Sha Tau Kok

Sha Tau Kok, the last remaining major settlement in the Frontier Closed Area, is a small border town of approximately 4,000 residents, primarily descendants of the Hakka or Hoklo ethnic groups.

Located in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong, the town became part of the British Hong Kong colony in 1898, when the British negotiated a 99-year lease with the Qing dynasty for a new tract of land. Known as the "New Territories", its agreed-upon northern border was the Shenzhen River, which ran through Sha Tau Kok, splitting the town in two. The southern section became part of British Hong Kong, while the northern section remained under Chinese sovereignty.

The Sha Tau Kok end of the river eventually dried out and was turned into a street, aptly named Chung Ying Street (China England Street). Demarcated with boundary stones, it also served as the border crossing point. Other traces of the town's colonial past can be seen throughout the area, such as the restored Bagnall Steam locomotive, used on the short-lived Fanling-Sha Tau Kok railway, or the Royal Mail insignia on the post office's British-era post boxes.

Designated as part of the Frontier Closed Area in 1951 to deter smugglers and illegal immigrants, the town was closed off to non-residents. Only those with a closed area permit were allowed entry, and they also required a guarantee from a local resident. Despite its closed-off status to Hong Kongers, an open-door policy for Chinese citizens since 1978 meant the town experienced its golden age throughout the 1980s and 90s. As the only location in Hong Kong open to Chinese tourists, the town became a shopping haven for mainlanders, with thousands of daily visitors crossing the border.

After Hong Kong's reunification with China in 1997, further relaxation of rules in 2003 enabled mainland Chinese visitors to access the rest of Hong Kong, bypassing Sha Tau Kok completely and causing the town to slip back into obscurity.

Wanting to encourage tourism to the area, the Hong Kong government finally decided to allow outsiders to visit as part of a tour group in 2022. The program was expanded in 2024 to enable individual visitors to apply for the Closed Area Permit.

Today, tourists can explore the town's multiple temples, Storyhouse museum, the market and cooked food center, San Lau Street, and the 280-meter-long public pier. From the dock, it's also possible to take a ferry to the beautiful outlying islands of Kat O and Ap Chau, or the isolated Hakka walled village of Lai Chi Wo. The nearby Robin's Nest Country Park offers excellent hiking trails and spectacular views of both the New Territories and Shenzhen.

The main attraction of Sha Tau Kok, however, lies in its stark contrast to its urban neighbors. The town's vibrant, colorful low-rise buildings are dwarfed by the shiny, looming skyscrapers on the other side of the border. The peaceful and laid-back atmosphere differs markedly from Hong Kong's manic urban areas.