Sha Tin

 

Basic Information of Sha Tin  

Chinese Name: 沙田 Pronunciation: Shā Tián

Opening Hours: All day

Admission Ticket Fare: Free

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 Day

Occupied Area: About 69.4 square kilometers

Address: North of Kowloon District, South of Tai Po District, Hong Kong, China

 

What You Need to Know about Sha Tin

Sha Tin is located at the north of Kowloon District, south of Tai Po District, Hong Kong. It develops as a new and diversified town during the early period of Hong Kong. Sha Tin is comprised of Tai Wai, Shatin, Fo Tan, Ma Liu Shui, East of Shing Mun, and Ma On Shan, covering an area of 69.4 square kilometers.
 

Sha Tin boasts numerous mountains, with Lion Rock and Ma On Shan included. Besides, there are rows of houses and shops, as well as some industrial areas and commercial buildings.
 

In addition, Sha Tin is blessed with a large number of shopping malls, such as New Town Plaza, Shatin Center, Lucky Center, Wai Wah Center, and so on, forming a large shopping area. Each day, especially on holidays, the place is packed with people for shopping and entertainment.

 

Development of Sha Tin

Sha Tin was inhabited by people in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the latest. Those people migrated in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) and built more than 50 villages on the fertile lands along the Shing Mun River.
 

Sha Tin was originally under the jurisdiction of Tai Po District. Since the government started to develop Sha Tin, Sha Tin District has been divided from Tai Po District and Sai Kung District.

 

Attractions and Highlights at Sha Tin

The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change

Located on the 8th floor of the Yasumoto International Academic Park of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Sha Tin District, Hong Kong, the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change is rated as the world’s first museum with the theme of climate change, covering an area of 800 square meters.
 

The museum opened on December 16, 2013 and emerged as one of the key projects in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is open to the public for free, and mainly displays valuable exhibits on global warming and climate change. These exhibits were mainly donated by the world’s first female Hong Kong explorer Rebecca Lee Lok Sze, who had visited the Antarctic, the North Pole and the Everest mountain range, the highest peaks in the world.
 

Besides, a lot of CUHK’s innovative researches on environment, energy and sustainable development have been put on display. There is also a projection screen in the museum, with a width of 13 meters, to show the actual situation of scientific researchers in the Arctic Ocean.
 

Sha Tin Racecourse

Completely built in 1987, Sha Tin Racecourse is the second horse racing venue in Hong Kong. It is located in the eastern part of Fo Tan, Sha Tin District. As a world-class horse racing venue, numerous international competitions are held here, attracting top talents from all over the world to compete.
 

The racecourse boasts turf and dirt tracks. The turf track is 30.5 meters wide, with a circumference of about 1,900 meters. It can hold 85,000 people.
 

In addition, the Sha Tin Racecourse owns two stands, which are available for members and the general audience. The stands are equipped with a lobby, eating facilities, etc. It is also equipped with the world’s widest large color screen, with a length of 70.4 meters. The screen is mainly designed for displaying detailed information and the results of each race.
 

Snoopy World

Located on the 3rd floor of Sha Tin New Town Plaza, Snoopy World is opened in September 2000 and covers an area of about 3,670 square meters. Meanwhile, it is Asia’s first and the world’s second outdoor playground with Snoopy comics as the theme.
 

Snoopy World is blessed with six themed sightseeing areas, such as Snoopy House, Peanut Campus, Softball Playground, Snoopy Lounge, and so on. These spots can bring infinite delight to tourists.  

 

Local Story of Sha Tin

There is a story about the name of Sha Tin. The place was once called “Lek Yuen”, which means “the source of the clear water”. In the Ming Dynasty, more than 50 villages were built here by the water. Among them, Sha Tin Village enjoys a high reputation. In 1898, the British imposed a lease on the Kowloon Peninsula. When a British official visited Lek Yuen and asked about the name of the place, the villagers replied that it was “Sha Tin”. Since then, the name Sha Tin has replaced Lek Yuen.

 

What You Should Pay Attention to

If you are interested in visiting Snoopy World, there are some tips for you.
 

Snoopy World is open to the tourists for free, and its opening hour is 10 am-8 pm. The most important thing that you should pay attention to is to choose a sunny day to visit as it will be closed on rainy and windy days.

 

Our Suggested Route

Enter from Jade Garden → New Town Plaza →YATA Department Store →Snoopy World →Sheung Shui Plaza→ Exit from Choi Park

 

How to Get to Sha Tin

By Bus

Take Kowloon Motor Bus/City Bus N170, New World First Bus 798A/B, or New World First Bus 798, and get off at the Sha Tin City Center Station.
 

By Subway

Take Metro East Rail Line and get off at the Sha Tin Station.
 

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去沙田。English: Please take me to Sha Tin.

If you go to Sha Tin Station from the center of Sha Tin (Regal Riverside Hotel), it takes about 3 minutes (about HK$13).

If you go to Sha Tin from Hong Kong International Airport, it takes about 30 minutes (about HK$95 including a toll of HK$36 and a baggage fee of HK$5).

If you go to Sha Tin from Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station, it takes about 20 minutes (about HK$45 including a toll of HK$6 and a baggage fee of HK$5).