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| Repulse Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 View of Repulse Bay from Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path (on Violet Hill) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 淺水灣 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 浅水湾 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Shallow Water Bay | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Repulse Bay or Tsin Shui Wan is a bay in the southern part of Hong Kong Island,located in the Southern District,Hong Kong. It is one of the most expensive residential areas in the world. [1] [2]
Repulse Bay is located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island,to the east of Deep Water Bay and to the west of Middle Bay and South Bay. Middle Island is located off Hong Kong Island,between Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay.
The origins of the bay's English name have become extremely obscure. There are,however,many stories —none resting on any solid evidence that has so far been established. A typical example is that in 1841,the bay was used as a base by pirates and caused serious concern to foreign merchant ships trading with China. The pirates were subsequently repulsed by the Royal Navy,hence the name. There is no evidence of any such origin in the extensive British naval log books of the period. Another story holds that the bay was named after HMS Repulse,which was stationed at the bay at one point. No HMS Repulse ever visited Hong Kong,let alone Repulse Bay and the 1868 Repulse served only on the west coast of the Americas (1872–77) and thereafter in British waters. It is known that the name appeared on the earliest British official map of Hong Kong by Lt TB Collinson RE in 1845. However,British Admiralty charts never used the name until the 20th century,instead sticking to the quite erroneous name given by Commander Edward Belcher RN in his 1841 survey,Chonghom Bay. The source of the name remains unknown.
In 1898,the Hong Kong Golf Club opened in the valley behind the Deep Water Bay and became a social hub. [3] Roads were developed between the South and the North parts of Hong Kong Island and in the 1910s,Repulse Bay was developed into a beach. The Repulse Bay Hotel was built by the Kadoorie family in 1920. [3] To attract swimmers,a bus route from Central to Repulse Bay was created,and now stands as one of Hong Kong's oldest bus routes. The writer Ernest Hemingway and the American actor Marlon Brando stayed at the Repulse Bay Hotel. [4]
During the Battle of Hong Kong in World War II,Repulse Bay was an important strategic location. The Repulse Bay Hotel was used by the Japanese as a military hospital during the war. [3]
The beach was extended artificially, [3] and thus the sand closer to the shore is coarser in texture than the sand further away. It is one of the longest beaches in Hong Kong with a length of 292 metres (960 feet). [5]
American actors William Holden and Jennifer Jones stayed at the Repulse Bay Hotel in 1955 when they acted there in the film " Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing." [6]
Until the early 1960s,residential buildings were quite restricted. Three blocks of six storey apartments were developed by Dr. P. P. (Put-Paw) Chiu and his brother P. W. (Put-Wai) Chiu,part way up the mountain overlooking Repulse Bay. These were luxury apartments with servants' quarters,with only two apartments per floor in Blocks A and B. Apartments in Block C are smaller. For a long time,these were the only apartments allowed on the mountain.
These included properties on Repulse Bay Road and South Bay Road,according to a record of projects by architect Luke Him Sau —the earliest of which (among the Chiu properties) dates back to 1952.
Occupying the whole of the west side cliff above the beach was a large castle with a swimming pool,greenhouse and tennis court called Eucliffe,one of three castles owned by the millionaire Eu Tong Sen. The Eucliffe structure and historical site was demolished to make way for a row of low apartments.
The Repulse Bay area is one of the most expensive housing areas in Hong Kong. Tencent's CEO Pony Ma bought a house there for US$57 million in 2014. [7] In 2018,twin townhouses were sold for HK$1 billion (US$127 million) or about $970,000 per square metre ($90,000/sq ft). [8] In 2018,Li Ka-shing,the richest man in Hong Kong,was living near Repulse Bay. [5]
The former Repulse Bay Hotel was demolished in two stages during the 1970s and 1980s. Later a boutique shopping mall was constructed on part of the old hotel site to mimic some of the lost colonial architecture.
Emperor International Holdings Limited bought Lido Mall at Repulse Bay and renamed it The Pulse,but due to its expansion to five storeys and 13,300 m2 (143,000 sq ft),it was in negotiations with the government over the land premium. On 15 May 2012,Emperor announced an agreement with the government with the land premium at HK$798 million. [9] Emperor would put The Pulse up for lease after receiving the occupation permit. The 13,300-square-metre (143,000 sq ft),five-storey shopping mall would be rented out at HK$50 to HK$60 per square foot. [10] The Pulse was opened in 2016. [3]
Repulse Bay is served by Repulse Bay Road,which connects Wong Nai Chung Gap Road and Tai Tam Road. It is very convenient for people to travel to Repulse Bay as there are many bus routes reaching the bay. Visitors can take bus no. 6,6A,6X,66 or 260 from Central,63,65 from Causeway Bay and North Point,or 73 from Cyberport and Aberdeen. Minibus 40,52 are also available for visitors travelling from Causeway Bay and Aberdeen respectively. Transportation either passes through the Aberdeen Tunnel,or travels along the slightly longer scenic route.
Beach-goers may also opt to drive there. The beach provides some parking space,and the nearby Repulse Bay Hotel also has parking facilities.
There are no MTR stations in Repulse Bay,nor has any MTR project been proposed or commenced there.
Repulse Bay is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 18. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Hong Kong Southern District Government Primary School. [11]
Author Eileen Chang's novel, Love in a Fallen City (傾城之戀) is set at the Repulse Bay Hotel.
Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong, located west of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong. A small northeastern portion of the island is located in the Tsuen Wan District.
Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. The rents in the shopping areas of Causeway Bay were ranked as the world's most expensive for the second year in a row in 2013, after overtaking New York City's Fifth Avenue in 2012. When referring to the area, the Cantonese name is never written in English as "Tung Lo Wan".
The Southern District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. It had a population of 274,994 in 2016.
Stanley, or Chek Chue, is a coastal town and a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located on a peninsula on Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok and Tai Tam. Administratively, it is part of the Southern District.
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in the northeastern corner of the Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. The area was the heart of Victoria City, although that name is rarely used today.
Discovery Bay (DB) is a resort town on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It consists of mixed, primarily residential, development, in particular upmarket residential development and private and public recreational facilities, including garden houses, low-, mid-and high-rise residential developments, a 27-hole golf course, an ice rink, a 262-berth marina, two clubhouses, the first private manmade beach in Hong Kong, international schools, two shopping malls and the largest oceanfront alfresco dining area in Hong Kong.
North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects towards Kowloon Bay.
Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island is an island of Hong Kong, located off Hong Kong Island next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel. It has an area of 1.30 square kilometres (0.50 sq mi) after land reclamation. Administratively it is part of the Southern District. Ap Lei Chau is one of the most densely populated islands on earth, as well as the most densely populated island with a population of over 10,000.
Shek O is an area of the south-eastern part of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It can refer to Shek O village, Shek O Peninsula or Shek O Headland. Administratively, they are part of Southern District.
Taikoo Place is a commercial building complex located in Quarry Bay, east Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It comprises grade A office towers, car parking, clubs, office apartment, parks, and shops. It is reachable by MTR Island line (MTR). These three complexes are all managed by Swire Properties since the beginning from Taikoo Sugar Refinery, the subsequent Taikoo Dockyard and the recent demolitions of the industrial buildings.
Aberdeen Tunnel, part of Route 1, is a two-tube tunnel linking Happy Valley and Wong Chuk Hang near Aberdeen on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It shortens the travel time between Wong Chuk Hang and Causeway Bay of the Hong Kong Island. It connects the Wong Chuk Hang Road and Canal Road Flyover in the Hong Kong Island. The toll plaza is at the Wong Chuk Hang end.
Shouson Hill is a hill on the coast of Deep Water Bay east of Wong Chuk Hang, in Southern District, on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.
South Horizons is a private housing estate located in Aberdeen at the western end of Ap Lei Chau, in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Developed by Secan Limited, a Hutchison Whampoa associate company, it consists of 34 blocks, ranging in height from 25 to 42 storeys, completed between 1993 and 1995. Census data indicated that South Horizons had a population of 31,496 in 2011 and was the most populated among the private and public estates of the district.
Citygate is a commercial complex at the town centre of Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It comprises a shopping centre called Citygate Outlets, an office tower, and the Novotel Citygate hotel.
Hong Kong Parkview is the largest private housing estate in Tai Tam, Hong Kong. It is located at 88 Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Hong Kong Island, between Jardine's Lookout and Violet Hill. To its west is the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It is surrounded by Tai Tam Country Park.
Hong Kong Gold Coast is a private housing estate served by Castle Peak Road, near Castle Peak Bay, in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong. Developed by Sino Group, it includes 20 residential buildings completed in two phases, a resort hotel, a shopping mall, a yacht and country club, a marina and a beach.
Aberdeen is an area on southwest Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Southern District. While the name "Aberdeen" could be taken in a broad sense to encompass the areas of Aberdeen (town), Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau, Tin Wan, Wah Kwai Estate and Wah Fu Estate, it is more often used to refer to the town only. According to the population census conducted in 2011, the total population of the Aberdeen area is approximately 80,000.
The following shows the public housing estates in Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang and Ap Lei Chau of Southern District, Hong Kong.
The Pulse is a six-storey, 167,000-square-foot (15,500 m2) shopping centre located on Beach Road at Repulse Bay Beach in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong. It is owned by Emperor International Holdings Limited.
Repulse Bay Road is a road linking Happy Valley with Repulse Bay and Stanley in Hong Kong. It is one of the richest parts of Hong Kong, with its geography and its views, and has been the most expensive road to rent a house on. It also regularly sets records for its high-value mansions.
Media related to Repulse Bay, Hong Kong at Wikimedia Commons
