A Forgotten Hong Kong

Located between Hong Kong's northeastern border and Shenzhen, the sleepy town of Sha Tau Kok is poised for transformation as it opens up to visitors.

- SHAMILEE VELLU

Today, I'm on a time-travel mission. First, I thread through the anonymous masses surging through Hong Kong's Admiralty train station, then catch the MTR to Sheung Shui Station, before boarding bus 78S. The hordes gradually thin out as I travel further, and just five other people join me on the bus. Finally, I disembark at a small terminal, where a policeman asks to see my special government permit before I go any further.

I've arrived in Sha Tau Kok, a historic town on Hong Kong's northeastern border with Shenzhen that's been described as "sleepy" and "mysterious". To that, I can add "unknown", with most Hong Kongers (including those I informally quizzed) oblivious to its existence. Since 1951, the town has been closed to the public, to deter illegal migrants and smugglers.

But it won't remain sleepy for long.

Thanks to the government's ambitious plans to redevelop the area into a vibrant tourism hub, Sha Tau Kok has been slowly opening up since 2022, and from January, up to 1,000 visitors a day can now apply for a special permit to enter the town.

A LIVING TIME CAPSULE

Sha Tau Kok's bucolic appearance today belies its heyday in the 90s, when it was a popular shopping spot for Chinese tourists seeking foreign goods like jewellery, watches, and clothing. Much of this was concentrated around Chung Ying Street, a shophouse-lined alley that's the official border between Hong Kong and mainland China and which is still off-limits for tourists today.

Sha Tau Kok was known for its large population of Hakka and Hoklo (Hokkien) fishermen, who were driven by Typhoon Wanda in 1962 into squatter settlements filled with stilt houses.