The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, John Tsang Chun-wah, who was ADO, Sha Tin from 1982 to 1984, said, '' My two years with the Sha Tin District Office were most impressive. In the early 1980s, Sha Tin went through fundamental changes as the district evolved from a cluster of rural villages to a modern new town. It was the 'Can Do' spirit that is so typical of the Hong Kong psyche with which we accommodated the initial wave of residents in the first generation of public housing estates as we embarked upon our community building programme. That was my first job with the Hong Kong Government the day after I landed at Kai Tak, having spent some two decades in the United States. I had to start afresh from the re-acquisition of a lively speaking dialect to the intricacies of traditional rural culture. Everything was new and exciting to me. I have fond memories of those days in the Sha Tin District Office, and I am proud to be part of the growth process of such a fine district.''

John Tsang Chun-wah as ADO, Sha Tin (1982).

Also of antiquity is the 300-year-old Che Kung Temple, so named after a great warrior General Che, who crushed a rebellion in southern China during the Sung Dynasty, and later accompanied the emperor who fled to Hong Kong at the fall of the dynasty (1279). Legend has it that General Che suppressed the plague said to have originated in Sha Tin in the succeeding Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). As a token of gratitude, the people built the temple in his honour. For three centuries the temple stood its ground, but eventually gave way to wear and tear and was restored in 1993. The temple is highlighted by bell and drum towers on each side of the main hall, historical couplets hanging from stone pillars and a bevy of fortune-tellers lining the corridors.

On the opposite side of the valley from Amah's Rock is the Monastery of Ten Thousand Buddhas, now said to house 13,000 tiny golden Buddha statues, each rendering slightly different poses. Access for the fit is via 400 steps up the hillside. On the first of two levels of the monastery lies a high pagoda with decorated pavilions on either side, providing commanding views of Sha Tin below. On the upper level are ancestral halls with hundreds upon hundreds of small niches, each housing an urn of the deceased.

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Tai Wai is the largest museum in the territory. It was built by the former Provisional Regional Council and opened to the public in 2000. It has a total floor area of 32,060 square meters and is patterned after the traditional Chinese 'Si He Yuan', i.e. a compound with houses built around a courtyard. The museum has 12 exhibition galleries covering the history, cultures and arts of Hong Kong and the South China region. Cultural relics of China and the New Territories, a collection of Chinese paintings by Zhao Shao'ang and the historical development of Cantonese opera are exhibited. There is a community arts hall for the display of the works created by local students and disabled artists.

Much of Sha Tin's daily life hinges around the New Town Plaza, a multi-storey shopping/commercial complex. The plaza is the main link between the efficient KCR rail service and Sha Tin Town Hall, host to many world-class cultural activities including international ballet and orchestral performances, painting exhibitions in its gallery and sculptures displayed in the podium outside the hall.

Philip Chan Kwan-yee, Do, SHa Tin (present)

DO, Sha Tin, Philip Chan Kwan-yee, said, 浿ha Tin is an energetic, well-planned town supported by a good transportation network. This is in fact the continuous effort of all its successive DOs, who succeeded in laying the foundation of its prosperity. As the Chinese saying goes, 'enjoying the fruits of labour of one's ancestors'. No wonder that many people choose Sha Tin as the most desired district
to live in.

''Thanks to the cycling track built in early years, cycling is now a symbol of Sha Tin. I will also endeavour to promote cycling as one of our local community economy projects. Besides, Sha Tin has a large population. Apart from a multitude of public housing estates, there are many rural villages in the district. Over the years, the Government has made considerable efforts to strengthen the communication with members of the public. With the aid of this effective communication mechanism, Village Representative Election and District Council Election were successfully held last year. During the outbreak of SARS in Sha Tin, different sectors of the district and the Government joined hands in the fight against SARS. They not only kept the situation under control promptly, but also implemented various measures of Team Clean to make continuous improvement to the environment of the community.''

Che Kung Temple

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