Sham Chung

Sham Chung is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. ==History==

Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic have been excavated at the nearby Wong Tei Tung site. In 1870, Father Luigi Piazzoli, who later became Apostolic Vicar of Hong Kong (1895-1904), left the mission station in Ting Kok and started his missionary work in Sham Chung, helping the farmers build a dam. In the late 1990s and 2000s, Sun Hung Kai Properties planned to build a golf course and a recreation centre in Sham Chung. In 1999, part of the natural wetland was converted into a grass field, but the application for the change of land use was eventually rejected by the Town Planning Board. ==Features==

Sham Chung can be sub-divided into five areas: Ha Wai (), Shek Tau King (), Pao Wai Tsai or Pao Nei Tsai ( or ), Wan Tsai () and Dui Min Tsuen (). The Chapel housed a school called Kung Man School (), which had about 50 pupils and two teachers. ==Fauna==

It was reported in 2006, that Sham Chung was home to 27 bird species, 19 freshwater fish species and 28 butterfly species. ==Conservation==

In 2004, Sham Chung was listed as one of the 12 Most Ecologically Valued Conservation Sites by the Hong Kong Government. Sham Shung Coast, a belt of coast between Sham Chung Wan () and Tung King Pai (aka. Flat Reef or Bun Sha Pai), located on the southern side of Tolo Channel and in the north-eastern part of Sai Kung Peninsula, covering an area of 26 hectares, was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1985. The site has been described as containing rich assemblages of fossil, including bivalves, micro fossils, plant fossils, ammonites, gastropods and crinoids. ==Transport==

Sham Chung is served by a scheduled kai-to ferry service, along the route Ma Liu Shui – Sham Chung – Lai Chi Chong – Tap Mun – Ko Lau Wan – Chek Keng – Wong Shek Pier. Sham Chung Pier was built in the 1960s. Hiking paths connect Sham Chung to Lai Chi Chong, Pak Sha O and Yung Shue O. ==See also==