1911
1919-1923
1920
968
1920-1921
Erection-Cheung Chau pier
24,199
1921-1924
Reconstruction-Queen's Statute Wharf
203,665
1922-1923
1923-1924
Reconstruction-pier and landing place for pigs and cattle at Kennedy Town
Reconstruction-Blackhead's Point pier
23,638
50,377
1923-1925
1923-1935
1926-1927
Erection-Whitfield Road pier
20,724
Construction-vehicular ferry piers (Jordon Road and Queen Victoria Street)
1,911,451
Repair-Blake Pier
27,030
1928
Reconstruction- Kowloon Point police pier
13,415
1929-1931
Erection-Sham Shui Po ferry pier
134,024
1929-1931
Erection-Mong Kok Tsui ferry pier
141,045
1930-1931
Erection-Wilmer Street pier
58,457
1933
1934
Raising level of causeway to Kowloon City pier
1,236
Extension and improvements-Hung Hom ferry pier
8,461
1934-1935
1934-1936
Construction of refuse boat pier at Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po
Erection-refuse boat pier, Ma Tau Kok livestock pier
44 ft long by 24 ft wide
11,442
45,838
1934-1936
Erection-seawall and Kennedy Town livestock pier
139,568
1935
Installation works-Hung Hom ferry pier
126
1936
Repair-Jubilee Street vehicular ferry pier
14,962
1936
Repair-Jordon Road vehicular ferry pier
14,034
1936-1937
Reconstruction-Kowloon City pier
12,639
1937
1937
Improvements-Blake Pier
1
1939
Erection-covered entrance of Jubilee Street pier
Repair-vehicular ferry piers at Jubilee Street and Jordon Road
7,762
13,913
7,959
3,359,376
ļ
Total
* The reconstruction sum of HK$245,116 for the period 1889-1903 already included the HK$122,774 cost for the erection of Blake Pier in 1889-
1901.
Sources:
"Report of the Director of Public Works", Hong Kong Administration Reports, Hong Kong Government, 1931-1939, Appendix Q. "Report of the Director of Public Works", Hong Kong Administrative Reports, Hong Kong Government, 1908-1914, Appendix P. "Report of the Director of Public Works”, Hong Kong Administrative Reports, Hong Kong Government, 1915-1930, Appendix Q. "Report of the Director of Public Works”, Hong Kong Sessional Papers, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1892, 1894-1907.
"Report on the Operation of the Public Works for the Year 1890”, Hong Kong Sessional Papers, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1891, No 13/91. "Surveyor General's Department Report for the Year 1891", Hong Kong Sessional Papers, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1892, No 2/92, p. 116. "Report of the Acting Director of Public Works for 1893", Hong Kong Sessional Papers, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1894, No 16/94, p. 225. "Return of All Public Works, Civil Roads, Canals, Bridges, Buildings, &c., Not of a Military Nature, Which Have Been Undertaken", Hong Kong
Blue Book, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co, 1883-1908.
2.42
Challenges for an Evolving City
2.42 Work began on Kowloon-Canton Railway in 1905.
The 22.25-mile rail line was completed in 1910. The Kowloon terminus was built on largely re-
claimed land at Tsim Sha Tsui. Construction of
the 41-acre terminus began in 1912 and was com- pleted in 1916.
2.43 The Kowloon-Canton Railway Kowloon Terminus
at Tsim Sha Tsui was demolished in 1975. The
clock tower is the only structure left standing on
the original site.
2.44 Construction in progress for the Kowloon-Canton
Railway Kowloon Terminus at Tsim Sha Tsui.
2.43
2.44
Part II Expansion of the City Nucleus (1883-1945)
For the formation of the seawall foundations, more than 30,000 cubic yards of rubble was deposited. The sewer in Queen Victoria Street was diverted to the Pottinger Street stormwater drain along Connaught Road 136. The works on Hong Kong Island were carried out by Messrs the Lam Construction Co, with participation by the Dutch company Messrs Netherlands Harbour Works Co. The vehicular ferry pier scheme was completed in 1935 at cost of HK$1.911million 137.
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon-Canton Railway plan first appeared in 1864 when the British engineer, Rowland MacDonald Stephenson, and a partner of Jardine, Matheson & Co, M. A. MacLeod, attempted to establish a railway network in China. A section of the rail line was to run from Canton (now Guangzhou) to Kowloon. That proposal was discussed in public on 7 March 1864 at the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. The scale of the proposed project was enormous and most of the businessmen in Hong Kong expressed reservations. As a result, the plan was shelved. By the 1890s, the
western powers were vying for concessions in China and the Kowloon-Canton plan was revived. On 28 March 1899, an agreement on the construction of the railway was signed between China and Britain. In 1899, P. T. Somerville Large prepared the first survey report on the building of the rail line. He recommended that Blackhead's Point
in Tsim Sha Tsui be chosen as the site for the Kowloon terminus. In the summer of
1904, agreement was reached between the Chinese and British governments. The Hong Kong government was given the responsibility to build, fund and operate the British section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway that ran between Shenzhen and Kowloon.
In 1905, the viceroy of Wuchang borrowed a sum of £1.1 million from Britain to buy back all the shares in Canton-Hankow Railway. The Wuchang government agreed to repay the loan over a period of 10 years and pay interest at the rate of 4.5 per cent
1
per annum. The British loan was made in the name of Hong Kong government, which collected in excess £110,000 each year from payments made on the loan. The British government allowed the colonial government to keep the loan repayments temporarily and use them to fund the construction of the railway section inside Hong Kong 138. In 1905, J. C. Bruce from the Public Works Department was appointed to co-ordinate the preliminary survey work. The project called for the construction of a 22.25-mile rail line that included five tunnels and 48 bridges, at an estimated cost of HK$5 million 139. The invested sum included the reclamation cost for the Tsim Sha Tsui terminus, as proposed by the Director of Public Works, William Chatham. The Kowloon-Canton Railway was completed in 1910 and was officially opened to traffic in October of the same year. Total construction cost exceeded the original estimates by almost 150 per cent and reached about HK$12.3 million (equivalent to £75,000 per mile) 140.
Although the railway went into service, the construction of the Kowloon terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui was still at a preliminary stage. A number of complicated issues had to be considered by the government in this development:
1. The railway terminus was sited along the waterfront to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo, and the boarding and alighting of passengers. Unfortunately, most of the Marine lots in Tsim Sha Tsui, along the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, were in the hands of private owners. The government had to reach agreements with the affected lot holders and offer them suitable compensations, such as land exchange or money.
2. The government had to undertake reclamation to provide more land along the seafront. 3. As the terminus was premised upon conditions that were hypothesised prior to reclamation,
there were considerable risks attached to the project111.
At the end of 1909, it was envisaged that 5 million cubic feet of earthwork would be required for the Hung Hom reclamation. The government acquired Marine
110
111
2.45
Challenges for an Evolving City
2.46
2.47
lots 618 and 1140 as the site for the Tsim Sha Tsui terminus. It was proposed to exchange part of the reclaimed land close to China Light and Power Co's premises for the land known as the Match Factory. Monetary compensation was to be made in respect of the buildings only142. In September 1910, the reclamation contract was awarded, but the proposal to locate the terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui was only formally approved in 1912. As an interim measure, the Kowloon-Canton Railway leased part of a godown belonging to the Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co and converted it into a passenger station 43. The station was close to the marine police headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui. On completion, the permanent terminus was located on Hung Hom Bay in Tsim Sha Tsui. To the east was Holt's Wharf and Blackhead's Point, to the south was Victoria Harbour, to the west were Star Ferry Pier and the Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co, and Salisbury Road was to the north. It occupied an area of about 41 acres. The land created through reclamation not only catered for the railway requirements, but was also used for other purposes, with detailed plans drawn up by the Public Works Department. The Tsim Sha Tsui terminus was dismantled in 1975, leaving just the clock tower standing on the original site.
Airport Reclamation
As the name of the international airport built in Kowloon City in the 1930s was made up of the first names of two Chinese, Ho Kai and Au Tak, it was erroneously thought that Kai Tak Airport was the brainchild of these two individuals 45. In actual fact, both of them passed away more than 10 years before the airport plan was formulated. Ho Tak died in 1914 and Au Tak passed away in 1920. The airport's name had much to do with the fact that the area on which the airport was sited had become known as Kai Tak by the early 1920s. In 1912, two years before his death, Ho Kai formed Kai Tak Land Investment Co with Au Tak, the father-in-law of Ho Wing Ching, his eldest
son. Their plan was to reclaim land along the shore of Kowloon Bay and build dwellings to accommodate the influx of rich immigrants from Guangdong after the 1911 Revolution. As the government was planning to build a wireless telegraphy station at Kowloon Bay, the reclamation application was denied. Ho Kai passed away in 1914 without witnessing the realisation of his plan. Au Tak, with his partners Tso Seen-wan, Cheung Sum-woo and others,
resubmitted their Kowloon Bay reclamation plan on 20 November 1914. The proposal obtained the consent from the British government on 30 December 1915 and was formally approved.
The reclamation carried out by Kai Tak Land Development Co covered the area along the coast, stretching from Kowloon City pier at Kowloon
Bay to Tai Wan Glass Works. An estimated area of 210 acres of land was to be created. After deducting the four acres of land reserved for public facilities and the space needed for the construction of nullahs, roads and
seawalls, approximately 4.95 million square feet (113.6 acres) were made
available for development. In addition to bearing the reclamation cost, the developer was required to construct support facilities such as roads and nullahs. Upon completion, the company also had to pay the government HK$75,000 in land premiums and annual Crown rent of HK$200 for each
acre of privately developed land. Furthermore, it was required to inject further investments totalling HK$500,000 into that district within the next
nine years. The reclaimed land was to be leased out for a 75-year period
as from 1 July 1898, and was renewable for another 23 years and 362 days upon expiry, thus extending the lease to 27 June 1997. The Public Works Department was responsible for the installation of water mains and sewerage systems, as well as for monitoring the design work and the quality of the building materials.
2.45 In 1924, an American,
Harry Abbott, oper- ated a flying school and passenger and mail services. The Royal Navy aircraft
carrier HMS Hermes
used Kai Tak as a tem- porary air base in 1925. A fire broke out
at the flying school in
1927.
2.46 In 1924, The Hong Kong Flying Club used the eastern por-
tion of the Ka Tak rec-
lamation area for air-
craft landings and takeoffs.
2.47 Cargo handling area
in the western part of Kai Tak Airport in the
1930s.
112
(unit: HK$'000)
Table 2.13 Kai Tak Airport Construction Budget (1929)
Resumption
1,186
Forming of reclamation including completion of seawalls, nullahs,
738
surfacing and drainage
Covering of nullahs
275
Slipways, fill in camber area, extension of nullah in camber area and contingent works
275
Road
55
Compensation paid to Kai Tak Land Investment Co
626
Total
3,155
Less: subsidy from the British government (equivalent to HK$990,000) Net Expenditure
990
2,165
Source:
Wartime Hong Kong
Part II Expansion of the City Nucleus (1883-1945)
Challenges for an Evolving City
114
CO 129/508/8, Kai Tak Aerodrome Appendix VI (A) 1929 Draft Estimates Aerodrome Site, 5 October,
1928.
The Kowloon Bay reclamation works were finished in 1920 and the reclaimed
site was named after the developer. The intention of using the created land for residential housing was not realised, owing to the unsatisfactory sanitary environment and a depressed economy. The land was left lying idle until 1924, when The Hong Kong Flying Club began to use it as an airfield. In the same year, an American, Harry Abbott, leased 60 acres of space from Kai Tak Land Investment Co to operate a flying school and air passenger and mail services between Hong Kong and China. In 1925, the Fleet Air
Arm of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes also used the empty space in Kai Tak as a temporary air base.
In 1927, having considered the take-off and landing requirements of planes used for mainland services and amphibious aircraft, the Royal Air Force recommended
that an airport be built in the district of Kai Tak. Besides compensating the owners for the land resumed, the government was also required to carry out reclamation in order to balance the interests of the military and the business sector. On 29 September 1928, a British expert, J. A. Dawson arrived in Hong Kong to advise on site selection
and airport scale. He proposed that the airport be built on a 40-acre site: 28 acres was
to be reserved for the Royal Air Force and the remaining 12 acres for commercial use. The airport was equipped with two runways. By 1928 the construction cost reached HK$2.53 million. That figure rose to HK$3.155 million after including the HK $626,000 compensation made to Kai Tak Investment Co in respect of land resumption, as recommended by J. A. Dawson. A subsidy of £100,000 (equivalent to HK$990,000) was granted by the British government towards the airport's construction146.
The construction of Kai Tak Airport laid the foundations for Hong Kong's aviation industry. From the mid-1930s onwards, it assisted Hong Kong to attain its
position as a premier aviation hub for the Asia Pacific region.
When the Second World War broke out, all infrastructural works came to a complete stop and the government had to modify those facilities for defence. In 1941, the government expended more than HK$8 million to construct over 60 air-raid shelters147 in preparation for the war. To control port traffic, Acting Colonial Secretary Franklin Charles Gimson declared on 12 December 1941 that vessels below 60 tons were not allowed to enter or anchor in Victoria Harbour, with the exception of those that were already inside the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter. Ships over 60 tons that berthed in the harbour were ordered to moor off the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in the waters between North Point and Western District. The movements of the vessels were dictated by the British military and the Harbour Master was empowered to use force to enforce orders 148. With impending war, Victoria Harbour could no longer serve its role as an entrepôt. Following the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the British military even commandeered transport from the civilian operators such as The Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Co Ltd, to help them move military supplies and evacuate British soldiers stationed on the outlying islands.
On 28 December 1941, the Japanese forces officially occupied Hong Kong. They set up a Military Administration Bureau at The Peninsula hotel (the name was later changed to the East Asia Hotel by the Japanese) on 29 December. They also established the Military Administration Bureau's Civil Affairs Department - Hong Kong Office at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in Central. The Military Administration Bureau was responsible for the administration of Hong Kong, with five departments under its supervision: general, civil affairs, economic, justice and marine149. On 2 February 1942, Rensuke Isogai arrived in Hong Kong to take up his post as Governor. This marked the beginning of civilian rule by the Governor's Office of the Captured Territory of Hong Kong until the Japanese surrender in 1945 - a period lasting more than three years 150. Under the Governor's Office were the following departments: civil administration, finance, transport, economic, information, management and external
115
2.48
Challenges for an Evolving City
Ferry became the sole provider of cross-harbour ferry service between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. Normal passenger ferry service between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island was restored gradually from early 1942153. As the Japanese occupation forces were not in favour of Hong Kong's trading activity, vessels that were engaged in foreign trade were required to use junks to handle cargo at O Creek Pier or in the waters off the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter154. Port development works came to a complete halt. The existing infrastructural facilities such as water supply, gas, electricity and communications resumed service a month after the invasion. Rail service was severely disrupted by the war. The Hong Kong-Canton railway line only resumed service from March 1942. The Japanese highly valued the strategic role played by Hong Kong in the Far East
affairs. The three most important ones were civil administration, finance and transport. The Transport Department was further divided into sections of marine, army, civil engineering and sewerage. The Civil Engineering Section was responsible for building
and construction works.
On 20 April 1942, the Japanese Governor japanised the names of all the main roads and streets. Connaught Road was changed to Sumiyoshi-doori; Queen's Road became Meiji-doori; and Des Voeux Road was renamed Showa-doori. The districts on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon also had their names altered. For example, Chong Wan (Central) was changed to Naka-ku; Sheung Wan to Nishi-ku; Sai Ying Pun to Suijou-ku; Shek Tong Tsui to Kuramae-ku; Kennedy Town to Sanou-ku; Bowrington to Kasuga-ku; Wan Chai to Higashi-ku; Happy Valley to Haruha-ku; Aberdeen to Genkou- ku; Tsim Sha Tsui to Kyuryu Minato-ku; Yau Ma Tei to Katori-ku; Mong Kok to Oosumi- ku; Sham Shui Po to Aoyama-ku; Kowloon Tong to Kashima-ku; Hung Hom to Yamashita- ku; and Kowloon City to Moto-ku. Only Causeway Bay and Tsuen Wan were allowed to retain their existing names11. On 24 December 1944, Governor Rensuke Isogai was
transferred out to become Governor of Taiwan. On 1 November 1945, the Japanese government appointed the commanding general in Guangzhou, Hisaichi Tanaka, to succeed as Governor. In March 1945, the Governor's Office was restructured and the
departments were organised into two main ones: civil administration and transport. Under the umbrella of the Transport Department were the sections of exchange, shipping,
trade, ship construction, communications and construction. The Construction Section came under the direction of the head of the Communications Section 152
During the early occupation period, many of the piers ceased operation. The
Jordon Road pier in Yau Ma Tei was commandeered by the Japanese forces and converted
into a machine gun bunker. As the Central ferry pier was close to the Japanese Osaka Pier which was protected by mines, passengers were not allowed to use it. The Star
•
2.48 An air-raid shelter at Kai Tak
Airport during the war.
2.49 The bulk of civil engineering works were performed manu- ally before the war.
116
2.49
Challenges for an Evolving City
118
JAMI
Part II Expansion of the City Nucleus (1883-1945)
region. Hong Kong was regarded as the air hub serving China and other regions in Asia 155
There was practically no new infrastructural development during the occupation period156. From the end of 1942 to early 1943, the extension work carried out at Kai Tak Airport was the only large-scale construction undertaken. The airport project involved the building of two runways almost perpendicular to one another. Due to its scale, it was necessary to pull down the existing airport terminal building and clear the 20 villages located on the waterfront of Kai Tak or south of Kowloon Wall City, which included Po Kong, Sha Tei Yuen, Tai Hom, Kak Hang, Ma Tau Chung and Kau Pui Shek. No compensation was paid by the Japanese to the affected residents, and fewer
than half of them were resettled to Model Village, near Refrew Road, Lancashire Road
and Junction Road.
The airport project was handled by the Kai Tak Airport Extension Works Office. As the extension was related to military and defence needs, the Japanese authorities
mobilised the efforts of the district offices in Kowloon, the military police, and Lianghua
hui (Association of Chinese Representatives and Chinese Association of All Professions)
to relocate the Kowloon City residents. They also organised resettlement committees,
with the district leaders appointed as chairmen and vice-chairmen. This was to ensure
the success of the resettlement and demolition exercise and to co-ordinate with the
work of the chief of staff of the Governor's Office and the Hong Kong Aviation Planning Committee, which was comprised of senior army, navy and air force officers 157. Construction
of the runways began in July 1942 and the demolition of the terminal started in August; but the airport extension works could not commence until 10 September 1942. The building of the runways was largely carried out by prisoners of war. According to the report of the Hong Kong Daily of 15 September 1942, 800 war prisoners were involved
in the construction, and their numbers eventually grew to over 4,000. The two 1,500- yard long runways were completed in 1945158
Japan's ambition of using Hong Kong as the transportation hub in the Asia Pacific region was dashed with its surrender in 1945. Following the liberation of Hong Kong, the airport was taken over by the British military. On 31 August of the same
year, the Harbour Department resumed its control over port matters. The pre-war restriction barring vessels from entering or mooring in the harbour without the Harbour Master's authorisation was reinstated on 2 September159. It was not until 1946 before post-war
reconstruction work could proceed gradually.
2.50 Kai Tak Airport in 1945 after expansion. Two almost perpendicular runways, each with a length of about 1,500 yards, could be
seen clearly.
119
Part II Expansion of the City Nucleus (1883-1945)
Summary
Once the colonial government selected northern Hong Kong Island as the nucleus of the territory in 1841, the Central and Sheung Wan areas assumed increased importance. Hampered by stiff opposition from the Marine lot owners at the Praya, as well as from the British military authorities, the proposed Central reclamation scheme was stymied between 1850 and 1860. Reclamation was only allowed to extend westwards and incorporated Western District as part of the city core. The scenario changed dramatically by the end of the nineteenth century. With a rising population and soaring land prices, the Marine lot owners were highly motivated to increase their land holdings at the centre of the city. Not even the British forces could stand in the way of a booming economy. The British military had to allow the government to carry out reclamation in the vicinity of military establishments. In 1887, the Praya Reclamation Scheme espoused by Paul Chater succeeded in balancing the interests of all the parties involved and gained support from both the government and the business sector. The scheme was completed in 1903 and it triggered the gradual development of the districts of Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and North Point.
Between 1883 and 1945, approximately 200 acres of land was formed by reclamation. This new source of land not only swelled government coffers from land sales, but also generated stable revenue for the Treasury in the form of Crown rent. The reclaimed land laid the foundations for the city's development. Increasing numbers of dwellings equipped with better sanitary facilities were erected to meet the needs of the growing population and thriving commercial activity. Improvement works were implemented in the major commercial and residential districts to widen the roads, in order to accommodate modern means of transport such as trams and public buses. Infrastructure befitting a modern city, including such things as sewerage systems, water and electricity, was installed in the various districts. The additional land provided by reclamation quickened the pace of urbanisation in the territory.
!
The development of each and every district in Hong Kong was closely linked
to the time of reclamation. In the second half of the nineteenth century, commercial
activity centred on the district of Central. Chinese from the province of Guangdong
made up the majority of the population in Sheung Wan and Western District. Sheung Wan still retains the culture and customs of the late nineteenth-century Guangdong,
and as such reflects the cultural style of the late Qing dynasty. In the 1920s, reclamations took place in Ha Wan (Wan Chai) and turned the district east of the Royal Navy headquarters
(Admiralty) into an area characterised by a harmonious blending of Eastern and Western
cultures. The reclamation works between the mid-1920s and the 1930s along the waterfront
of Causeway Bay and North Point sparked commercial activity in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island. This characterised the development of Hong Kong's commerce
and industry in the first half of the twentieth century.
Although the colonial government took possession of the Kowloon Peninsula
in 1860, it was not until the early twentieth century that a consensus on the direction
of its development was reached with the British military authorities. As a result, the government allowed participation by private owners in land development in the densely populated areas. During the period 1892-1918, 88 acres of land was created territorywide
by the private sector; 27 acres of new land was made available on the Kowloon Peninsula between 1899 and 1918 through the expansion of land held privately. An example of a government-designed but privately-developed reclamation project was the reclamation undertaken at Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, in Kowloon. The government mobilised private resources to progressively reshape the western shore of the Kowloon Peninsula. Large- scale development of the southern end of the Kowloon Peninsula only commenced
after the confirmation of the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus plan in 1910. Aided by the provision of transport and other support facilities, Tsim Sha Tsui became the second city nucleus after Central.
In the area of port facilities, the relevant department in charge of port works constructed piers of different sizes on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island and along the eastern and western waterfronts of the Kowloon Peninsula to support the expansion of the city. Cross-harbour ferry services were pivotal in linking up the two nuclei, one on Hong Kong Island and the other in Kowloon. The newly built ferry piers were spacious and were used to stage large-scale activities. In the first half of the twentieth century, a number of major ceremonies were held at Blake Pier and Queen Statute's Wharf. Since the establishment of the Public Works Department in
1883, the infrastructural works undertaken were on a far larger scale. From the late
nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries, the Praya Reclamation Division was an
important arm of the Public Works Department. It was entrusted with the vital task of
carrying out reclamation and port development works. Reclamation still followed the
Challenges for an Evolving City
120
121
Part II Expansion of the City Nucleus (1883-1945)
concept of levelling the mountains and filling up the seas, and sourcing fill material near the reclamation site. Perfect examples are the Western District reclamation which
sourced the material from Hospital Hill, and the reclamation in Wan Chai that received its supply of fill material from Morrison Hill. The Pierre-perdue method was employed
in seawall construction, which resulted in constructions similar to the vertical seawalls
built in modern times. It was first applied in the Bonham Strand West reclamation in
the 1860s and enabled the seawall to withstand severe typhoons effectively. The construction of seawall at the reclamation limit and the use of the Pierre-perdue method to reinforce
Praya walls dictated the reclamation techniques applied from the late nineteenth to
the early twentieth centuries. Constrained by the lack of financial resources, much of the reclamation was undertaken by the private sector, which provided funding as well as performing the actual work. Irrespective of whether the reclamation works were
carried out by the government or by the private enterprises, they still had to be scrutinised and approved by the Praya Reclamation Division of the Public Works Department. In
1924, its successor, the Port Development Division, had the responsibilities of assessing the feasibility of port works, examining and approving plans, preparing cost budgets, overseeing works and reporting progress, as well as ensuring quality. It laid the foundations for the development of the Civil Engineering Department.
To cater for the prospering maritime trade, ocean-going vessels grew increasingly larger, and an increasing number of ships moored inside the harbour. Victoria Harbour,
with water areas stretching from Central to North Point, was unable to accommodate
vessels with a draught in excess of 30 feet. In support of the port development works,
the government carried out regular dredging of the major berths and fairways to ensure
sufficient depths for berthing and safe navigation. Dredging activity became an integral function of the department responsible for harbour works. Dredging began in 1883 and was mostly performed by the simple-designed grab dredger or hopper dredger. Between 1883 and 1939, over a period of 56 years, less than HK$610,000, or about
HK$11,000 per year, was spent on fairway dredging. Dredged material amounted to 2 million cubic yards. Some of the early reclaimed areas such as Kwun Tong were actually rubbish dumping grounds. Dredging was indispensable for maintaining Victoria Harbour's reputation as one of the best natural ports in the world, by keeping it deep and wide at all times. Without proper maintenance, Hong Kong could never have achieved its status as a leading entrepôt in the Asia Pacific region. Port development carried out at the end of the nineteenth century until the Japanese occupation, which included reclamation along the shorelines, pier erection, fairway dredging and typhoon shelter construction, bore witness to the modernisation of the city.
The invasion by the Japanese in 1941 put a temporary brake on the development cycle of Hong Kong, which began in the second half of the nineteenth century and continued until the first half of the twentieth century. The post-war reconstruction works coincided with a rapidly expanding population and ushered in a new phase of development.
Challenges for an Evolving City
122
123
1945-1982
New Land Formation
!
1. Post-War Works Departments
Port Works Division
From Civil Engineering Office to Engineering Development Department
2. Land Development Policy
Patrick Abercrombie's Urban Blueprint
Town Planning in the 1960s
Post-War Works Departments
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
3. New Satellite Towns
Kwun Tong
Tsuen Wan
Castle Peak (Tuen Mun)
Sha Tin
4. New Face of Victoria Harbour
New Typhoon Shelters
New Piers
Fairway Dredging
5. International Trading Port
Kwai Chung Container Terminal
Kai Tak Airport Reclamation. A
6. Summary
D
In August 1945, the Japanese occupying forces in Hong Kong surrendered to
the British military. When the Hong Kong government reassumed administrative powers from the British authorities on 1 May 1946, it had to start rebuilding the city immediately. The Public Works Department resumed its previous duties and commenced the work
of restoring the infrastructural facilities. In 1947, there were nine divisions/offices under the direction of the Public Works Department: Headquarters, Architectural, Buildings Ordinance, Crown Lands and Surveys, Drainage, Roads, Port Works, Electrical and Mechanical, and Waterworks 160. With the exception of the Waterworks Office, the
Electrical and Mechanical Office, and the Port Works Division, all the other units
were located at Lower Albert Road. For the first few years after the war, the emphasis of all the works offices was on the reconstruction of the city.
Port Works Division
By the late 1940s, the focus of the Port Works Division was still on port development and reclamation works. In the early years immediately after the war, its efforts were concentrated on the reconstruction of port facilities such as piers and seawalls. In 1948, the Port Works Division expanded its scope of work and assumed responsibility for the maintenance of Kai Tak Airport. In 1950, a Public Works Department Laboratory was set up within the division. It was responsible for the testing of engineering materials. During 1951-52, the Port Works Division also established a Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme to co-ordinate with the post-war colonial policy of the British government. The Port Works Division was involved in five major areas of work161. 1. Maintenance of seawalls and piers, and dredging work
2. Reclamation, construction of public piers and other port facilities
3. Routine supervision and design work for new projects
4. Material Testing Laboratory
127
Part I New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
5. Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme
During 1952, the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme was abolished 162, but the other work areas remained largely unchanged until 1964163. In March 1958, a Development Division was created by the Public Works Department. It was responsible for site formation, public dumping ground management, large-scale land development planning, reclamation engineering works, as well as the development of districts such as Castle Peak and Sha Tin in the New Territories. The Development Division and the Port Works Division became the principal units responsible for the formation of new land and planning the utilisation of such resources. These divisions were entrusted with the vital task of the development of the New Territories.
From Civil Engineering Office to
Engineering Development Department
In 1964, four of the works offices/divisions within the Public Works Department
Roads, Drainage, Port Works and Development - were merged to form the Civil Engineering Office. Together with the offices of Waterworks, Crown Lands and Survey, Architectural, Buildings Ordinance, and Electrical and Mechanical, these six offices represented the major works subdepartments of the Public Works Department164. Of all of the works offices, the Civil Engineering Office was the largest. In 1964, it was responsible for all civil engineering works under the jurisdiction of the government, with the exception of waterworks projects. Its four main work areas were discharged by six units: the Port Works Division, the Development Division, the Roads and Drainage Division (organised into the three offices of Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories),
and the Traffic Engineering Division.
The civil engineering projects undertaken in Hong Kong followed the usual practice of contracting out the work, under the oversight of the Civil Engineering Office. Taskforces were appointed to handle some large-scale developments. In addition, the Civil Engineering Office was also responsible for the repair and maintenance of port facilities, the construction and maintenance of roads and drainage works, and the provision
of consultation services. The detailed responsibilities of the units under the Civil Engineering Office were as follows. The Port Works Division retained its former duties. It was responsible for the construction and maintenance of seawalls and piers, and the reclamation and dredging of Victoria Harbour. It also co-ordinated the development of Hong Kong Island and oversaw the public dumping grounds and privately funded port development work on the island. The work of the Development Division focused on Kowloon and the New Territories. It scrutinised development plans, carried out land formation works in the districts to be developed and supervised the public landfills. The Roads and
3.1 Panoramic view of Happy Valley and Causeway Bay in the early post-war years.
Drainage Division looked after the design, building and maintenance of all public road and drainage works in Hong Kong, and monitored all private works of the same nature to ensure their co-ordination with the public facilities. The division consisted
of three regional offices of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. The Traffic Engineering Division designed road systems, installed and maintained traffic facilities, planned the distribution of public car parks, provided the police with technical data on traffic systems, furnished public transport operators such as bus and ferry companies with terminals and stops, and determined the public transport routes. During the 1960s, the Civil Engineering Office was the largest works subdepartment under the Public Works Department. In 1968, the Development Division set up a taskforce dedicated to the planning of the new town at Castle Peak, as well as its construction and liaison work. The scope of work of the Civil Engineering Office did not undergo significant changes before its reorganisation in 1969.
A restructuring exercise took place on 1 September 1969 which led to the establishment of a Highways Office in the Public Works Department. This office assumed responsibility for all road construction and maintenance works, while the Civil Engineering Office focused its efforts on port and land development. It was reorganised into three divisions: Port Works, Drainage Works, and Development and Airport. The work of the Port Works Division was largely unchanged. The Drainage Works Division combined the three offices of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories into one and co-ordinated the drainage work for the whole of Hong Kong. The Development and Airport Division was responsible for the development and maintenance of Kai Tak Airport.
Challenges for an Evolving City
128
129
3.2
3.3
3.4
Panoramic view of Hong Kong urban areas shortly after the war.
Panoramic view of the districts stretching from Central to Causeway Bay from Victoria Peak in the 1940s.
Panoramic view of the districts stretching from Central to Causeway
Bay from Victoria Peak in the 1960s.
iz
3.2
3.3
3.4
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
131
3.2
3.3
3.4
Panoramic view of Hong Kong urban areas shortly after the war.
Panoramic view of the districts stretching from Central to Causeway Bay from Victoria Peak in the 1940s.
Panoramic view of the districts stretching from Central to Causeway Bay from Victoria Peak in the 1960s.
3.2
T
3.3
3.4
Part III New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
131
Challenges for an Evolving City
T
3.5 Certain reclamation works were still performed manually after the war - reclamation at Nam Sang Wai in March 1962.
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
132
In 1978, the Engineering Development subdepartment within the Public Works Department assumed responsibilities for four major works offices: the Civil Engineering Office, the Electrical and Mechanical Office, the Highways Office and the Geotechnical Control Office. The Civil Engineering Office comprised the five divisions of Port Works, Development and Airport, Drainage Works, Railway and Consultants Management. Its principal areas of responsibilities included site formation, port construction and maintenance, drainage and sewerage systems.
The scope of work of the Engineering Development subdepartment grew rapidly. On 1 April 1982, it became an independent department upon the dissolution of the Public Works Department. The new Engineering Development Department had seven offices under its command. In addition to the original four offices, three new offices were added: Headquarters, Mass Transit and Railway Development. In August 1982, the Electrical and Mechanical Office was detached from the Engineering Developing Department to become an independent department.
From 1946 onwards, the size of the works offices in charge of port and land development expanded continuously. This is manifested by the establishment of the Development Division in 1958, and the creation of the Civil Engineering Office in 1964 via the merger of the four divisions of Port Works, Development, Road and Drainage. The work of the Civil Engineering Office broadened. Not only was it responsible for
port development and the exploitation of new land resources, but it also had to oversee
the units that provided support facilities such as drainage, electrical and mechanical, and roads. For the engineering works, the quality requirements become increasingly demanding. In the 1960s and the 70s, the Civil Engineering Office was by far the largest and most important works unit of the Public Works Department. This is not surprising, as from the 1960s onwards, the administration gave overriding priority
to the creation of residential and industrial land resources, in order to serve the needs of a rapidly growing population and assist the economic transformation from an entrepôt into a processing industry hub. Before the establishment of the New Territories Development Department in 1973, the Civil Engineering Office was assigned responsibility for the building of new towns and for making available new industrial and residential land to ease population pressure in the urban areas. The blueprints formulated for the new towns were the key driver behind the city's modernisation and had a direct bearing on Hong Kong's development direction in the 1960s and the 70s. The pace of development quickened in the 1970s and imposed increasingly
higher demand for infrastructural works. The work scope and nature of the engineering offices became more complex and led to the creation of more fully-fledged departments. In 1973, the planning and development responsibilities for the New Territories were transferred out of the Civil Engineering Office into the newly established New Territories
Development Department.
ין
133
Challenges for an Evolving City
134
3.6
3.7
!
3.8
3.6
Trucks depositing filling material at Chai Wai.
3.7
Pier construction at North Point carried out by the Civil Engineering Office. (1962)
3.8
Chai Wan reclamation in progress. (June 1962)
Land Development Policy
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
As early as the end of the nineteenth century, the overcrowded urban areas of Hong Kong badly affected the living environment and posed serious hygienic problems. In May 1935, the government appointed a Housing Commission to study the housing and population overcrowding problems 165. The commission released its findings in October 1938. The Secretary of the commission, W. H. Owen, recommended that new
resettlements be built in selected areas in the New Territories such as Sha Tin, Tsuen
Wan, Yuen Long, Tai Po and Fanling to ameliorate overcrowding in the urban districts1.
In order to develop these remote regions, the authorities first had to tackle the thorny issues of water supply, transportation, flood prevention and sewage disposal. Reclamation was required in some of the areas to provide suitable developable land. Hence, the administration was unable to implement the development plan of the New Territories immediately.
The government enacted the Town Planning Ordinance No 20 in 1939 and began preparations for the development of the New Territories for residential purpose. Unfortunately, the invasion by the Japanese in 1941 forced the government to shelve the plan. The rapid influx of immigrants in the post-war period resurrected the housing issue. Meanwhile, the world's political situation experienced drastic changes. Many colonies gained independence. The British government was forced to alter its colonial
policy and make positive efforts to improve Hong Kong's development. In 1945, the British Colonial Office established a Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme and earmarked £1,000,000 to assist Hong Kong's development over the next decade. As
a result, the Hong Kong government formulated its social economic development strategy, intended to define the direction of growth for the territory. The administration failed to determine whether to develop public housing or improve port facilities along the shores of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula as a means of revitalising the
economy,
1
:
3.9
Panoramic view of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay in 1955.
Patrick Abercrombie's Urban Blueprint
In November 1946, the renowned British town planner, Patrick Abercrombie,
was commissioned by the Hong Kong government to make recommendations regarding the direction of the city's development for the coming 50 years and draw up a blueprint167.
Patrick Abercrombie pointed out that the severe shortage of land in the central districts
and the unrelenting influx of migrants were the two major obstacles to the city's development. He promoted the concept of a Greater Hong Kong and advocated a balanced approach in developing the different districts. He called for the establishment of new comprehensive development areas to enhance the city's growth potential. This was the inevitable path that post-war Hong Kong had to follow. The recommendations made by Patrick Abercrombie
represented the basic development principles adopted by the Hong Kong government in the 1950s 68.
Abercrombie estimated that in 1948 Hong Kong had a population of 1.5 million 169.
The most densely populated area was in Sai Ying Pun on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island - bounded by Eastern Street to the east, Second Street to the south, Western Street to the west, and Connaught Road to the north - with a population density of 2,000 persons per acre. The second most congested district was Wan Chai: eastwards to Stewart Road; southwards along Hennessy Road through Fleming Road to Thomson
Road, and then through O'Brien Road on to Johnston Road; westwards to Luard Road; and northwards to Gloucester Road. This district recorded a density of 1,545 persons per acre. In the district of Sheung Wan - covering Hillier Street and Shing Wong Street
on the east, Hollywood Road on the south, Morrison Street on the west from Possession
Street via Bonham Strand, and Connaught Road on the north - a population density of
Challenges for an Evolving City
136
137
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
1,350 persons per acre was registered '70.
To alleviate population density in the overcrowded districts and accommodate the continuous influx of new migrants, Patrick Abercrombie proposed that harbour reclamation be carried out to create more land, provided that no damage was inflicted on the harbour. At the time, there was minimum developable land on Hong Kong Island, and allowed very limited scope for the undertaking of reclamation on the island's north shore. Reclamation could only be carried out eastwards from Kennedy Town in the west to North Point, a long and narrow strip that afforded restricted scope for development. The hilly area in North Point could yield 100 acres of land and provide accommodation for up to 50,000 workers from Taikoo Dockyard. It was possible to convert Pokfulam, a pasture area in the 1940s, into a residential district, but this would require considerable engineering activity. As for the heavily populated area of Aberdeen, the critical issue of water supply had to be dealt with before further development was possible. After considering Hong Kong's post-war development of land resources, Abercrombie felt that the immediate requirements could be satisfied by giving top development priority to the Kai Tak area in Kowloon. He proposed that the area be established as a comprehensive development district, with 0.75 acres of space per 1,000 persons to be reserved for community facilities such as shops, medical clinics, schools, parks, etc., and with a projected population density of 285 persons per acre. The district was to be equipped with emerging industries, high quality dwellings, shops, leisure and recreation space, clinics and schools. It could attract residents from the congested districts on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. If Hong Kong were to achieve an overall population density of 500 persons per acre, it would call for the relocation of 156,670 people from Hong Kong Island and 29,250 people from Kowloon.
Considering the city's long-term land development plan, Patrick Abercrombie identified the Kowloon Peninsula as the key region to be developed in subsequent decades. Most of the New Territories was to be kept unchanged to preserve its natural resources and act as the urban city's hinterland. This region would provide food, fresh water, space for outdoor activities and recreation establishments. Here, aggressive development was to be avoided. Tsuen Wan and Gin Drinkers Bay were the only districts in the New Territories qualified for development into new satellite towns. As regards the Kowloon Peninsula, Kwun Tong and Hung Hom were the districts that could yield additional land through reclamation, while Homantin East, Kowloon Tsai East, Kowloon Tong West, Castle Peak Road and Kai Tak North could be used after site formation works. The nine new districts, including Tsuen Wan and Gin Drinkers Bay in the New Territories, would provide 1,993 acres of new land in the centre of the city, capable of sustaining a population of about 600,000 people. This equates to a density of just 302 persons per acre, a level much more reasonable than the figure of 2,000 persons per acre registered in the crowded urban regions.
Table 3.1 Population Distribution in New Areas - Patrick Abercrombie's
Urban Blueprint
Location
Homantin East
Kowloon Tsai East
Kowloon Tong West
Area (acre)
Capacity
Population ('000 persons)
200
57
325
92.7
275
78.5
Castle Peak Road
125
35.6
Kwun Tong Reclamation Area
175
50
Hung Hom Reclamation Area
150
75
į
Gin Drinkers Bay
200
57
Tsuen Wan
193
55
Kai Tak North
350
100
Total
1,993
600.8
Source:
Abercrombie, Patrick, Hong Kong Preliminary Planning Report, Hong Kong Government, 1948, p.6.
In 1952, the Executive Council revised the Town Planning Ordinance and advocated an integrated development strategy for the undeveloped districts. Urbanisation was to take place gradually, based on Patrick Abercrombie's recommendations, with due regard to the government's fiscal capability and society's needs. When Abercrombie devised the outline development plan in September 1949, Hong Kong had a population of only 1.5 million. By 1953, the figure jumped to an estimated 2.25 million, owing to mass influxes of immigrants in the early 1950s. Patrick Abercrombie could not have foreseen such phenomenal growth in population. Most of the newly arrived refugees built makeshift dwellings in the hilly areas on Hong Kong Island or the Kowloon Peninsula, exacerbating the already serious housing problem in Hong Kong. In 1953, the number of people living in wooden huts in Kowloon reached the 300,000 mark11. A disastrous squatter
fire that struck the Shek Kip Mei in December of the same year forced the government to tackle the housing issue for the new immigrants. Faced with a sharply increasing population and severe land shortages in the 1950s and the 60s, the administration was no longer capable of implementing fully the reform measures recommended by Patrick Abercrombie172. It had to devise a new development strategy for the New Territories. The departments responsible for civil engineering activity also had to change their work plans to conform to the needs of society. The New Territories was the region that
experienced significant development changes.
Town Planning in the 1960s
In December 1958, the government formulated a 10-year town planning programme,
Challenges for an Evolving City
138
139
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.10
giving special emphasis to the development policy of new satellite towns 173. During the 1960s, town planning work came within the ambit of the Public Works Department. Besides the Public Works Department, the Town Planning Board was another important urban planning consultative body. The board was chaired by the Director of Public Works and consisted of eight official members and five non-official members. Another prominent town planning organisation was the Land Development Planning Committee. This committee was chaired by the Deputy Colonial Secretary and had seven official members. Under these two consultative bodies, a Planning Division was established within the Crown Lands and Survey Office to carry out the actual work. Urban development planning was performed at three levels 174:
1. Colony Outline Plan
2. Statutory Outline Zoning Plans
3. Departmental Plans
The Colony Outline Plan was first formulated under the charge of the Land Development Planning Committee. The Town Planning Board designed the blueprints
for the districts and made them legally binding, after receiving consent from the government. The blueprints were then submitted to the Land Development Planning Committee for approval, and passed on to the relevant offices under the Public Works Department for execution. Development projects in the urban areas were placed under the jurisdiction of the Director of Public Works, while the district officers supervised works carried
out in the New Territories. The Civil Engineering Office was the unit within the Public Works Department given the task of land formation. Before the establishment of the
New Territories Development Department in 1973, the Civil Engineering Office assumed
responsibility for the formulation of outline development plans for all new districts; the construction of roads, stormwater drains, sewerage systems, port works, reclamation
and the maintenance of all such facilities175.
140
3.11
3.10 Reclamation in progress at Cheung Sha Wan in May 1963.
3.11 Reclamation in progress at To Kwa Wan in May 1963.
3.12 Development of the Kowloon Peninsula began in earnest after the war. Reclamation
in progress at Hung Hom in May 1963.
3.12
New Satellite Towns
اسمية
3.13 The first and second stages of Kwun Tong reclamation were completed in 1959, yielding 33 hectares (82 acres) of land.
Part III
New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Challenges for an Evolving City
142
The massive influx of immigrants in the 1950s and the 60s had a profound effect on the economic transformation of Hong Kong as it brought in enormous quantity of capital, professional expertise, as well as cheap labour. The resources provided by the rapidly expanding population led to the emergence of processing industries in Hong Kong. To give impetus to this new development direction, it was imperative to make new industrial districts available to the industries. The relief of population pressure and the promotion of industrial development became the administration's primary objectives in the 1950s. The government was forced to abandon strict adherence to Patrick Abercrombie's recommendation to build comprehensively planned districts.
Kwun Tong
Kwun Tong was chosen and developed into the first industrial district after the war for the following reasons:
1. Kwun Tong had been used as a public dumping round since the 1930s. This resulted in the creation of substantial new land, but with a population of just 1,000 in the
1950s 176
2. The hills north of Kwun Tong were composed of weathered rocks that were easy to level geologically. The rocks excavated could be used for the Kowloon Bay reclamation. 3. Kwun Tong was closely linked to urban Kowloon. Thus, it could gain access to the required social services from Kowloon, even if it was not a fully planned community. 4. The godowns and piers in the vicinity of Kwun Tong would facilitate cargo transportation
following improvements made to road system.
At the end of 1954, the government allocated HK$10 million from the Hong Kong Development Funds to develop Kwun Tong. It also appointed a Kwun Tong Affairs Advisory Committee in 1956 to report on development progress. In May 1956, an Executive Council working committee proposed that 244 acres of new land be formed in Kwun Tong: 45 hectares (111 acres) was designated for industrial use and would
result in the building of 19 blocks of industrial units with sizes ranging from 930 square metres to 1,860 square metres; 34 hectares (84 acres) would be made available to build 1,080 residential units; 15 hectares (37 acres) was to be used for resettlement
estates; and the balance of 5 hectares (12 acres) was for commercial use. The plan projected that 90,000 people would be housed in the first five years, with the number rising to 200,000 within 10 years. The projected population density was in excess of 3,000 per hectare, that is, approximately 1,214 persons per acre. The development programme was unveiled in the same year, with the aim of making Kwun Tong a community with a capacity to support a population of 120,000 persons 177. Reclamation started immediately; the first and second stages were completed in the middle of
1959 and created 33 hectares (82 acres), with the third stage reclamation work commencing
in the same year. From 1956 to 1966, a total of 641 acres of new land was made
available. This was 397 acres more than the original estimates of 244 acres.
Of the new land created, 154 acres was put to industrial use. The authorities
leased out the land to private developers for a term of 20 years as from 1 July 1955, renewable for a further 20 years. The land purchasers were allowed to pay either by a single payment or over 20 years with interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum. In the 10 years between April 1956 and March 1966, the government received land premiums totalling HK$97 million from the sale of reclaimed land in Kwun Tong, representing 11.3 per cent of total land sale revenue over that period. By March 1972, revenue from Kwun Tong's reclaimed land rose to HK$120 million, excluding the principal sums receivable from the land sold. This was equivalent to 7.7 per cent of total land revenue for the corresponding period178. Over the same period, total expenditure on developing Kwun Tong came to HK$116.4 million. It included site formation cost incurred in relation to the Kwun Tong industrial district, Yau Tong,
Kowloon Bay and the residential areas, transport facilities, etc. Non-recurring expenditure on the Kwun Tong industrial district amounted to approximately HK$50 million only. This demonstrates the lucrative returns generated from Kwun Tong's 17-year reclamation.
143
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
3.14 Active development of the Kwun Tong industrial district, with reclamation and factory building construction taking place
simultaneously. (December 1962)
The number of factories established in the Kwun Tong reclamation area rose from 100 in 1961 to 808 by 1970, with a compounded annual growth rate of 26.1 per cent. The number of workers grew at an annual rate of 19.1 per cent and climbed from 15,000 to 72,300 over the same period. The growth rates were considerably higher than the rates achieved for the whole of Hong Kong between 1961 and 1972. During the period in question, the overall rates of increase were 11.7 per cent and 7.8 per cent for factories and workers respectively. In 1971, there were over 1,600 factory establishments in Kwun Tong179, representing 8.4 per cent of Hong Kong's total and higher than Tsuen Wan's share of 7 per cent. Most of the establishments were engaged in clothing, textiles and machinery manufacturing industries. According to 1971 statistics, the value of goods produced by factories in Kwun Tong made up 18.25 per cent of the HK$18.048 billion worth of goods produced in Hong Kong, reaching HK$3.294 billion. Of the goods produced in Kwun Tong, 61.74 per cent (HK$2.034 billion) were exported, with the balance of 38.26 per cent (HK$1.26 billion) sold locally. Ninety-two per cent of the factory establishments in Kwun Tong were locally owned 180.
The concentration of factories in Kwun Tong had attracted an influx of low- income families. They provided the labour-intensive processing industries with a cheap source of labour. Private developers then moved in and developed Kwun Tong. According to data from the Public Works Department, sums totalling HK$165.38 million and HK$156.02 million were invested by the private sector in the construction of residential units in 1964 and 1971 respectively. Private investments in industrial buildings and warehouses totalled HK$434.84 million in 1964 and HK$394.15 million in 1971. These
sums far exceeded the amounts expended by the government.
Beginning in 1959, a total of six resettlement estates were constructed in Kwun Tong. From the late 1960s Kwun Tong became part of urban Kowloon, equipped to support a population of 500,000181. By 1971, a total of 452,836 people lived in Ngau Tau Kok and Lei Yue Mun 82. These resettlement estates provided 56,818 housing units capable of accommodating 258,814 residents 183. Approximately 76.4 per cent of the population of Ngau Tau Kok and Lei Yue Mun (345,846) lived in public housing developments: 57 per cent residing in resettlement estates and 19 per cent in low-cost housing estates. This figure represented 28.4 per cent of the territorywide public-housing population 184. In 1971, Kwun Tong was already a densely populated industrial district, compared with the populations of 275,551 in Tsuen Wan and 129,048 in Yuen Long. Between 1961 and 1971, the population of Ngau Tau Kwok and Lei Yue Mun grew by 457 per cent - from 81,293 to 452,836, with an average growth rate of 18.7 per cent per annum. Over the corresponding period, the population of Tsuen Wan rose by 225.6 per cent, from 84,823 to 275,551, at an annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent 185.
In the 1970s, most of the social services in Kwun Tong were provided by religious
188
and voluntary bodies. According to a survey carried out in April 1971, there were only two government schools (one primary and one secondary) among the 129 day schools in Kwun Tong. The rest were grant schools or subsidised schools run by religious or volunteer organisations18%. In 1975, 83 per cent of the students in Kwun Tong were educated at schools operated by these agencies 187. In the area of health services, of the 70 medical clinics operating in Kwun Tong at the end of 1971, 43 were run by business concerns and 24 by religious or voluntary agencies. There were only three government clinics. Even United Christian Hospital was funded by a Protestant organisation' With regard to social welfare services, government-funded community centres did not appear on the scene until 1969. Of the 44 social welfare centres operating in Kwun Tong in 1971, most of them were affiliated with either religious or volunteer organisations, with just eight run by the government 189. In the early years, the factories in Kwun Tong district had to face labour shortages, as well as water and electricity supply problems" With community support facilities unable to match its population, the development of Kwun Tong only succeeded in relieving the mounting population pressures and providing cheap labour for the processing industries in the 1960s and the 70s. It failed to grow into another core district of the city.
•
190
The development of new districts could not fully remove the pressure on the city nucleus. Therefore, the administration had to persist with development in the central part of the City of Victoria. Significant reclamation activity was undertaken in districts
on Hong Kong Island such as Central in the north, North Point and Quarry Bay in the east, and Kennedy Town in the west. Such reclamation allowed expansion of the core districts along their existing boundaries, while the northern part of Hong Kong Island and the southern end of the Kowloon Peninsula maintained their pre-eminent status.
Challenges for an Evolving City
144
145
3.15 By 1966, Kwun Tong was already a well populated industrial district
with 250,000 residents.
3.16 Land totalling 641 acres was produced in Kwun Tong by reclamation.
Panoramic view of the Kwun Tong industrial district in 1960.
3.17 Cargo loading and unloading along the shores of Kwun Tong
(February 1972)
い
3.16
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
3.17
3.15
Tsuen Wan
To divert people from the densely populated urban areas, it was imperative that land development be stepped up in the New Territories. Before the formation of the New Territories Development Department in August 1973, such responsibility fell
upon the Public Works Department. The relevant works offices under the Public Works Department were required to plan and execute the programmes in accordance with their specialities, as well as co-ordinating with other government departments such as the Housing Department and the Resettlement Department to determine the development emphasis in the new districts. In the 1960s, the Port Works Division and the Development Division under the Civil Engineering Office played vital roles in developing land resources in the New Territories. The blueprints for Tsuen Wan in the 1950s and Sha Tin in the
147
3.18
Challenges for an Evolving City.
148
1960s were drawn up by the Development Division.
In the 1950s, land was in short supply on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula and prices rose sharply. As a result, investors gradually turned their attention to the New Territories. Tsuen Wan, a distance of 14 kilometres (8.5 miles) from Tsim Sha Tsui, had a population of just over 5,000 in the 1930s11. As there were anchorage facilities near Tsuen Wan and it was not far from the city nucleus, Tsuen Wan was equally accessible by land or water. The district was close to Shing Mun Reservoir
and was already supplied with electricity installed by the government earlier. With the utility infrastructure in place, Tsuen Wan had immense potential as an industrial district. Hence, it was designated for strategic development 192.
At that time, Tsuen Wan was known as Gin Drinkers Bay. The peninsula was mountainous, with land rising to a height of up to 400 feet. The town centre was split up due to the hilly terrain; therefore, massive reclamation was required for its development. The government planned for three centres in Tsuen Wan district: Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung. In 1954, the works divisions of the Public Works Department began reclamation and site formation works in Tsuen Wan Bay, with 121 acres (49 hectares) of land formed by 1957193. The same year saw the completion of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir
and the laying of underwater water pipelines to Kowloon, forging closer links between Tsuen Wan and the urban areas 94. In 1959, the administration endorsed the blueprint for Tsuen Wan with the aim of developing Tsuen Wan into a one-million-strong community. The importance of Tsuen Wan was boosted by the colony's long-term development plan formulated in 1961. Between 1969 and 1976, an additional 306 acres (124 hectares) of land was reclaimed from Gin Drinkers Bay195, enhancing the area of Tsuen Wan to 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares), a size that was larger than the Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street 196.
Running east to west along the Tsuen Wan section of Castle Peak Road, the vast expanse of land stretching from Tai Wo Hau to Chai Wan Kok was created by
reclamation and became the town centre of Tsuen Wan. Gin Drinkers Bay was reclaimed
3.19
3.20
3.18 Panoramic view of Tsuen Wan
satellite town.(1960)
3.19 Gin Drinkers Bay Landfill in No- vember 1962, around present- day Kwai Chung Road.
3.20 Bird's eye view of Tsuen Wan
satellite town in the 1960s. Rec-
lamation that ended in 1958
generated 120 acres of land.
to build public housing estates, and factories were established all over north Kwai Chung. By 1961, the population in Tsuen Wan exceeded 80,000 and the district had about 247 factory establishments. In the same year, 20 per cent of Hong Kong's total industrial workforce worked in Tsuen Wan. In 1966, a total of 105,000 people resided
in Tai Wo Hau and Kwai Chung estates, two of the main public housing developments in Tsuen Wan. In 1961-62, the 108 textile factories in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung employed a total of 25,000 workers. Two years later, the number of factories and workers rose to 144 and 26,000 respectively 197. In 1974, the major industries operating in Tsuen Wan included apparel, plastics, metal, electronics and textiles. The population of the whole district of Tsuen Wan grew to about 270,000 in 1971198, with the majority residing in public housing units. Compared with Kwun Tong, the development of Tsuen Wan was more balanced, with new leisure and recreational facilities such as Gin Drinkers
Bay Park and Tsuen Wan Town Hall, which offered a wide variety of cultural and
entertainment activities.
SAN HUIR
AREA 12 RECLAMATION
CHANNEL
TO
TSUEN WAN
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Challenges for an Evolving City
150
Castle Peak (Tuen Mun)
Following the establishment of the two industrial districts in Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan, the government pressed ahead with its exploration for more industrial land resources. In December 1957, it envisaged large-scale reclamation works in Castle Peak. In 1959, the consultants, Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners, unveiled the reclamation plan for Castle Peak Bay and proposed that Castle Peak be developed into a new satellite town to support a population of 285,000. In 1960, interest in the Castle Peak development programme was rekindled in the wake of the ever-rising demand for residential and industrial land in Castle Peak. In December 1961, the authorities
completed the preliminary development outline for Castle Peak and laid the ground work for accelerated development of the area by building a river bridge and causeway across the Castle Peak Bay at Tuen Mun San Hui, a 1,700-foot-long bund, and a water
supply system for the area.
The eventual scale of development at Castle Peak was naturally far greater
than the infrastructural works planned in 1961. In September 1963, the Public Works Department performed another round of on-site investigations, with the focus placed on evaluating reclamation problems and sourcing fill material. Exploratory ground investigations were carried out on the nearby seabed and mountains. In April 1964, the project liaison team canvassed views from the relevant departments concerned and the private sector was given access to the research study data.
In general, the cost of reclamation is largely determined by the geological characteristics of the seabed and its depth, the coastline configuration and the availability of fill material from nearby hills. The Castle Peak reclamation involved the following
work:
AREA
RESETTLE
ESTATE
CAUSEWAY
OLD
FISH PONDS.
CHA
EXISTING
INDUST
AREA RESIDENTIAL
10
3.21
3.22
3.21 Blueprint for the first stage development of Castle Peak (present-day Tuen Mun) in 1964.
3.22 Sketch plan for the first stage development of western Castle Peak in 1964. Land formed included 171 acres of lowlying areas, 463 acres of hilly ground and 407 acres of re- claimed land, totalling 1,041 acres.
151
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
3.23 Bird's eye view of Castle Peak satellite town in 1972.
1. To decide on the future of the two existing beaches;
2. To construct a 106-acre typhoon anchorage;
3. To build 5,200 feet of seawall for cargo handling and a passenger ferry berth.
As there were no past occurrences of storm surges during typhoons, flooding was not an important consideration when determining the reclamation levels. The deciding factor was, in fact, sewerage requirements 199. An estimated 11 million cubic yards of fill material was required for the reclamation, plus another 5.5 million cubic yards for building up the lowlying areas. The consultants attempted to utilise the seabed material
as fill but found it to be unsuitable. Eventually they found a suitable fill from the surrounding hills lying to the west, northwest and north of Castle Peak Bay. The silt and clay in the seabed in Castle Peak Bay was softer than similar materials found at
other reclamation sites, and the soft layer was quite deep. Precautionary measures were required to avoid seabed slips and the formation of mud-waves during reclamation. The Castle Peak reclamation scheme could not draw on the experience gained from the Gin Drinkers Bay project due to differing geological profiles. The water depths at Castle Peak Bay were much shallower. The report recommended that a blanket layer of granular material be placed on the seabed, which would also accelerate the settlement rate. To guard against slips, barges were to be used to deposit the fill material in a series of shallow layers so as to minimise disturbance of the silt surface.
The report released in November 1964 recommended the development of 1,041 acres of land in Castle Peak into a new satellite town capable of supporting a population of one million. This area of land was to be made up of 171 acres of existing lowlying areas, 463 acres of hilly ground and 407 acres of reclaimed land. The land. utilisation was as follows: resettlement estates (179 acres), other low-cost government
housing (58 acres), private residential development (335 acres), industrial development (379 acres), central area (34 acres), government, institutional and community area (31 acres), and formed open space (25 acres). With an estimated cost of HK$432 million, the average cost per square foot was HK$9.50. It was conservatively estimated that HK$470 million could be generated from future land sales, and the development programme would span 10 years 200
The development of Castle Peak occurred at almost the same time as that of Sha Tin. The first stage of reclamation commenced in 1966 and yielded 220 acres of land201. On 15 July 1966, the Town Planning Board discussed the development plans. for the two new satellite towns at Sha Tin and Castle Peak, and the Castle Peak proposal came under heavy criticism from the indigenous villagers. The Heung Yee Kuk felt
that the government had not conducted adequate consultations. As a result, the administration made significant amendments to the railway blueprint for that area202.
The development of public housing in the Castle Peak area was regarded as a pilot project for the territory's public housing scheme. In 1968, construction works began on San Fat Estate, a project that was designed to house 11,000 people. By the end of the 1970s, four large-scale public housing developments had been completed in support of the 10-year housing programme announced by the government in 1973, which expanded the number of units to be built to accommodate an additional 158,000 people. Out of a population of 483,600 living in the Castle Peak area, 344,000 resided
in public housing estates.
In 1971, reclamation was carried out at Castle Peak Bay to boost the new land
total to 809 hectares, with 101 hectares already developed. The most critical part of
153
development was in transport network, as vividly represented by Castle Peak Road which ran from Tsuen Wan and passed through the east Castle Peak area. Also, the
road that extended westwards from the town centre to Pillar Point (Mong Hau Shek)
and Tap Shek Kok also assisted the development of the area. The well-developed road
network had facilitated the construction of large-scale infrastructure such as the desalter
plant and Castle Peak Power Station within the district.
The Castle Peak development project was used as a testing ground for early town planning. The government incorporated views from professional engineers, architects, town planners and other professionals, as well as input from the relevant government departments. It then devised an integrated plan for the development of new satellite towns.
3.24 Sha Tin in 1961 was full of paddy fields. In the upper right corner is Yuen Chau Kok Island (present-day Tai Chong Kiu Road). The railway running
between Pai Tau Village and Fo Tan could be seen clearly in the left hand corner.
Challenges for an Evolving City
154
Sha Tin
In the old days, Sha Tin was called "Thorn Garden", as it was originally an
uninhabited area filled with thorn bushes in earlier times. Its name changed to Lek
Yuen, as limpid water flowed down from the headwaters of the Shing Mun River.
Eventually the name of Sha Tin was adopted since the plain along the banks of the
river already had villages with names such as Sha Tin Wai and Sha Tin Tau. One
folktale had it that after the British leased the New Territories in 1898, the British
forces renamed Lek Yuen as Sha Tin by error when they misunderstood the information given by villagers from Sha Tin Wai. Another source alleged that the name "Sha Tin" first appeared in the 1866 map of Xinan district drawn by the Italian priest Father Simeone Volanteri203. Both alleged origins are wrong. The district was already named Sha Tin in the early nineteenth century, or even earlier. This name appeared in maps along with places like Tai Po Market, Lam Tsuen, Ting Kok, Tsuen Wan and Sai Kung 204.
The district of Sha Tin is surrounded by hills on three sides, with only the north side facing the sea. A small and narrow plain is located in the middle, formed
by the banks of the Shing Mun River and the shores of the inlet and small bays. The topography of Sha Tin is basically hilly. It is located in the southeastern part of the
New Territories. To its south are Beacon Hill, Lion Rock and Tate's Cairn, which are
contiguous with Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon Tong, San Po Kong and Tsz Wan Shan in Kowloon. To its east is Ma On Shan, which borders Sai Kung. To its northeast is Tai Po, and Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan are to its west205. It encompasses an area of 69.22 square kilometres 206.
At the beginning, agriculture, forestry and, to a lesser extent, fishery were the main sources of income for Sha Tin residents. Up until 1941, people in Sha Tin were mainly engaged in agricultural activity including the cultivation of rice, cash crops and vegetables, poultry rearing, supplemented by the cutting and sale of firewood. Some residents along the sea and river lived off shrimp catching and fishing207. The local economy only started to take off after 1950, stimulated by a greatly enlarged
population and capital inflows.
In 1911, Sha Tin had a population of just 3,819208; the figure rose to 4,156 in 1921, representing an average annual growth rate of just 0.8 per cent over the 10-year period. The population then grew very rapidly and climbed to 20,000 by 1961209. The increase was largely attributed to the massive influx of Chinese immigrants; they not only boosted the workforce, but also brought in new working capital. This new economic impetus played a very significant part in transforming the economy of Sha Tin.
The first reclamation in Sha Tin was undertaken privately out of economic
3.25 Panoramic view of Sha Tin in 1962 before its development.
3.26 Sha Tin in 1972, with reclamation in progress. Siu Lek Yuen is in the right of the photo with the Shing Mun River taking shape.
The Sha Tin reclamation produced 864 hectares (2,135 acres) of land.
3.25
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.26
Part III New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
necessity, and not by the government. Liu Rui, a Hong Kong-born resident of Taishan origin, returned to Hong Kong in 1949 after studying in the United States. In 1950, he recognised that the economies of Hong Kong and Sha Tin were ready to take off. Believing that industrial and commercial activity would blossom in Sha Tin in the near future, he decided to fill up the 150,000 square feet of seaside paddy fields owned by his father210 that were adjacent to the Sha Tin railway station, and converted it into a new market for commercial and industrial use. His plan was to build 120 two-storey
village houses together with streets-Centre, Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4-next to the Sha Tin train station and southeast of the Kowloon-Canton Railway line. Shops occupied the ground floors of the houses, with the upper floors used for residential purpose2. The
houses were available for sale or lease.
Development began in 1950 after receiving approval from the Sha Tin District Office. By 1951, sixty of the planned houses were built in front of Centre Street, with
the remaining 60 erected at the back of Centre Street between 1952 and 1953. It took some time to resolve the problems of water and electricity supply and sewage disposal. By 1956, the Sha Tin Market evolved into a fairly modernised facility. Its completion enabled residents to obtain all their daily necessities in one place.
In the 1950s, Sha Tin was included in the list of districts earmarked for development. A taskforce was appointed in 1954 to study the development potential of Sha Tin. It recommended that the district be developed into a new satellite town to support a 270,000-strong population. Reclamation was the key to Sha Tin's transformation into a major new satellite town. The initial plan entailed the filling of the valley northeast of the Shing Mun River's downstream area. Reclamation was to be carried out in two
phases, with an estimated yield of 239 hectares (590 acres) of land. The commercial
district was to be located at the town centre, with the outer boundaries of the town
surrounded by high-density residential and industrial districts. In 1959, experts were commissioned by the Public Works Department to carry out exploratory work on the Sha Tin development project212. Their preliminary assessment was that, of the 590 acres of land to be developed, 345 acres had to be acquired through reclamation. To
prevent flooding along the coast during high tides, the consultants proposed the construction
of a bund at the lower Sha Tin Valley, with a maximum crest level of 28 feet above the Principal Datum (PD).
On 26 March 1960, the Town Planning Board re-evaluated the plan for the Sha Tin reclamation. It found that the experts' recommendations of filling the Sha Tin Valley and the subsequent construction of a bund to hold back high tides were impracticable.
Flooding in the valley could occur for reasons other than tidal currents; rainstorms presented a greater danger. The mere filling of the valley also posed serious consequences for the sewerage system. In the end, the government decided to raise the height of reclamation to minimise the risk of flooding. The blueprint for Sha Tin's development
was redrafted in 1961. The revised plan was markedly different from the 1954 plan,
with special emphasis on environmental design. Under the revised plan, the Shing Mun River flowed through the heart of the new town, with schools, temples and low- density housing, as well as enhanced rest and recreation space213 built along the riverbanks. The areas of Fo Tan and Tai Wai were to become light industry districts as they were
already home to many industrial establishments. The plan envisaged that the Sha Tin new town could accommodate a population of 360,000. In addition to land use zoning for the various districts, the blueprint also dealt with matters such as railway route and roads, schools, markets and other public facilities. It was projected that half of
Sha Tin's working population would be able to work within the locality.
The 1961 proposal came under attack from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and the Tsim Sha Tsui District Kaifong Welfare Association. They criticised the new
blueprint for failing to preserve Sha Tin's unique features as a countryside area in the 1960s and called on the government to create a better environment within the town centre and to provide additional open space. Such demands ran counter to the objective of the plan to build dwelling units in large quantities, and the development project was stymied for a second time. In 1961, the Development Division conducted detailed studies of the Sha Tin plan, and the project was reviewed at the twenty-first meeting of the Land Development Planning Committee held in 1962. It was proposed that discussions
156
157
3.27 View of Pai Tau Village (present-day Sha Tin KCR station) in 1972.
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Challenges for an Evolving City
158
be held on the reclamation method and fill material used.
The feasibility report prepared by the Development Division pointed out that the major difficulty involved in Sha Tin reclamation was the frequent occurrences of storm surge along the shores of Tolo Harbour during the passage of typhoons. The most severe typhoons, such as those passing through Hong Kong in 1874, 1906 and 1937, had triggered storm surges in Tolo Harbour. The most destructive storm surge
occurred took place when Typhoon Wanda lashed Hong Kong between 30 August and
2 September 1962. The Sha Tin Market was overwhelmed with floodwaters within a short period of time, which resulted in the loss of 150 lives214. Along the shores of Hong Kong Island, the water level usually rose to a maximum of 13 feet above PD, but could touch 16 feet above PD during a typhoon. When Tolo Harbour was hit by the most severe typhoon, it was possible for the general water level to rise to 21 feet above PD, a full eight feet higher than the 13-foot level registered along the shores of Hong Kong Island during high tides. And the wave crest level could even rise to 25
feet above PD. On 1 September 1962, in the midst of the onslaught by Typhoon Wanda, the highest water level reached in Sha Tin was only 16.5 feet. The town centre was already immersed in floodwaters even at this relatively low level. To afford absolute protection at all locations against storm surge, the reclamation would have to be implemented on the basis of a maximum water level of 25 feet; but the project cost would escalate drastically. Eventually, the Acting Director of Public Works proposed level of 16 feet for the reclamation, four feet higher than the existing level. It was also recommended
that a wavebreak, up to a height of 20 feet above PD, be built along the front of the seawalls and other high-risk areas. The government was also advised to build a tidal
model based on the tidal surge conditions in Tolo Harbour for in-depth studies. In addition, the reclamation had to allow for the funnelling effect when narrowing the inlet of the valley, as it could aggravate flooding. The Development Division thus
advised that the reclamation be commenced at a wider section of the inlet of the Sha
Tin Valley. Fo Tan was selected as the limit of the main reclamation along the valley.
Additional reclamation was carried out on the northeast side of the valley to create space for improvements to Tai Po Road, and on the southeast side for a sewage treatment
works.
An estimated 14 million cubic yards of fill material was required to reclaim the Sha Tin Valley, with another eight million cubic yards to raise the levels of the lowlying areas. The authorities carried out soil drilling works in the nearby areas and encountered no rock. This allowed the reclamation project to obtain all the required soft fill material from the neighbouring hillsides. The project also had to use large quantities of rocks for the foundations, seawalls, roads, culverts and the making of
concrete.
In a normal reclamation project, the fill material is transported to the work sites by trucks, conveyor belts or hydraulic pipelines. For the Sha Tin reclamation, the use of trucks was to be kept to a minimum to avoid traffic congestions. As the seabed
along the shores of Sha Tin was covered with soft marine mud and the coastal locations
were rather shallow, it was not possible to use barges to dump the fill material. To remove moisture content quickly and accelerate settlement, a new technique was employed. It involved the insertion of 4-inch cardboard drains into the ground. Through capillary action, the small holes passing through the drains would drain water out from the marine mud. Only three months were required to achieve a level of settlement that would normally take five to 10 years.
In July 1963, the government deliberated over the implementation of the Sha Tin development plan. In the Outline Development Plan unveiled in 1965, the extent of reclamation was amended in view of the rising population trend. The revised plan incorporated more high-density housing to satisfy pressing needs. The work was to be implemented in four phases over a period of 15 years, and would support a population of 1.09 million and produce new land amounting to 864 hectares (2,135 acres), of which 94 hectares (232 acres) was to be used to build 540,000 low-income dwelling
159
3.28 Panoramic view of Sha Tin
in 1976. The yet-to-be- developed Yuen Chau Kok Island could just be seen
in the far distance.
Part II New Land Formation (1945-1982)
Challenges for an Evolving City
160
units. The planned population density was 5,560 persons per hectare (2,250 persons per acre), with 10 per cent of the district reserved for public recreation and greening purposes. The first phase of the project revolved around the Shing Mun River and the feng shui hill in Yuen Chau Kok and yielded 243 hectares of new land. The major
areas of work were drainage, reclamation and water supply, and the authorities had to co-ordinate all aspects of work including cost control. Upon completion of the first stage of reclamation, the developed area could accommodate 350,000 people.
The second stage of development commenced in November 1971. In 1973, the
government reformulated the 10-year plan for Sha Tin. The plan covered various aspects: land levelling works; construction of railway, public housing, schools, hospitals, police stations and other public facilities; and land resumptions. Of the estimated project cost of HK$2.396 billion, $1.668 billion was expended on new public facilities, with the balance of HK$728 million spent on engineering works. The 1973 blueprint covered
an area of 4,063 acres of land, 2,500 acres of which was located at the town centre to
be used for the construction of leisure and recreational facilities, roads, train stations,
hospitals and a racecourse.
In 1973-1974, before the launch of the 10-year housing programme, the Sha Tin development was progressing at a very slow pace. The first stage of construction was not even completed by 1973. It was only after 1974 that the administration focused its attention on Sha Tin, spurred by urgent demand for more land to relieve population pressures. In 1976, the government refined its plan in respect of the erection of public housing estates and land utilisation in new towns, as well as the overall land development strategy for towns. A blueprint that largely resembled present-day Sha Tin's layout was drawn up in 1977, and an outline plan for the development of Ma On Shan was also formulated in the same year.
During the 1980s, the district of Sha Tin underwent significant development which led to the formation of several industrial areas by the early 1980s: Fo Tan, Tai Wai, Siu Lek Yuen and Shek Mun215. The major business types were textiles and clothing,
electronics, metals and toys; with Fo Tan also being home to many warehouses and cold storage establishments216. Sha Tin was transformed into a modern town, bustling with business enterprises and industrial activity.
Land generated in the New Territories was used for industrial development, the construction of public housing estates and the provision of social services and public facilities to support the expanding population. Districts that were developed in the early 1970s concentrated on the provision of industrial land and public housing units. It was only in the mid-1970s that consideration was given to the development of comprehensive communities217. Younger and lower-income people, compared with residents of the more established areas, generally populated the newly developed districts. In 1977, 15 per cent of the households in Kwun Tong had an average monthly income exceeding HK$2,000, against the low figure of 1.4 per cent for Tuen Mun218. The concentration of the city's working class in the new districts was due to the government's failure to make facilities available to bolster employment opportunities within the district, and to provide adequately for education, medical care, leisure and recreation, and community services.
The implementation of full-scale development of public housing estates and the construction of related public facilities in the New Territories required relocation of indigenous residents. In the early years, the administration used farmland value as the basis for determining monetary compensation. This formula was criticised by the villagers as they believed that it undervalued their land. Subsequently, the government launched the Land Exchange Entitlement Plan. Under this plan, the villagers were given land exchange entitlement deeds (later renamed as land exchange entitlements) in exchange for land resumed. The holders of these entitlements were allowed to use them to exchange for new land within the developed areas. These entitlements were also transferable, thus making them a valuable property. Their values were allowed to fluctuated in accordance with market forces and gradually the indigenous villagers accepted these entitlements as fair compensation219. The compensation issue was one
161
Table 3.2 Population Distribution - Main Districts of Hong Kong (1961-1981)
Table 3.3 Population Density-Main Districts of Hong Kong (1961-1981)
1961
1966
1971
Hong Kong Island
Kowloon
New Kowloon*
Of which:
Population % Population %
1,004,875 34% 1,030,970 29%
725,177 24% 690,180 19%
852,849 28% 1,342,650 37%
Population
996,183 26%
716,272
19%
1,468,699 38%
%
1976
Population%
1,026,870
749,600
1,617,260
1981
1961
1966
1971
1976
(unit: pesons per sq km)
1981
Population
%
24% 1,183,621
24%
Hong Kong Island
Density
13,303
4.6
Times Density Times
13,657
3.9
Times Density
12,933
3.4
Times Density
13,319
3.2
Density Times
15,281
3.2
17% 799,123
37% 1,651,064
Of which:
16%
Wan Chai
34%
Kowloon
209,179
75,539
72
26
162,428 46.6
70,312 20.2
112,621
78,711
30
21
98,058
83,104
23.3 101,072 21.2
19.8
87,022 18.3
Of which:
Lei YuAe Mun &
Ngau Tau Kok
81,293
3%
251,680
7%
452,836 11.70%
584,770
13%
Mong Kok
134,769
Kwun Tong (Jordon
New Kowloon
27,615
46.4
9.5
108,619 31.1
40,716 11.7
173,723
39,489
46.3
10.5
159,387
44,971
37.9
10.7
161,041
45,154
33.8
9.5
Valley, Yau Tong &
610,555
12%
Of which:
Kwun Tong)
Lei Yue Mun &
New Territories
409,945
14%
542,600 15%
675,582
18% 950,060
22% 1,303,005
26%
6,228
2.1
5.2
Ngau Tau Kok
Of which:
Kwun Tong
Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi
84,823
3%
& Ma Wan
205,700 6%
New Territories
57,708
747
15.4
0.2
76,477
1,044
18.2
0.2
73,184
1,426
15.4
0.3
Of which:
Tsuen Wan New Town
Other areas in Tsuen Wan
268,669
6,882
7%
0.20%
452,490
7,800
10% 599,011
0.18% 7,853
12%
0.16%
Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi &
1,251
0.4
3,009
0.9
Ma Wan
Tuen Mun, Ha Tsuen
Tsuen Wan New Town
10,482
2.8
18,655
4.4
23,562
5
& Ping Shan
57,709
2%
56,130
2%
Other areas in Tsuen
143
0.04
163
0.04
164
0.03
Tuen Mun New Town
Other areas in Tuen Mun
21,589
24,772
1%
1%
34,330
23,840
1%
89,901
2%
Wan
1% 29,227
1%
Tuen Mun. Ha Tsuen &
516
0.2
502
0.1
Ping Shan
Sha Tin, Tai Po & Sai
Kung North
66,979
2% 83,970 2%
Tuen Mun New Town
2,241
0.6
3,253
0.8
6,930
1.5
Sha Tin New Town
Other areas in Sha Tin
Total
2,992,846
100% 3,606,400 100%
26,224
1% 39,470
1% 109,471
4,280 0.11% 6,310 0.15% 7,336
3,856,736 100% 4,343,790 100% 4,936,813
2%
Other areas in Tuen Mun
371
0.1
356
0.1
437
0.1
0.15%
100%
Sha Tin, Tai Po & Sai Kung North
371
0.1
466
0.1
Sha Tin
Sources:
Barnett, K. M. A., Hong Kong Report on the 1966 By-Census, Hong Kong, Census and Statistics Department, 1967, Vol II: Tables, p. 11. Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Population and Housing Census 1971 Main Report, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1972,
p. 28.
Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong 1981 Census Main Report, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1982, Vol 2: Tables, p. 22. During 1961-1976, New Kowloon included Cheung Sha Wan, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon Tong, Kai Tak, Ngau Tau Kok and Lei Yue Mun. In 1981, it also encompassed Lai Chi Kok, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Tsz Wan Shan, Ngan Chi Wan, Jordon Valley and Yau Tong.
Sha Tin New Town
Other areas in Sha Tin
Average population
2,902
per square kilometre
Sources:
3,486
1,243
0.3
1,653
0.4
4,099
0.9
104
0.03
153
0.03
177
0.04
3,754
4,207
4,760
1
of the major obstacles faced by the government in the development of the New Territories.
From a population of 2.07 million in 1951, the figure rose to 2.99 million in 1961 (Table 3.2). The population breakdown was 34 per cent on Hong Kong Island, 24 per cent in Kowloon, 28 per cent in New Kowloon (included Cheung Sha Wan, Shek Kip Kei, Kowloon Tong, Kai Tak, Lei Yue Mun and Ngau Tau Kok) and just 14 per cent in the New Territories. Hong Kong Island remained the most densely populated region. The district of Kwun Tong, then known as Lei Yue Mun and Ngau Tau Kok, began its development in the mid-1950s. Its population represented 3 per cent of Hong Kong's total in 1961. It was evident that in the early 1960s Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula remained the core regions of the territory. In 1961, the population
Barnett, K. M. A., Hong Kong Report on the 1966 By-Census, Hong Kong, Census and Statistics Department, 1967, Vol II: Tables, p. 11. Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Population and Housing Census 1971 Main Report, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1972,
p. 28.
Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong 1981 Census Main Report, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1982, Vol 2: Tables, p. 22. During 1961-1976, New Kowloon included Cheung Sha Wan, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon Tong, Kai Tak, Ngau Tau Kok and Lei Yue Mun. In 1981, it also encompassed Lai Chi Kok, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Tsz Wan Shan, Ngan Chi Wan, Jordon Valley and Yau Tong.
density for the whole of Hong Kong was 2,902 persons per square kilometre (Table 3.3). However, the Kowloon Peninsula had an astronomical figure of 75,539 persons per square kilometre - 26 times the average density rate. This was followed by the figure of 27,615 persons registered by New Kowloon and 13,303 persons for Hong Kong Island. The district with the highest density was Wan Chai, with a figure of 209,179 persons per square kilometre. However, the degree of overcrowding was much lower compared with the highest density
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Challenges for an Evolving City
164
figure of 2,000 persons per acre (equivalent to over 494,000 persons per square kilometre) quoted by Patrick Abercrombie in 1946. This shows that, over the 15-year post-war period, a reduction of population density in the overcrowded urban areas was achieved.
By 1966, population movements to New Kowloon and the New Territories became noticeable. Of a total population of 3.6 million, 29 per cent lived on Hong Kong Island, 19 per cent in Kowloon, 37 per cent in New Kowloon and 15 per cent in the New Territories. There was marked population growth in Kwun Tong, with 7 per cent of the total population. The upward trend continued and by 1971, the areas of Lei Yue Mun and Ngau Tau Kok were home to 11.7 per cent of Hong Kong's population. However, the use of the New Territories to ease population pressures in the urban districts had failed to gain significant results. It was not until 1981 that the population in the New Territories showed major growth. The most populated district then was Tsuen Wan with 12 per cent of Hong Kong's population. New towns such as Sha Tin and Tuen Mun each only accommodated 2 per cent of the total population. The district of Tsuen Wan had by far been the most successful example of the new town development programme up till 1981.
With a spiralling population, the population density also grew correspondingly. In 1966, the average density in Hong Kong was 3,486 persons per square kilometre. This figure rose to 3,754 by 1971, 4,207 by 1976, and 4,760 by 1981. During the 20- year period between 1961 and 1981, the Kowloon Peninsula was the most populated region in the whole territory. The density only dropped slightly in 1966 to 70,312 persons per square kilometre but shot up again from 1971 onwards. In 1971, the population. density level was 78,711 persons per square kilometre and climbed to 83,104 and 87,022 in 1976 and 1981 respectively. The density also trended upwards on Hong Kong Island and in New Kowloon.
The population growth trend and distribution in various regions vividly demonstrate the tremendous population increases between 1961 and 1981. The population climbed by an average over 97,000 people a year, equivalent to an annual compound growth rate of 2.5 per cent. There was no relief for the densely populated urban areas. Despite enormous efforts on the part of the government to develop the New Territories as a
means of lowering population density in the urban regions, results were far from satisfactory. The newly developed industrial districts only succeeded in attracting low-income residents. Even the comparatively better equipped district of Tsuen Wan failed to entice city dwellers to move into areas other than the town centre. The lack of support facilities
such as transport, medical care, education, leisure and recreational facilities, and other
community services in the new towns was the main reason for their failure to attract an inflow of population from urban districts. Consequently, the newly developed districts were largely populated by recent immigrants. Comprehensive development in the new towns only began to make significant progress from the mid-1980s onwards.
New Face of Victoria Harbour
New Typhoon Shelters
In the area of port facilities, the post-World War II emphasis was on the construction. of typhoon shelters. The Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter extension programme was the first large-scale work undertaken after the war. The plan entailed the filling up of the existing shelter and conversion into a park, and the construction of a 65-acre typhoon shelter along the shores of the park. The new typhoon shelter had three breakwaters located on the eastern and northern sides, with an average depth of 16 feet. An 850- foot-long and 13-foot-wide causeway was to be constructed at the western end to link up with Kellett Island. A 5.5-foot-wide pedestrian path was planned that would lead directly to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club220. The works involved the removal of 210,000 cubic yards of earth at the locations where the breakwaters were sited, and the dumping of 250,000 cubic yards of soil into the trenches. Two million cubic yards of fill material was needed for the reclamation. Most of the material was sand from
seabeds, but it also included 225,000 cubic yards of rocks. The project began in 1951 and was completed in 1953221.
The extension of the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter did not fully solve the problem of insufficient typhoon shelters. In August 1960, the government appointed an investigative committee, chaired by the Director of Marine, to study typhoon shelters and the berthing situation. Based on statistics provided by the Marine Department, the committee estimated the number of registered fishing households to be 31,263 in 1959-60. However, the census statistics gave a figure of 24,137 households in 1960 and 21,292 households in 1961. It was believed that these statistics excluded those fishermen
who had sailed out to sea when the census was taken. The committee determined that approximately 611 acres of typhoon shelter space would be required for the 31,263 fishing households during the passage of a typhoon. This estimate did not take into account fishing boats operating in Chinese waters that would come in for shelter during
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Challenges for an Evolving City
3.29 View of the Causeway Bay Ty-
phoon Shelter in the 1950s.
3.30 Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter undergoing extension works, with the levelling of Kellet Island and linking it to
the mainland by a causeway. The enlarged typhoon shelter offered 65 acres of shelter space. (1969)
3.31 Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in the 1980s, with
Victoria Park in the left and the
Island Eastern Corridor in the
middle.
3.29
3.30
the typhoon. According to observations made during the onslaught of Typhoon Mary in 1960, the number of transient fishing families was around 18,868, which would require another 397 acres of berthing space in typhoon shelters.
The committee extrapolated the required shelter space based on the average of registered fishing families and transient fishing boats and estimated that 504 acres of typhoon shelter space was required, of which 109 acres should be provided in the west part of Hong Kong, 350 acres in Victoria Harbour and outlying islands, and 45 acres in the eastern part. At the time, the typhoon shelter acreage amounted to 267 acres only: 42 acres in the west, 180 acres in Victoria Harbour and outlying islands, and 45 acres in the east a shortfall of 237 acres. The typhoon shelters were extremely congested and about 47 per cent of the fishing boats were unable to find refuge in bad weather. To cope with the situation, the government had to exercise strict control over the anchorage of fishing boats. Only local fishing boats and vessels that berthed permanently in Hong Kong were permitted to moor inside the typhoon shelters. The Department of Marine was allocated an annual funding of HK$110,000 to manage the shelters. The authorities also made plans to construct additional typhoon shelters throughout the territory. It was projected that shelter space would become sufficient by the early 1970s, if the number of fishing households remained constant. The estimated cost of building more typhoon shelters came to HK$3,150 per fishing boat or HK$525 per fisherman.
In the 1950s, to protect boat dwellers against the onslaught of typhoons, the Port Works Division began the task of constructing new typhoon shelters in various parts of the territory including Wan Chai, Nga Ying Chau in Tsing Yi, Junk Bay, Kowloon Bay, Kat O, Tai O, Shuen Wan in Tai Po, Aberdeen, Tsuen Wan, Rambler Channel, Yim Tim Tsai in Sai Kung, etc. In 2004, there are 13 typhoon shelters operating in Hong Kong: Aberdeen, Causeway Bay, Cheung Chau, Hei Ling Chau, Kwun Tong, New Yau Ma Tei, Rambler Channel, Sam Ka Tsuen, Shau Kei Wan, Shuen Wan in Tai