Thrills and hope as border town opens gates

Visitors to Sha Tau Kok were thrilled as the border town opened to 1,000 daily visitors.

Hundreds yesterday went to enjoy the beautiful scenery, explore historical buildings, and taste local delicacies in the north border town, where previously - since 1951 - only residents and visitors with a resident's guarantee could enter.

The area started to open in June 2022 and now visitors can access all parts of the community except Chung Ying Street.

As the border street between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the 250-meter-long street was formerly divided into two sides, one regulated by Shenzhen and the other by the colonial government.

Visitors now can have a full view of the border street from the observation deck at the Chung Ying Street Garden, located in front of the street's checkpoint.

They can enjoy lantern dance displays at the Fish Lantern Square, view an old fire station in service for over four decades, and see colorful public housing estates painted peach, pink and purple.

A Hong Kong tourist said she booked the trip half a month ago and was excited to see the newly accessible scenes.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the boundary monuments on Chung Ying Street," she said.

Residents welcomed visitors and said the opening could benefit the economy of Shau Tau Kok.

Lee, who has been living in the town for more than 90 years, welcomed the visitors and said she was not worried about security despite the increasing number of outsiders.

Her son Wan also welcomed the opening as it would provide more business to the town.

"It will bring business opportunities to the town and attract merchants to set up shops here," Wan said.

Hong Kong Professional Tourist Guides General Union chair Ann Yu Li-hua said the town will be popular with tourists, adding the 1,000-visitor limit per day should be sufficient to meet demand.

"We need to give time for residents there to adapt to more tourists coming in as they have been living here without outsiders for almost 70 years," Yu said.

She visited the town with 49 tour guides to prepare for conducting tours for incoming visitors, many of whom, she said, are interested in the history of the area.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also visited the town. Tang said: "Everything works all right and there is no chaos in the area on the first day of opening up."

Currently, visitors can only access Sha Tau Kok by bus or minibus, and Tang said authorities have no provisions to allow visitors to drive into the area to avoid chaos.

"Parking spaces in the area are very limited," Tang said. "If tourists are allowed to drive here, it will cause traffic jams and disrupt the normal lives of residents."

He added that the government will examine adding quotas and opening Chung Ying Street in the future.

A maximum of 1,000 visitors per day are currently allowed, with 700 set for group visitors and 300 for individuals.

Visitors are required to apply for a free closed-area permit through the police's online platform at least three days in advance.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com