Pollution. That is maybe the first thing that springs to mind when you think of O Tsai Wan. However, there is more to this corner of Hong Kong. Today, let’s explore the story of O Tsai Wan.
O Tsai Wan is also named Kwun Tong Tsai Wan. It sits next to Lei Yue Mun. For a long time it was a remote place. Not many people lived here up to the early 1950s.
But that was set to change.
The Hong Kong Government started a big project in Kwun Tong at the end of the 1950s. O Tsai Wan was part of that. They wanted new places for factories. They also wanted to create more living space.
In 1958, the government showed their plans for O Tsai Wan. They would make the coast smoother. This new land was for building ships and for sawmills. The land was divided into lots.
The work began quickly. By the early 1960s, the work was almost done. Ship building started on the south-eastern side.
Where did all the filling material come from? The surrounding hills! This created areas for housing estates. The first one was Yau Tong Estate. It had 26 blocks built in the 1960s and 1970s.
The eastern side of O Tsai Wan became home to sawmills. Timber rafts floated on the water. The marine lots became occupied by ship building companies.
The 1970s and 1980s were good times for O Tsai Wan. Shipbuilding and sawmills thrived.
In 1989, the Hong Kong Government wanted to reclaim more land at O Tsai Wan. They also wanted to remove the polluting factories. The plan was to create a residential and commercial area.
But people protested. They did not want more reclamation of Victoria Harbour. So, the reclamation plan was dropped.
Meanwhile, big changes happened inland. The MTR Yau Tong Station was built. It opened in 2002. The old Yau Tong Estate had to be torn down. It was rebuilt smaller than before.
Plans to turn the old factory area into housing still exist. But progress is slow. The area is fenced off. Most buildings are gone.
Today, O Tsai Wan waits for its next chapter. Its story is one of industry, change, and the constant reshaping of Hong Kong. O Tsai Wan shows us how Hong Kong adapts to new needs.