Did you know Shau Kei Wan means Winnow Basket Bay? Look around you. Can you see the shape? In ancient China winnow baskets were used to clean rice. Before land reclamation the bay resembled one. That’s how Shau Kei Wan got its name.
But Shau Kei Wan has another name Aldrich Bay. This name comes from Colonel Edward Aldrich. He was the colony’s first commanding royal engineer. Both names appear on old maps and records.
There’s even a third name a darker one. It’s Ngor Yan Wan Bay of Starving People. Legend says British merchants were shipwrecked here. They starved to death. No food was available. The story is debated though. Some records spell Ngor differently. It might not even refer to this exact bay.
Shau Kei Wan wasn’t always a bustling neighborhood. For centuries it was a haven for fishermen. They appreciated the shelter from storms. The population boomed in the 1700s. Many migrated from Chai Wan.
A marketplace sprang up. Fishermen traded their daily catch. But Shau Kei Wan’s story isn’t just about fishing. In 1843 quarries opened. They supplied building materials for Victoria City. This attracted Hakka people from Huizhou. They came for work.
The population exploded. Living conditions worsened. The area became notorious for poor hygiene. By the 1860s the government stepped in. They demolished illegal housing. They built proper roads. They transformed Shau Kei Wan into the community we see today.
The fishing industry declined. The government implemented a landing scheme. Fishermen could settle on land. The land was reclaimed. Aldrich Garden and Oi Tung Estate were built in 1992. But one thing remains the Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. It stands as a testament to Shau Kei Wan’s rich fishing heritage. It’s a powerful symbol of the area’s transformation from a small fishing village to the vibrant neighborhood it is today.