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The Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui is a famous landmark of Hong Kong.

Tsim Sha Tsui (Chinese: 尖沙咀 or 尖沙嘴; Cantonese Jyutping: zim1 sa1 zeoi2, Mandarin Pinyin: Jiānshāzǔi) or simply TST is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District of southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tsim Sha Tsui East is the reclaimed land of Hung Hom Bay, east of Tsim Sha Tsui. It is bounded north by Austin Road and Hong Chong Road.

Geographically, Tsim Sha Tsui is a cape on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula pointing into Victoria Harbour. Several villages had been established in this location before Kowloon was ceded to the British Empire in 1860. Tsim Sha Tsui in Chinese means sandy mouth. It was also known as Heung Po Tau (香埗頭), i.e. a port for exporting incense tree.

Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in metropolitan Hong Kong, with many shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. The Hong Kong government has designated a small pedestrian-only shopping area in Tsim Sha Tsui a duty-free zone (though this has no effect on the prices of anything but tobacco and alcohol, since Hong Kong does not have sales tax or tariff).

Most of major museums in the city are located in the area. It is depicted as a cultural centre.

Tsim Sha Tsui is also a great place to watch Christmas lightings during December every year. Tall Buildings in the district will setup light bulbs on their walls with Christmas pattern, which is also a famous scene that well known.

Geography

Before any reclamation, Tsim Sha Tsui had two parallel capes with a bay in between in the south. The west cape, Kowloon Point, the proper Tsim Sha Tsui, is identical to the small hill where Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound sited while the east cape the Blackhead Point. The bay was as deep as the present-day Mody Road. Canton Road renders its west coast and Chatham Road east. The area is hilly even though many hills were leveled for reclamation.

History

Historical maps in Ming or Qing dynasty the channel between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central as Chung Mun (中門, lit. the middle gate) as it is located in the middle two other channels, Kap Shui Mun in the west and Lei Yue Mun in the east, in the harbour.

Before ceded to Britain in 1860, many villages were present in the area. Incense tree (Aquilaria sinensis) from New Territories were gathered at some quays in Tsim Sha Tsui and transferred to Shek Pai Wan in southern Hong Kong Island to be exported to other cities. It was thus known as Heung Po Tau, the fragrant quay.

In 1888, Star Ferry offered regular transport between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and the area has flourished ever since. Tsim Sha Tsui was a garden city exclusive for westerners in that era. In early 20th Century, Chinese were allowed to live in the area in order to attract more people to trade in the colony. Garden houses were replaced with crowded residental blocks. Wharf and godown were built along the west shore. Major developers like Hormusjee Naorojee Mody and Catchick Paul Chater actively participated in the development of Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) commenced service on 1st October, 1910. Kowloon Station in Tsim Sha Tsui was built on the new southern reclamation from 1913 to 1915. The rails extended along the western reclamation parallel to Chatham Road, with old Hung Hom Station near the Gun Club Hill Barracks at the junction of Chatham Road and Austin Road. Another major road Salisbury Road was completed in approximately the same period. The landmark Peninsula Hotel was built on the reclamation in 1928, opposite to the station.

The Kowloon Station was relocated to a new Hung Hom Station in 1978. The whole station and rails were demolished except the landmark Clock Tower. Hong Kong Space Museum and later the Hong Kong Cultural Centre were erected on the site. The rails were replaced with New World Centre and other gardens in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

Industry

Tsim Sha Tsui remains tertiary sector from colonial days to present. In early colonial days, transport, tourist and trading are main business of the area. As port and rail facilities moved out of the area, the major industry falls on the later two. Tsim Sha Tsui, like Central, is another place that located lots of top financel buildings.

Different ranks of hotels and inns are present in the area. Tourists and traders from six continents stays in the area.

Demography

Tsim Sha Tsui, like other places in Hong Kong, are Chinese in majority, but it is not hard to observe the presence of African, Indian and Pakistani in the area. In the colonial days, a large number of Indians set up their business, joined the army and police force in Hong Kong. They continue to live in the territory. In 1990s and 2000s, Hong Kong also attracts lots of African, especially those of Commonwealth of Nations, to trade in the territories. Most of them are transient residents and live in inns in the area.

Recreation and tourist attractions

Hotels

Tourist hospitality is a major industry in Tsim Sha Tsui. The area has the highest concentration of hotels in Hong Kong. Prominent and renowned hotels include The Peninsula, Kowloon Shangri-La, two InterContinental Hotels , the Sheraton Hotel, three Marco Polo Hotels, as well as the Renaissance NewWorld Hotel. The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong was closed on 1 January, 2006 for reconstruction of a shopping mall, while its has been rumoured that a new Hyatt hotel will open around 2007-2008 on Hanoi Road of Tsim Sha Tsui as a part of a new complex. Others hotels in virtually every price range, and level of luxury can be found throughout the area.

A great hidden value: The YMCA has a wonderful 168-room hotel on top of its dormitory floors. The main dining room has a spectacular floor-to-ceiling view of Victoria Harbour and the Cultural Center. There is a gym and even a small business center. It is very centrally located around the corner from an MTR station, and within minutes walking distance of both the night market and the busy Nathan Road.

Restaurants

Tsim Sha Tsui is one of places to find exotic restaurants in Hong Kong. Hillwood Road at the north of Observatory Hill concentrates restaurants of different national dishes. Knutsford Terrace on the other side of the hill is a terrace of pubs. Kimberley Street is famous for the Korean cuisine restaurants and grocery stores, especially after the advent of Korean Wave (韓流) in Hong Kong, which make the street nicknamed the Koreatown (小韓國). Located on Nathan Road, the Chungking Mansions is a major tourist attraction in Tsim Sha Tsui. These recognizable buildings were featured in the film Chungking Express, and are full of inexpensive guest houses, Indian restaurants, and money changers.

Parks

There is a public library in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Kowloon Park is a popular destination, complete with swimming pools. Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and Health Education Exhibition and Resources Centre are housed in the preserved and restored blocks of former Whitfield Camp.

Museums and performance venues

Half of major museums in Hong Kong are sited on Tsim Sha Tsui. The Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are located at the southern waterfront. Hong Kong Museum of History and Hong Kong Science Museum are situated in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

Tourist attractions

Tsim Sha Tsui was once the terminus of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR). After the British Section of the railway was opened for traffic on 1st October 1910, the construction of the railway station in Tsim Sha Tsui started in 1913. Construction on the railway station and its clock tower were completed in 1915. The main building of the Tsim Sha Tsui station was demolished in 1978. The station was relocated to Hung Hom to make way for the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. But the Clock Tower of the station was not demolished and was kept in place. It is all that remains standing of the original Tsim Sha Tsui station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The clock tower is forty-four metres high, surmounted by a seven meter high lightning rod. It is now surrounded by the public piazza of the Cultural Centre and has become a landmark of Hong Kong. Six pillars of the railway have been relocated to the Urban Council Centenary Garden in TST East. The Avenue of Stars starts at the "New World Centre" shopping centre near the Cultural Centre.

The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront is another popular destination for locals and tourists alike. It is especially popular for photographers, as it offers an unobstructed view of the Central area of Hong Kong across Victoria Harbour. The Star Ferry terminal is another popular attraction for tourists, and the Avenue of Stars is also popular with photographers.

Tsim Sha Tsui East

Tsim Sha Tsui East (尖沙嘴東 or simply 尖東) is an area east of Chatham Road South reclaimed from Hung Hom Bay in the 1970s. Many restaurants, office buildings and hotels are located in the area. The Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade links the area with the Hong Kong Cultural Centre near the Clock Tower. In 2004, the Kowloon-Canton Railway's East Rail opened a new station. East Tsim Sha Tsui is an interchange station with Tsim Sha Tsui station on the MTR Tsuen Wan Line. Unlike other KCR stations, it is underground near Blackhead Point. An extensive tunnel system was built for pedestrians to access the most popular destinations in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Hong Kong Museum of History and Hong Kong Science Museum are located in this Tsim Sha Tsui East.

Public transport

Tsim Sha Tsui is served by the MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station, on the Tsuen Wan Line. The KCR East Rail was extended from Hung Hom to East Tsim Sha Tsui in late 2004, which is connected to the MTR station with an extensive tunnel network. The Star Ferry connects TST to Central and Wan Chai.Various hydrofoil services out of the Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal on Canton Road link Tsim Sha Tsui to Macau, Guangzhou, and several other places in the Pearl River Delta.