Shing Mun River
Shing Mun River 城門 河 |
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Shing Mun River and Lek Yuen Bridge , 2013 |
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Data | ||
location |
Sha Tin , Hong Kong , China |
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River system | Shing Mun River | |
origin | Confluence of source streams in the Upper Shing Mun Reservoir 22 ° 23 ′ 39 ″ N , 114 ° 9 ′ 8 ″ E |
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muzzle | in the Tolo Harbor coordinates: 22 ° 24 '27 " N , 114 ° 13' 5" E 22 ° 24 '27 " N , 114 ° 13' 5" E
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length | 7 km | |
Reservoirs flowed through | Lower Shing Mun Reservoir | |
Evening on the Shing Mun River - Sandmartin Bridge , 2015 |
The Shing Mun River ( Chinese 城門 河 / 城门 河 , Pinyin Chéngmén Hé , Jyutping Sing 4 mun 4 Ho 4 , Cantonese Sing11mun11 Ho11 - "City Gate River"), also Shing Mun Canal ( 城門 河道 / 城门河道 , Chéngmén Hédào , Jyutping Sing 4 mun 4 Ho 4 dou 6 , English Shing Mun Channel ), is now an artificial watercourse in Sha Tin . The natural Shing Mun River was straightened, lengthened and widened in the course of urbanization in the 1970s through the construction of planned cities , so-called “New Towns” in the New Territories of Hong Kong . The aim of the measures was both drainage and the creation of local recreation and leisure areas along the artificial watercourse. The runoff of water masses during heavy rain and typhoons, as well as waste water from the residents, is to be channeled into the open sea via the Shing Mun River and disposed of.
history
The original Shing Mun River begins in Needle Hill ( 針 山 / 针 山 ) and flows into the former Sha Tin Hoi ( 沙田 海 - "Shatin Sea"), a shallow bay. When land reclamation was carried out at Sha Tin Hoi to build a new planned city , the Shing Mun River had to be channeled through a seven kilometer long and 200 meter wide artificial canal through the center of the new city to Tolo Harbor ( 吐露港 ). Other rivers that previously flowed into the Sha Tin Hoi have now become tributaries of the Shing Mun River or one of its Nullahs ( 明渠 - "open channel").
The entire section of the canal - "river" - extends from the area around Tai Wai ( 大 圍 / 大 围 ) through the city center of Sha Tin New Town to Tolo Harbor. There are three major tributaries, the Tai Wai Nullah , the Fo Tan Nullah and the Siu Lek Yuen Nullah . On both sides of the Shing Mun River there are residential complexes as well as office and industrial towers, which are distributed in various urban forms. Typical urban high-rise estates in Hong Kong on the immediate banks of the watercourse include City One Shatin ( 沙田 第一 城 ) and Wo Che Estate ( 禾 輋 邨 ). Several bridges connect both sides of the Shing Mun River.
bridges
Different bridges of the Shing Mun River:
- Banyan Bridge ( 翠 榕 橋 / 翠 榕 桥 ) on Fo Tan Road
- Dragon Bridge ( 錦龍 橋 / 锦龙 桥 ) on Sha Tin Road
- Lek Yuen Bridge ( 瀝 源 橋 / 沥 源 桥 ) on Tai Chung Kiu Road
- Lion Bridge ( 獅子橋 / 狮子桥 ) on Lion Rock Tunnel Road
- Sandmartin Bridge ( 沙 燕 橋 / 沙 燕 桥 ) on Sha Tin Rural Committee Road
Lek Yuen Bridge Panorama - Footbridge , Sha Tin 2007
Heritage Museum - Lion Bridge , Tai Wai 2010
environmental pollution
The Shing Mun River was once heavily polluted from ill-considered discharges from animal husbandry , industrial, commercial and domestic sources. In the 1980s , the total organic pollution from this sewage added up to a population equivalent of 160,000. At that time it was hard to find a living being in the river. The water quality has improved significantly since 1993 . Since then, living things like fish and invertebrates have appeared again in this watercourse.
An artificial river bank was built along a 250-meter-long section near the Man Lai Court ( 文 禮 閣 / 文 礼 阁 ) high-rise estate , where there is heavy sedimentation and odor problems.
use
Although the Shing Mun River km² with a catchment area of 37 mainly for the drainage of Sha Tin in the rain and typhoon was designed, he is now fond of the citizen as a place for recreational activities such as boating , fishing , jogging , walking or cycling on River used.
The Shing Mun River is particularly used for water sports such as rowing, canoeing and dragon boat racing . The two boathouses of the Hong Kong China Rowing Association, or HKCRA for short ( 中國 香港 賽艇 協會 / 中国 香港 赛艇 协会 ) are located on the Shing Mun River. One is the “Shatin Rowing Center” - 沙田 划艇 中心 , also 沙田 賽艇 中心 / 沙田 赛艇 中心 - at Fo Tan on Yuen Wo Road , another is the “Shek Mun Jockey Club Rowing Center” - 賽馬 會 石門賽艇 中心 / 赛马 会 石门 赛艇 中心 - at Shek Mun on On King Street . There is a 2000 meter long regatta course on the river .
Phoenix dragon boat - 鳳 艇 , 2009
Bank promenade - jogging path , 2007
"I Love ST " - Sandmartin Bridge , 2018
Web links
- Hong Kong China Rowing Association - HKCRA (Chinese, English)
- Shing Mun River - Official press report on ecological improvements along the course of the river (Chinese, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ News & Events - EPD - Shing Mun River Improvements. In: www.epd.gov.hk. April 30, 2002, accessed March 15, 2020 (Chinese, English, EPD - Enviroment Protection Department).
- ↑ Center & Facilities - Shatin Rowing Center - Jockey Club Shek Mun Rowing Center. In: www.rowing.org.hk. Retrieved March 15, 2020 (Chinese, English).
- ↑ Details - Hong Kong China Rowing Associations. In: hongkong.asiaxpat.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020 .
- ^ Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Maps - Jockey Club Shek Mun Rowing Center. In: www.rhkyc.org.hk. Retrieved March 15, 2020 .