagers. They forced villagers to build pillboxes and trenches on nearby hills. These remains can still be seen today around Nam Sha Leng.
In the 1960s, the government built the Plover Cove Reservoir. Luk Keng Road and Nam Chung Road were built to aid construction. This facilitated traffic even as it affected water resources.
Today, Nam Sha Leng serves as a poignant reminder. It connects us to both peaceful times and periods of conflict. Consider how this area shifted from a transport hub to a guerrilla base. Now it is a place of quiet reflection. The story of Nam Sha Leng is not just about a place. It is about resilience and change over time.