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Sha Tin's Diversified Features:
Life, Customs and Festivals 
沙田的多元風貌:生活·風俗·節慶 

     Sha Tin is a first-generation new town in Hong Kong with its excellent facilities and high population density. While it may not be as well-known as some other tourist attractions in Hong Kong, there are still many unique and interesting spots to explore in Sha Tin. 


 

Why called “Sha Tin”?

     Sha Tin was called "Lek Yuen" in ancient times. There are many theories about the origin of the name, "Lek Yuen". One of them is that Sha Tin used to be a wasteland full of thorns, so people called it "thorn garden", and "Lek Yuen" is a homonym of "thorn garden". As for why it is called "Sha Tin", there are two villages named after "Sha Tin", namely "Sha Tin Wai Village" and "Sha Tin Tau Village". In 1898, the British Hong Kong government sent personnel to survey various parts of the New Territories to receive and manage them. Relevant officials met with residents in "Sha Tin Wai" and were told that the name of the place was "Sha Tin". Since then, "Sha Tin" has replaced "Lek Yuen" as the general term for this area. The history and evolution of place names in Hong Kong are a reflection of its rich cultural heritage and provide insight into the region's past. 

Sha Tin within History: 

     Nowadays, Sha Tin is well known as a new town suitable for citizens' livelihood; but in the past, Sha Tin already has been a livable place for people since ancient times. Ma On Shan in Sha Tin District has been found to have human activities as early as the late Neolithic Age; Wu Kai Sha has also found relics from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. As early as the Ming Dynasty, Sha Tin has been recorded to prove that people lived there: in the year of Wanli during the Ming Dynasty, the surnames Wei, Chen, Tang, Wu, Xu, Cai, Yuan, Li, Yang, and Huang settled and built village beside the Lek Yuen Sea, and named it "Chik Chuen", which is the origin of Chik Chuen Wai, which was later commonly known as "Tai Wai". 

爲何稱爲「沙田」:

     沙田古稱「瀝源」。 關於「瀝源」這個名字的由來,有多種說法。 其中之一是沙田過去是一片長滿荊棘的荒地,所以人們稱它為「棘園」,而「瀝源」則是 「棘園」的諧音。 至於為什麼叫「沙田」,有兩個村以「沙田」命名,分別是「沙田圍村」和「沙田頭村」。 1898年,港英政府派員到新界各地勘察,以接收和管理。 相關官員在「沙田圍」,會見當地居民,被告知該地名為「沙田」。 從此,「沙田」取代「瀝源」成為這一帶的總稱。香港地名的歷史和演變反映了其豐富的文化遺產,並提供了對該地區過去的深入了解。

 

歷史中的沙田:
 

     現今沙田為人熟知的是適合市民安居的新市鎮;但原來於過往歷史中,沙田自古就是人們的宜居地。沙田區內的馬鞍山,發現早於新石器時代晚期已經有人類活動;烏溪沙亦發現有南宋至清代的遺跡。早於明代,沙田已開始有記載證實有人居住:明萬曆年間,韋、陳、唐、吳、許、蔡、袁、李、楊、黃諸姓在瀝源海旁定居建圍,並取名為「積存」,此為積存圍一一後來俗稱「大圍」的起源。

 

Lek Yuen recorded in Ming Wanli year
明代萬曆年的瀝源

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An aerial view of Sha Tin Town
沙田鳥瞰圖

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Copyright 圖片版權
1: 取自《粵大記》Retrieved from"yuht daaih gei"
2: 取自政府檔案處 Photo retrieved from Government Records Service (如需使用有關照片,需以書面向政府檔案處提出申請)

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