Kwun Tong Garden Estate and Kwun Tong Resettlement Area were being
occupied in succession. However, construction of public facilities did not com-
mence or finish until the early 1960s, including Kwun Tong District Branch
Office (1960–1965), the police station (1960–1965) and the fire station
(1960–1962). Construction of the public swimming pool did not begin until
the late 1960s. When comparing the planning scheme of 1955 and government
plans of 1963,118 it can be observed that, although space had been reserved for
public facilities in the early plans, their final locations were changed drastically.
This reflected that the construction of public facilities was not a primary focus
in the early plans. During discussions of early plans, the Committee was most
117
HKRS No. 270, D & S No. 1/3/1, ‘Planning Notes: Kowloon Planning Area No. 13, Draft Layout of
Housing Zones North of the Proposed Road to Lyemun’, 9 December 1955, item 4.1, p.1.
118
Hong Kong Crown Lands and Survey Office, The New Town of Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1963.
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concerned about the industrial area (moving in factories) and residential area
(moving in people); public facilities merely played a subsidiary role and thus
had a lower priority. The government’s policies on housing planning and thin-
ning out the population were critical to Kwun Tong’s rise as an important base
for the processing industries in the 1960s.
Development of new towns
Hong Kong's population grew to around 2.25 million in 1953, which had not been
anticipated in the city’s long-term planning. In view of rapid population growth
and a lack of land in the urban areas, the government could no longer carry out
reform by strictly adhering to the 1948 planning concepts after the mid-1950s.119
The government had to develop the New Territories to disperse the urban popula-
tion. Therefore, districts in the New Territories that were closer to the Kowloon
Peninsula were developed as priority satellite cities, including Tsuen Wan, Castle
Peak (known today as Tuen Mun) and Sha Tin. Their distinctive feature was inte-
grated development, as each satellite city had public facilities regarding aspects
such as transport networks connecting them with the urban areas, education,
medical facilities, and cultural and leisure activities. The satellite cities were also
capable of meeting residents’ daily needs, such as housing and food. Most impor-
tantly, much emphasis was put on industrial and commercial development in
each district, thus providing job opportunities for its residents. With the process-
ing industries in their heyday, it was natural that public housing residents became
the labour force supporting these industries. The new towns were also developed
as centres for the processing industries and played an important role in urbanis-
ing Hong Kong. The government established the New Territories Development
Department in 1973 to coordinate the development of the New Territories. It was
also at this time that satellite cities were renamed as new towns. The population in
the New Territories was only 290,000 in 1961, and it had grown to 2.55 million by
2011. The development of new towns not only dispersed the population in over-
crowded urban areas, but also gradually expanded the city’s reach to the eastern
and western parts of the New Territories, resulting in a reasonable urban ecology.
After the war, the most difficult problem in new town development was not
finding suitable sites but coming up with sufficient funding. The government
had faced land title disputes before the war when it developed New Kowloon.
To avoid paying large amounts of compensation in land resumption and resist-
ance from indigenous residents, the new town concept revolved around creating
new land through reclamation. Thus the government could solve the land own-
ership disputes and fund the development of new towns by auctioning off newly
reclaimed land. Released in 1965 by the Kowloon Development Division of
the Public Works Department, the Report on Development at Sha Tin described
quite elaborately the land, financial and population planning of Sha Tin New
119
HKRS No. 156, D & S No. 1/3425, ‘Memorandum of 24 December 1951 from the Acting Financial
Secretary’, BL3/5282/51.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 191
Town,120 the development of which would be carried out in four stages. After
completing land forming works and constructing basic facilities, the first stage
would mainly develop public housing and industrial areas, so that the grassroots
who did not mind living in remote areas could move to the yet-to-be-developed
new area. At the same time, the new industrial facilities could provide them with
job opportunities. In the first stage, the government’s revenues would come
mostly from the proceeds from industrial land auctions. Public facilities in the
heart of the new town would be the focus of development in the second stage,
involving roads, public spaces and government community facilities. When
the community facilities were almost completed, private developers would be
willing to invest in the development of private housing estates. The ensuing
third and fourth stages would be the development of land for private housing,
the auctions of which would generate more lucrative sums for the government.
With the help of sufficient funding, not only was the overall new town scheme
successfully completed, but revenues from land auctions were also substantial at
a time when the property market prospered. The government’s careful planning
of the financial budget in different stages reflected that it did not have an abun-
dance of funds, which was also the main concern in the development of the new
towns. Even to this day, the government has reservations about spending large
sums of money to develop new towns. (See Figures 4.6 and 4.7.)
Tsuen Wan
In the 1950s, the rapid population growth resulted in a tight supply of land
on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. High prices gave rise to
a gradual shift of investment targets to the New Territories. Approximately 8
kilometres to the north-west of the Kowloon Peninsula, Tsuen Wan was a hilly
area topographically. Known as Gin Drinkers Bay, the peninsula reached 400
feet (121.92 metres) in altitude. There were some old villages in Tsuen Wan as
early as the nineteenth century. The population was just over 5,000 in the 1920s
and 1930s.121 Although the population was small, there was already industrial
development in the district. With various berthing facilities and not a long dis-
tance from the city’s core district, Tsuen Wan had convenient water and land
transport. As it was close to the Shing Mun Reservoir and the government began
supplying electricity to the area in the early period, both the water and the elec-
tricity facilities were able to meet the demands of future development. As such,
Tsuen Wan was an ideal industrial area and thus a focus for the government.122
Since the town centre of Tsuen Wan was separated by hills, many reclama-
tion works were required to develop the district. The government divided the
120
Kowloon Development Division, Public Works Department, Report on Development at Sha Tin, Hong
Kong Government, January 1965, pp.26–29.
121
Tsuen Wan District Board, Quanwan erbainian: lishi wenhua jinxi (Two Hundred Years of Tsuen Wan:
History and Culture, Past and Present), Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan District Board, 1991, p.4.
122
James Hayes, Canghai sangtian hua Quanwan (Tsuen Wan: Growth of a New Town and Its People), trans-
lated by Jiaxi yuwen fanyi zhongxin, Hong Kong, Canghai sangtian hua Quanwan chuban weiyuanhui, 1999, p.77.
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Source: Kowloon Development Division, Public Works Department, Report on Development at Sha Tin, Hong Kong Government, January
1965, Appendix E.
Figure 4.6 Budget of Sha Tin New Town at various stages (1966)
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M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 193
Source: Hong Kong’s New Town: Sha Tin, Hong Kong, New Territories Development Department, Public Works Department, 1976, Map 1.
Figure 4.7 Distribution of the first generation new towns (Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun)
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overall development plan for Tsuen Wan District into three centres: Tsuen
Wan, Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung. In 1954, the works divisions under the Public
Works Department began reclamation and land forming works in Tsuen Wan
Bay. In 1957, 121 acres (49.01 hectares) of land was formed in Tsuen Wan,123
Tai Lam Chung Reservoir was completed in the same year, and aqueducts that
carried water to Kowloon were laid, fostering a closer relationship between
Tsuen Wan District and the urban areas.124 In 1958, the government commis-
sioned engineering consultants to carry out long-term planning. In 1959, the
government endorsed the blueprint for Tsuen Wan with the aim of developing
Tsuen Wan into a 1-million-strong new town.
The importance of Tsuen Wan was boosted by the colony’s long-term devel-
opment plan formulated in 1961. At that time, there were already 247 factories
and over 20,000 workers in the district. By the mid-1960s, housing development
had lagged behind industrial development, and a large number of workers had
to commute from Kowloon to work in Tsuen Wan. The government started to
increase the supply of residential land so that workers could live not far from their
work.125 Further reclamation was carried out in Gin Drinkers Bay from 1969 to
1976 and created as much as 306 acres (123.93 hectares) of land.126 This increased
the overall area of Tsuen Wan to over 6,000 acres (2,430 hectares), which was
even larger than the area of the Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street.127
Castle Peak (Tuen Mun)
After developing the Tsuen Wan Industrial Area, the government was very keen
on developing more industrial land. In December 1957, the government pre-
pared draft plans for large-scale reclamation works in Castle Peak. In 1959, the
proposal regarding Castle Peak Bay reclamation works recommended develop-
ing Castle Peak into a new satellite city that could support over 285,000 people.
In 1960, the demand for residential and industrial land in Castle Peak continued
to rise, so the Castle Peak development programme was back on the agenda. In
December 1961, the government finished the preliminary development outline
for Castle Peak. Bridges and causeways in San Hui Bay, Tuen Mun, 1,700 feet
(518.16 metres) of levees and water supply systems in the district were to be
developed first in preparation for accelerated development of Castle Peak.
The eventual scale of development at Castle Peak was much larger than the
basic works proposed in 1961. In September 1963, the Public Works Department
carried out on-site investigations again, the main purposes of which were to
evaluate the difficulty of reclamation, look for fill sources and investigate the
123
Roger Bristow, Hong Kong’s New Towns, Hong Kong, Oxford University Press, 1989, p.78.
124
Hong Kong’s Water, Hong Kong, Water Supplies Department, 1996, p.93.
125
Hong Kong Town Planning Board, Tsuen Wan and District Outline Development Plan, Hong Kong,
Government Printer, 1966, p.1.
126
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1973–1974, p.56.
127
C.S. Liang, Hong Kong: A Physical, Economic and Human Geography, Hong Kong, Cheong Ming Press,
1965, pp.39–42.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 195
soil behaviour of the nearby seabed and hills. In April 1964, the project liaison
group even openly solicited views of the development programme at Castle
Peak from various related departments. In November 1964, it was suggested
that Castle Peak be developed into a new satellite city that could accommodate
1 million residents with a total of 1,041 acres of land, which included 171 acres
(69.26 hectares) of existing lowland in Castle Peak, 463 acres (187.25 hectares)
of hilly land and 407 acres (164.8 hectares) of land through reclamation. The
newly developed 1,041 acres (421.61 hectares) of land would be allocated as
follows: 179 acres (72.5 hectares) for resettlement areas, 58 acres (23.49 hec-
tares) for other government subsidised housing, 335 acres (135.68 hectares) for
residential land, 379 acres (153.5 hectares) for industrial land, 34 acres (13.77
hectares) for the town centre, 31 acres (12.56 hectares) for the government’s
community departments and 25 acres (10.13 hectares) for public spaces. The
estimated total investment was 432 million Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to
an average cost of 9.5 Hong Kong dollars per square foot. It was conservatively
estimated that revenues of 470 million Hong Kong dollars would be generated
from land sales and the construction would take ten years.128
The development of Castle Peak was carried out almost in tandem with that
of Sha Tin. In 1966, Phase I of the reclamation works was carried out in Castle
Peak and yielded 220 acres (89.1 hectares) of land.129 On 15 July 1966, the Town
Planning Board initiated discussion on the development plans for the two new sat-
ellite cities, Sha Tin and Castle Peak. The development of Castle Peak faced greater
criticism from indigenous villagers, as the Heung Yee Kuk deemed that the govern-
ment had failed to carry out sufficient consultation. Eventually, the government
made important amendments to the railway development plan for the district.130
The development of public housing in Castle Peak was considered to be a
pilot trial of Hong Kong’s public housing schemes. In 1968, the government
began the construction of the San Fat Estate, a public housing estate capable of
accommodating 11,000 people. By the end of the 1970s, four major large public
housing estates in the district had been completed in succession, in line with
the government’s ten-year housing scheme announced in 1973. Flats accom-
modating 158,000 people were added to the originally planned housing scheme.
Within the district, 344,000 people lived in public housing estates out of a total
population of 483,600.
In 1971, the government reclaimed land in Castle Peak Bay and increased
the total area of new land to 809 hectares, of which 101 hectares was developed.
Transport networks were the focus of the district’s development, the most repre-
sentative of which was Castle Peak Road, which connected Tsuen Wan through east
Castle Peak. The road that extended westwards from the town centre to Pillar Point
(Mong Hau Shek) and Tap Shek Kok also boosted the district’s d evelopment. The
128
Kowloon Development Division, Public Works Department, Report on Development at Castle Peak,
Hong Kong Government, November 1964, p.1.
129
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1972–1973, p.128.
130
Roger Bristow, Hong Kong’s New Towns, Hong Kong, Oxford University Press, 1989, p.174.
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196 · MAKING HONG KONG
comprehensive road network enabled the development of large-scale infrastruc-
ture in the district such as the desalination plant and Castle Peak Power Station.
The development of Castle Peak could be regarded as a pilot trial for early
urban planning. The government attempted to integrate the views from experts
such as professional engineers, architects and urban planners along with those
from related government departments to carry out comprehensive planning and
coordination of the district.
Sha Tin
Except for the sea to its north, Sha Tin is surrounded by hills in the other three
directions. In the middle is a narrow plain formed by bays and the Shing Mun
River banks. The entire district has a hilly landscape. Sha Tin District is located
in the south-eastern New Territories. To its south, hills like Beacon Hill, Lion
Rock and Tate’s Cairn connect it with districts in Kowloon such as Shek Kip
Mei, Kowloon Tong, San Po Kong and Tsz Wan Shan. Sha Tin borders Ma On
Shan and Sai Kung to its east, with Tai Po to its north-east, and Kwai Chung and
Tsuen Wan to its west.131 The district has a total area of approximately 69.22
square kilometres (6,922 hectares).132
In the 1950s, the government started to include Sha Tin as an area for new
development. In 1954, it established an ad hoc group to evaluate Sha Tin’s
development potential. It suggested developing the district into a satellite city
that could support 270,000 people. In July 1963, the government actively con-
sidered how to execute the development of the district. In 1965, it formulated
the outline development plan and once again amended the area to be reclaimed.
With an upward trend in population growth, the concept of constructing high-
density housing was added to the new Plan to meet the needs of society. The
development was planned to commence in 1966 and was divided into four
phases spanning a total of 15 years. It was estimated that, when the development
was completed in 1981, Sha Tin would be able to support 1.09 million people
with 2,135 acres (864.68 hectares) of developed area, of which 232 acres (93.96
hectares) would be used for the construction of 540,000 residential flats for
low-income households. The estimated population density was 5,560 people per
hectare (2,250 people per acre), and around 10 per cent of the district would be
reserved for public open space and greenery purposes.
Phase I of the construction works mainly involved the areas around the Shing
Mun River in Sha Tin and the feng shui hill in Yuen Chau Kok, with the creation
of 243 hectares of land. The major works were drainage, reclamation and fresh
water supply. The government had to coordinate the work progress of different
aspects and control construction costs. It was estimated that 350,000 people
could be accommodated. Phase II of the construction works commenced in
131
‘District Board Electoral Boundaries Sha Tin District’, in Sha Tin District Board, Shatian quyihui jiebao
1985–88 nian (Sha Tin District Board Annual Report 1985–88), Hong Kong, Sha Tin District Board, 1988.
132
K.M.A. Barnett, Hong Kong Report on the 1961 Census, Hong Kong, Census and Statistics Department,
1962, p.11.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 197
November 1971. In 1973, the government reformulated the ten-year plan for
Sha Tin, which included land formation, land resumption, and construction
of public facilities such as roads, public housing estates, schools, hospitals and
police stations. The investment required was estimated to be 2.396 billion Hong
Kong dollars, of which 1.668 billion Hong Kong dollars would be allocated for
infrastructure and 728 million Hong Kong dollars for construction costs. The
blueprint in 1973 covered 4,063 acres (1,645.52 hectares) of land, 2,500 acres
(1,012.5 hectares) of which was located in the town centre and was to be used to
build leisure grounds, roads, railway stations, hospitals and a racecourse.
In 1973–1974, the ten-year Housing Programme had just been launched,
and the pace of construction works in Sha Tin was rather sluggish. Phase I of
the construction works was yet to be completed in 1973. Emphasis was placed
on the development of Sha Tin only after 1974, when the government needed
a large amount of land to accommodate the increased population. In 1976, the
government carried out further planning on the construction of public housing
estates, allocation of the other land in the new town, and the overall land devel-
opment of the town. It was not until the construction works entered Phase II
in 1977 that a plan for Sha Tin’s development similar to the current one gradu-
ally appeared. The outline development plan for Ma On Shan’s development
was also formulated in the same year. Sha Tin’s development took on a faster
pace in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, several industrial areas had been formed,
consisting of Fo Tan, Tai Wai, Siu Lek Yuen and Shek Mun.133 Main industries
included textiles, clothing, electronics, metal fabrication and toys, along with
warehouses and cold storage services, which were concentrated in Fo Tan.134
Sha Tin had developed into a comprehensive district that was home to both
industrial and commercial activities and green space.
Early post-war land development was concentrated in New Kowloon and satel-
lite cities like Tsuen Wan, Castle Peak (now Tuen Mun) and Sha Tin in the New
Territories in an attempt to boost Hong Kong’s potential in industrial develop-
ment. Having vast spaces was a prerequisite to accommodating various types of
factories, attracting the increased population to join the industrial labour force
and achieving an overall balance in population distribution and economic devel-
opment among the various districts in Hong Kong. It was not until the end of the
1970s that the overall planning of the city began to mature. When developing the
New Territories, the government started to put more emphasis on ancillary facili-
ties and the balanced development of a district after the mid-1970s. The rise of new
towns expanded the city’s core from the northern coast of Hong Kong Island and
the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula towards the New Territories, thereby
making a more reasonable distribution of population density in Hong Kong.
In October 1972, Governor MacLehose proposed the ten-year Housing
Programme, which aimed to improve the living conditions of 1.8 million people
living in harsh environments by providing housing with more comprehensive
133
Sha Tin District Council website, www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/st/chinese/welcome.htm.
134
Sha Tin District Board, ed., Shatian gongshang zhinan 92 (Sha Tin Industry and Commerce Directory
92), Hong Kong, Industry and Commerce Group of Sha Tin District Board, 1992, p.12.
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198 · MAKING HONG KONG
ancillary facilities and a more reasonable environment. Promoted by the
Programme, the first generation new towns in Hong Kong such as Tsuen Wan,
Sha Tin and Tuen Mun developed rapidly. In 1976, the government introduced
the Home Ownership Scheme to help low- to medium-income households and
tenants of public housing to become owners. Most of the Home Ownership
Scheme estates were located in new towns, which made their population struc-
ture more diverse and turned them into small communities made up of differ-
ent social classes. As the lifestyle became increasingly urbanised, the difference
between new towns and the city’s core districts diminished. (See Figure 4.8.)
Shrinking distance
External transport – expansion of Kai Tak Airport
The government was committed to developing Hong Kong as an important trading
centre in the Far East. Enhancing Hong Kong’s international status was therefore
a key factor when it devised long-term development strategies. After the war, the
political situation of many countries involved in the Cold War and those in the
Asia-Pacific region was unstable, which prompted a rapid growth in Hong Kong’s
re-export trade. The passenger and cargo throughput at Kai Tak Airport increased
continuously.135 The number of arriving and departing passengers at the airport in
1948 increased 23-fold, and cargo volume increased almost sixfold compared with
ten years previously (see Table 4.14).136 Unfortunately, aircraft of the latest models
and those that could carry heavier loads such as jet aircraft were unable to take off or
land at Kai Tak Airport, which reflected that the airport fell short of modern inter-
national aviation standards.137 As a result, competitors in the neighbouring regions
such as Manila were afforded an opportunity to replace Hong Kong’s position in
air transport industry in the Asia-Pacific region.138 To maintain Hong Kong’s role
as an entrepôt, the government would have to expand Kai Tak Airport or construct
a new modern airport. It would be costly to repair and convert the runways at Kai
Tak Airport,139 and it would be impossible to bring it up to international standard
without committing significant resources.140 The government therefore intended
135
FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed
Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways
Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.6.
136
FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed
Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways
Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.6.
137
FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed
Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways
Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.8.
138
FO371/75923, ‘Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways Corporation from Kai Tak Airport,
Hong Kong’, 21 March 1949, p.21.
139
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1581, ‘Committees – Kai Tak Airport – Financial and Commercial
Implications of the Scheme for a New Airport’, 6 October 1953.
140
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1581, ‘Committees – Kai Tak Airport – Financial and Commercial
Implications of the Scheme for a New Airport’, 6 October 1953.
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a) Tsuen Wan
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b) Sha Tin
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M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 201
c) Tuen Mun
Source: Hong Kong’s New Town: Sha Tin, Hong Kong, New Territories Development Department, Public Works Department, 1976, Map 4; Hong Kong’s New Town: Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, New Territories Development
Department, Public Works Department, 1976, Map 4; Hong Kong’s New Town: Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, New Territories Development Department, Public Works Department, 1976, Map 4.
Figure 4.8 Land use map of the first generation new towns
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Table 4.14 Statistics of passenger and cargo traffic by air (1938, 1948)
Year Aircraft arrivals Passengers entering and Freight and mail
leaving (metric tonnes)
1938 623 9,969 320.2
1948 9,144 232,558 1,874.8
Source: FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed Construction of
a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways Corporation from Kai Tak Airport,
Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949.
to look for a site on which to construct a new airport. Careful consideration was
given by the government to selecting a site for the new airport.
In 1949, three potential sites for the new airport were identified: Deep Bay
to the west of the New Territories, south of Ping Shan in Yuen Long141 and
Stonecutters Island.142 From a geographical perspective, Deep Bay had a pleasant
climate and a flat terrain. Two runways that met the requirements of international
airports could be constructed,143 and the location was also suitable for aircraft
landings and take-offs.144 While the number of flying boats was increasing, the
water depth in Deep Bay was insufficient for them to land, and resources would
have to be allocated to improve the depth of the seabed.145 The terrain of the
site to the south of Ping Shan in Yuen Long was flat, but it was more technically
challenging to develop it into a modern airport. The geological characteristics of
Stonecutters Island were unusual, and reclamation works would be complex.146
There was also less space for development, which would allow the construction
of only one runway. It would not be possible to develop the site on Stonecutters
Island into a first-rate airport. The geographical environment of Deep Bay was
therefore superior.147 In terms of construction costs, building an airport in Deep
Bay was estimated at 3 million pounds sterling (48 million Hong Kong dollars).
The construction period was three years, and fewer than 1,000 affected residents
would require rehousing. The government could establish an arbitration commit-
141
HKRS No. 46, D & S No. 1/5, ‘Minutes of a Meeting Held in the Legislative Council Chamber on 19th
March, 1947, to Consider the Question of Constructing a Modern Airfield in Hong Kong’, 19 March 1947.
142
HKRS No. 46, D & S No. 1/5, ‘Minutes of a Meeting Held in the Legislative Council Chamber on 19th
March, 1947, to Consider the Question of Constructing a Modern Airfield in Hong Kong’, 19 March 1947.
143
FO371/75923, ‘New Airfield at Hong Kong’, in ‘Proposed Construction of a New International Airport
at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong
Kong’, 21 March 1949, p.20.
144
HKRS No. 46, D & S No. 1/5, ‘Minutes of a Meeting Held in the Legislative Council Chamber on 19th
March, 1947, to Consider the Question of Constructing a Modern Airfield in Hong Kong’, 19 March 1947.
145
HKRS No. 46, D & S No. 1/5, ‘Minutes of a Meeting Held in the Legislative Council Chamber on 19th
March, 1947, to Consider the Question of Constructing a Modern Airfield in Hong Kong’, 19 March 1947.
146
HKRS No. 46, D & S No. 1/5, ‘Minutes of a Meeting Held in the Legislative Council Chamber on 19th
March, 1947, to Consider the Question of Constructing a Modern Airfield in Hong Kong’, 19 March 1947.
147
FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed
Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways
Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.8.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 203
tee to handle compensation issues.148 It would be less costly, and the works could
also provide job opportunities for the local area.149 Constructing an airport on
Stonecutters Island would cost around 23 million pounds sterling (368 million
Hong Kong dollars) and take ten years, which would be 6.7 times more expensive
and six years longer compared with Deep Bay.
When considering further the transport link between the airport in Deep Bay
and the urban areas, it was found that the railway connecting Fanling station
and Sham Wan would be 12.5 miles (20.12 kilometres) in length at a cost of
18.5 million Hong Kong dollars and would take two years to build. The most
challenging part was to handle opposition from indigenous villagers along the
railway line;150 a bus ride from Kowloon to the airport in Deep Bay would take
a minimum of 1.25 hours, and the airlines might have to bear the one-way fare
to or from the airport for their passengers.151 The time and cost spent on rail or
road transport thus drew a fair amount of criticism. Besides, Deep Bay bordered
Mainland China, and the Chinese government might not accept the proposal
for military reasons. The British Foreign Secretary feared that the new airport
might damage diplomatic relations between the two countries.152 It can be seen
that not even Deep Bay, deemed by the government as the most suitable site,
could meet the requirements.
On 14 June 1951, R. Broadbent, representative of the British Civil Aviation
Authority, came to Hong Kong for a work visit and submitted the Ministry of
Civil Aviation Survey Report: Aerodrome Development at H.K. (Kai Tak Airport)
to the government.153 In 1952, the government summed up the discussion on
the construction of a new, modern international airport in Hong Kong over
the previous few years and decided to redevelop Kai Tak Airport.154 In August
1952, the government accepted Broadbent’s recommendation155 and engaged
a consulting firm to evaluate the cost and feasibility of developing the airport.
The government received the amended report in June 1953.156 There were four
options available for Kai Tak Airport’s expansion (see Figure 4.9):
148
FO371/75923, From the Governor, Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ‘Proposed
Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways
Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.8.
149
FO371/75923, To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement regarding the pro-
posed new airport for Hong Kong, ‘Proposed Construction of a New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong
Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways Corporation from Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 6 April 1949, p.28.
150
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/353, ‘Deep Bay Airport’, 28 January 1949.
151
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/353, ‘Deep Bay Airport’, 28 January 1949.
152
FO371/75923, Telegram from Foreign Office to Hong Kong Governor, ‘Proposed Construction of a
New International Airport at Deep Bay, Hong Kong. Removal of Chinese National Airways Corporation from
Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong’, 7 February 1949, p.41.
153
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Civil Aviation, 1952–1953, Hong Kong,
Government Printer, p.33.
154
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, ‘Kai Tak Airfield Development Plan’, 1/926/51 Part II, 28 October
1952, p.49.
155
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1954–1955, p.67.
156
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1954–1955, p.67.
M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 203 20/08/2018 16:48
M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 204
Source: HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, Hong Kong, Public Records Office, enclosure 59.1.
Figure 4.9 Draft plan of Kai Tak Airport expansion
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 205
zz Option A: Proposed by R. Broadbent, it focused on rebuilding the almost
intersecting wartime runways into longer, wider, perpendicular runways,
one of which would extend towards the sea.
zz Option B: Two parallel runways would be constructed, both of which would
extend seawards.
zz Option C: A new main runway parallel to the existing 07/25 runway would
be constructed in the west, while the 07/25 runway would be lengthened to
2,000 feet.
zz Option D: A new runway would be constructed in the west, as it was deemed
that one new runway would be adequate to handle aircraft landings and
take-offs.157
Option A required the closure of the existing runway158 and the entire airport
for four to five weeks. Option B required the construction of a passenger ter-
minal building on reclaimed land and hence a longer construction time.159 The
runway locations under both these options were more prone to turbulence than
for Options C and D,160 while lacking sufficient space to develop passenger areas
and facilities. The locations of runways under Options C and D were better than
the existing ones and had fewer obstacles on the flight paths.161 There would also
be adequate space for passenger areas and future expansion. Options C and D
were thus preferred.
The demolition of the old 07/25 runway in 1955 aroused controversy.162
A number of airline operators, including Cathay Pacific Airways, Civil Air
Transport, Philippine Airlines and Macao Air Transport,163 were in favour of
keeping it. These airline operators were dissatisfied with the government’s adop-
tion of Broadbent’s recommendation in the report and a lack of full consultation
with the industry before undertaking planning for the airport. They believed
that the single-runway option adopted by the government would increase the
frequency of flight diversions due to cross-winds,164 and airlines had to incur an
157
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, ‘Notes of Meetings Held on 22nd and 23rd January, 1953 to Discuss
Operational Aspects of the Modified Proposals for Aerodrome Development at Kai Tak Aerodrome, Hong
Kong’, 1/926/51 Part II, 24 January, p.5.
158
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, From the Governor, Hong Kong, to the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, ‘Reference My Telegram No. 29 of the 15th January, 1953, Improvement of Kai Tak Airport’,
1/926/51 Part II, 16 January 1953, p.3.
159
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, From the Governor, Hong Kong, to the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, ‘Reference My Telegram No. 29 of the 15th January, 1953, Improvement of Kai Tak Airport’,
1/926/51 Part II, 16 January 1953, p.3.
160
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, From the Governor, Hong Kong, to the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, ‘Reference My Telegram No. 29 of the 15th January, 1953, Improvement of Kai Tak Airport’,
1/926/51 Part II, 16 January 1953, pp.2–4.
161
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1324, ‘Notes of Meetings Held on 22nd and 23rd January, 1953, to Discuss
Operational Aspects of the Modified Proposals for Aerodrome Development at Kai Tak Aerodrome, Hong
Kong’, 1/926/51 Part II, 24 January 1953, p.5.
162
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Memo from D.C.A. to D.C.S.’, 1/926/56, 26 January 1956, p.3.
163
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, p.1.
164
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Memo from D.C.A. to D.C.S.’, 1/926/56, 26 January 1956, p.3.
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206 · MAKING HONG KONG
extra cost of 16,000 Hong Kong dollars for each diversion.165 The direction of
the old runway was more favourable to flights during strong winds and during
the night. They also felt that the old runway experienced less turbulence and had
a better field of vision and landing facilities than the new runways.166 Thus the
airport should have two runways.167
The government was inclined to support Option D, i.e. abandoning the use of
the old runway and building just one new runway, as it was costly to maintain the
old runway168 and uneconomic as well.169 The old runway covered an area of over
3 million square feet;170 keeping the old runway would mean giving up approxi-
mately 7 acres of saleable land while reclaiming an additional 60 acres of land.171
The proposed passenger terminal building would have to move to the north of
the old runway, and both the maintenance department and aprons would have
to be relocated. The initial plans for Clear Water Bay Road would have to be
altered.172 Land made available following the demolition of the old runway was to
be used for the construction of the Kowloon police station and the roads leading
to the passenger area. Retaining the old runway would involve a search for space
for the roads and the police station. Additional sewerage facilities would also
have to be built.173 If the old runway was to remain in operation, compensation
would have to be paid to residents affected by building height restrictions. It was
estimated that the aforementioned expenditures would amount to around 18
million to 24 million Hong Kong dollars,174 leading to a waste of public funds.175
Eventually, the government approved the implementation of Option D: building
just one runway and closing the original 07/25 runway.
The entire development plan was divided into two phases. Phase I included
reclamation and road works, which would take around three years; Phase II
included the construction of a passenger terminal building, reclamation for the
extension of the new runway and alterations to Clear Water Bay Road, which
would require one year. In 1955, reclamation was carried out in Kowloon Bay.
Reclaimed land was used to build a 7,200 foot long (2,194.56 metres), 795 foot
165
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, p.1.
166
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Memo from D.C.A. to D.C.S.’, 1/926/56, 26 January 1956, p.1.
167
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Memo from D.C.A. to D.C.S.’, 1/926/56, 26 January 1956, p.2.
168
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Memo from D.C.A. to D.C.S.’, 1/926/56, 26 January 1956, p.3.
169
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, p.1.
170
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Report on Some Aspects of Cathay Pacific Airways’ Notes on the
Proposed Development of Kai Tak Airport – The Retention of Runway’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, pp.1–2.
171
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, p.1.
172
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Report on Some Aspects of Cathay Pacific Airways’ Notes on the
Proposed Development of Kai Tak Airport – The Retention of Runway’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, pp.3–4.
173
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, pp.1–2.
174
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Estimate of Costs Involved to Modify the Airport Development Plan
in Order to Retain 07 Runway in an Operational Condition’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, pp.1–2.
175
HKRS No. 163, D & S No. 1/1897, ‘Report on Some Aspects of Cathay Pacific Airways’ Notes on the
Proposed Development of Kai Tak Airport – The Retention of Runway’, 1/926/56, 7 February 1956, pp.1–2.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 207
(242.32 metres) wide runway, along with a parallel taxiway. The runway was
extended by 1,140 feet (347.47 metres) to 8,340 feet (2,542.03 metres) a year
later. The new passenger terminal building was located to the west of the old
07/25 runway.176 Phase II works commenced only after the opening of the new
runway and the closure of the two existing runways. Phase I of the airport devel-
opment works was also the largest engineering contract in Hong Kong’s colonial
history at the time.177 The main contractor for Phase I of the development works
was Dragages, a French firm,178 with Gammon Construction Ltd as the sub-con-
tractor. The contract for the development scheme expired on 26 August 1958.179
The new runway opened in 1958, while the new passenger terminal building
was completed and opened in 1962. The runway and the passenger terminal
building cost a total of 6.2 million pounds sterling (99.2 million Hong Kong
dollars) and 1.1 million pounds sterling (17.6 million Hong Kong dollars),
respectively. Of the sums, the British government provided the Hong Kong
government with a 15-year interest-free loan of 3 million pounds sterling (48
million Hong Kong dollars).180 In addition, the Colonial Development and
Welfare Fund allocated 50,000 pounds sterling (800,000 Hong Kong dollars)
to the Hong Kong government in 1950 to improve air traffic communication
systems.181 (See Table 4.15.)
From the conceptualisation in 1949 to the completion in 1962, the airport
expansion scheme was implemented only after detailed consideration of the
society’s economic capability and actual needs at the time in terms of the geo-
graphical location, expenditures and transport to the city’s core districts. The
expanded Kai Tak Airport immensely helped Hong Kong’s economic develop-
ment from the 1960s to the 1990s. It was world-renowned for its unique loca-
tion in the urban areas and the runway which extended seawards.
Internal transport: the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Mass Transit
Railway
After reiterating the great importance of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel to the devel-
opment of the two core districts in the 1948 long-term planning report,182 the
Planning Department contacted relevant departments to prepare for the con-
struction works. In 1956, the government issued a research report on the initial
176
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1954–1955, p.68.
177
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1954–1955, p.68.
178
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1955–1956, p.69.
179
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1956–1957, p.63.
180
Kung Sheung Daily News (Industrial and Commercial Daily), 17 June 1954, p.5.
181
FCO14/75, ‘Expansion of Hong Kong Air Traffic’, 12 January 1968, pdf p.41.
182
Patrick Abercrombie, Hong Kong Preliminary Planning Report, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1948,
pp.13–14.
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208 · MAKING HONG KONG
Table 4.15 Expenditures on Kai Tak Airport expansion works (1953–1966)
Year Item Expenditures
(HK$ million)
1953–1955 Kai Tak Airport Development Plan 1.7
1955–1958 Construction of an 8,340-foot-long runway and a taxiway 85.3
parallel to it. Construction of seawalls with a length of 3.25
miles with 1,100 cubic yards of filler and reclamation of 179
acres
1959 Construction of the temporary passenger terminal 1.9
1960 Repairing a section of Prince Edward Road from Kowloon City 0.8
Bypass to the airport’s entrance
1961 Repairing roads in the vicinity of the airport 1.15
1961–1962 Construction of a new passenger area and terminal building 16
to the west of the old runway. Related works included
connecting Kai Tak Nullah, connecting Clear Water Bay Road
and expanding the sewerage system
1962–1963 Construction works, furniture and equipment 5.91
1964–1965 Construction works 0.06
1965–1966 Construction works 0.13
Other 21.82
Total expenditures 134.77
Sources: Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1953–62, Hong Kong,
Government Printer, 1954–1962; Wu Bangmou, comp. and ed., Zaikan qide: cong rizhanshiqi shuoqi 《再看啓德：從日佔
時期說起》 (Looking again at Kai Tak: Starting from the Japanese Occupation Period), Hong Kong, ZKOOB, 2009, pp.118,
161–169; Annual Report of the Accountant General with the Accounts of the Colony 1953–66, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1954–66, Expenditure.
design of the tunnel. Between 1957 and 1964, preliminary studies were con-
ducted on selecting sites for the tunnel’s exits, connecting transport and related
ancillary facilities. In the 1967 plans for Tsim Sha Tsui, the exit on the Kowloon
Peninsula was to be located in Hung Hom Bay following reclamation.183 (See
Figure 4.10.)
In June 1969, The Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company signed a contract with
a consortium of international contractors and engaged overseas contractors to
undertake the construction of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. The Cross-Harbour
Tunnel Co. Ltd was a local company that was 25 per cent owned by the gov-
ernment.184 The build–operate–transfer (BOT) model was adopted for the
Cross-Harbour Tunnel to overcome the problem of insufficient funds. The
Cross-Harbour Tunnel was the first large-scale project to adopt the BOT model.
The BOT franchise period was 30 years as from the date of opening in 1972. The
183
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1956–1968.
184
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1969–1970, p.103.
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M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 209
Source: Cross Harbour Tunnel between Hong Kong and Kowloon: Consultants’ Report, London, Mott, Hay & Anderson, Consulting Civil Engineers, 1955.
Figure 4.10 Early concept of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel (1955)
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210 · MAKING HONG KONG
Table 4.16 Construction costs of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel
Items Expenditure
(HK$’000)
Contract for the construction by the Cross-Harbour Tunnel 270,000
Company Limited with a consortium of international contractors
Road connections, Kowloon 14,998
Road connections, Island 5,546
Traffic and directional signs 703
Amenity treatment 196
Total 291,443
Source: Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1969–74, Hong Kong,
Government Printer, 1970–1974.
contractor was required to hand back the franchise to the government in 2002.
(See Table 4.16 for the construction costs.)
Construction commenced in September 1969. The tunnel was made up of
15 sections of 350-foot-long steel pipeline. The Hung Hom exit was to be built
first, and work for the first section pipe was completed in November, which was
followed by laying pipes on the seabed and connecting them together. After
the pipeline foundation settlement was completed in early 1972, work began
on connecting the pipes with the tunnel exits. The tunnel officially opened in
August 1972.185 After its opening in 1972, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel soon
replaced ferry services.
Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway
Comprehensive evaluation of a city’s internal transport situation and the direc-
tion of its future development is the key to the full implementation of long-term
plans. Since the 1950s, the government had carried out several studies on trans-
port in Hong Kong, and in 1965 it even commissioned the British consulting firm
Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates to explore a suitable transport system
for Hong Kong for the following 20 years. Using basic elements such as transport
cost, quality of service and development potential as the basis of study, Freeman,
Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates prepared the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study
in 1967 and completed the Hong Kong Long Term Road Study in 1968. The Hong
Kong Mass Transport Study was the first to project the population growth trend,
distribution and quality of life in every district in Hong Kong for the coming 20
years based on the 1966 by-census, so as to assess the future demand for public
transport and design an approach for its future development.186 (See Figure 4.11.)
185
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government
Printer, 1969–1973.
186
Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates, Hong Kong Mass Transport Study (Plans and Cross Sections),
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, 1967, pp.1–2.
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M4593-HO_9781788117944_t.indd 211
Source: HKRS70-1-430, ‘Transport Surveys – Mass Transport Systems’, Hong Kong, Public Records Office, 1961–1969.
Figure 4.11 Mass Transit Railway System suggested in the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study (1967)
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212 · MAKING HONG KONG
Preliminary estimates in the research report prepared by Freeman, Fox,
Wilbur Smith and Associates indicated that Hong Kong’s total population would
grow to 6.87 million in 1986,187 which was 1.77 million more than the 1981
population of 5.1 million as projected by the Census and Statistics Department
in June 1968. In light of the projections made by the Census and Statistics
Department, the firm revised the estimated population to 5.65 million in 1986
(Hong Kong’s population in 1986 was 5.5 million). Using this as the basis, the
distribution of Hong Kong’s population in 1986 was divided into eight districts:
1) Tsuen Wan; 2) Castle Peak; 3) Sha Tin; 4) Tai Po; 5) Fanling and Sheung
Shui; 6) Yuen Long; 7) other districts of the New Territories; and 8) Hong
Kong Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon. It was estimated that the city’s core
districts of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon would remain the
most densely populated areas in 1986 with a population of 3.87 million, i.e. 68.5
per cent of Hong Kong’s population. The New Territories would have a popula-
tion of 1.78 million, i.e. 31.5 per cent of overall population, with Tsuen Wan set
to have the fastest population growth, rising from 187,000 in 1966 to 700,000 in
1986, to be followed by Castle Peak, whose population would grow from 22,000
to 240,000. In third place would be Sha Tin, with a population projected to
increase from 18,000 to 260,000. Transport within districts such as Tsuen Wan,
Castle Peak and Sha Tin as well as their links with the city’s core districts would
therefore be the focus of road development in the 1970s and 1980s.
According to research data, 38 per cent of the time spent by citizens on trans-
port was commuting between workplace and home, 23 per cent was for work
purposes and 39 per cent for reasons such as shopping, personal matters or
leisure activities. The pattern was similar to that of other large cities, but Hong
Kong citizens drove to shop less frequently owing to the mixed use of commer-
cial and residential land.188 Newly developed districts should therefore provide
as many ancillary facilities as possible within the same district to reduce the use
of public transport.
In 1968, Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates submitted the Hong
Kong Long Term Road Study,189 proposing the construction of a 40-mile-long,
four-line Mass Transit Railway (MTR) System to divert transport and provide
public transport services that catered for the masses. It was hoped that its pace of
development would follow the distribution and growth trend of the population.
It was recommended that the system should be completed in six stages.190 The
Kwun Tong Line would run from Western Market to Ma Yau Tong, with the
majority of the works carried out in Stage 1. The Tsuen Wan Line would run from
the Naval Dockyard to Tsuen Wan, with the majority of the works carried out in
Stage 2. The Island Line would run from Kennedy Town to Chai Wan, with the
187
Wah Kiu Yat Po, 3 August 1966.
188
Wah Kiu Yat Po, 3 August 1966.
189
Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates, Hong Kong Long Term Road Study (Plans and Cross
Sections), Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, 1968.
190
Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith and Associates, Hong Kong Mass Transport Study (Plans and Cross Sections),
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, 1967, p.75.
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High-density development planning (1945–1979) · 213
Table 4.17 1970 budget for the Mass Railway Transit System
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