Prehistory Stone tools such as hammers, pounders, axes, and adzes dating to the Neolithic period were excavated from
San Tsuen, Sha Tau Kok, in 2001. Pottery dating to the
Han dynasty was also found there.
17th–18th century Not much is known about settlements in the area before the
Qing dynasty (1644–1912). The provincial imperial government expressed interest in the
Mirs Bay area because of its
salt flats and
pearl beds, in the 5th century and 8th century, respectively. The "
Great Clearance" of the 17th century expelled most of the area's original settlers, who immigrated to locations such as present-day
Yuen Long and
Shenzhen. At the same time, the first
Hakka settlers of Sha Tau Kok arrived to settle the northern shoreline of Mirs Bay, with more Hakka villages being established in the 18th century.
19th century The Sam Heung village alliance () occupied the original shoreline of Sha Tau Kok, which was called Tai Tan Tung (). The three villages included
Shan Tsui,
Tong To, and
Tam Shui Hang. In the 1850s there were approximately 50 shops. and
Qing China As a result of the
Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, Sha Tau Kok was leased to the British in 1898. Within the lease, Tung Wo Market was not included, leading to the problem of shopkeepers in Tung Wo being cut off from their ancestral villages in Hong Kong. On 19 April 1899, the elders of Shap Yeuk petitioned the district magistrate and begged that the lease not go forward, fearing excessive taxation and practical problems if they lived in British territory while their market was in Chinese territory.
20th century At the time of the 1911 government census, the population of Sha Tau Kok District was 8,570, while the population of Sha Tau Kok Village (British territory) was 14. The census recorded that, at home, 95.5% of the population spoke
Hakka, 4.0%
Cantonese ("Punti"), and 0.5%
Hoklo (Hokkien). The present-day area of
Sha Tau Kok Chuen and
Yim Liu Ha was at that time covered with marshes and salt fields. A sizeable Hoklo population worked at those salt fields; they were the largest community of Hoklo speakers in the North District. During the 1920s, there were around a hundred shops in Tung Wo Market, with some moving across the border to San Lau Street.
Battle of Hong Kong and Japanese occupation During the
Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, a regiment of Japanese troops entered Hong Kong through Sha Tau Kok. The Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall, originally built in 1930 as a residence, was converted to a museum for "
patriotic education."
1967 Hong Kong riots On 8 July 1967, amid the
1967 Hong Kong riots, several hundred demonstrators from the People's Republic of China (
mainland China), including members of the
People's Militia, crossed the border at Sha Tau Kok and attacked the police post there. The police attempted to disperse the crowd using
tear gas and
wooden bullets. They then came under fire from several points, including automatic fire from Chinese territory, prompting an exchange of gunfire. Five police officers were killed and eleven were injured. Gunfire stopped with the arrival of a
battalion from the
British garrison.
21st century (right), in 2024 , in front of the Sha Tau Kok
typhoon shelter in 2024 In 2022, the Hong Kong government announced a pilot scheme in which limited areas of the town would be opened to tourists. The following year, the government announced it was working on a feasibility study to redevelop
the town's border control point with mainland China. , a daily quota of 2,300 individual visitors and 700 group visitors are permitted to visit Sha Tau Kok on weekends and holidays, with no limits on weekdays. Visitors must possess a Tourism
Closed Area Permit, and individual travellers are only allowed to enter the area by public transport. Although tourists can visit most parts of Sha Tau Kok, Chung Ying Street remains off limits. Although some residents are supportive of the opening up, the move has also led to concern from some residents that tourists might affect the historically closed community. == Geography ==