Sha Tin is one of Hong Kong’s best-kept staycation secrets. Featuring stunning green vistas, sweeping harbour views, cultural activities galore, authentic Chinese cuisine and, of course, five-star resorts, the district offers a welcome respite from the city’s seemingly endless concrete jungle.
How to Get There
MTR is your quickest (and cheapest) bet; connect on the East Rail line to Sha Tin and neighbouring stations and you’re right in the middle of the mix. Alternatively, catch the double-decker 182 bus from Central, which will set you back a mere HKD15.30. If you’re feeling extravagant, hop in a cab – but be warned, not every taxi driver will want to make the journey, and it’ll cost you upwards of HKD200 from Central.
What to Do
Culture Trip
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
Learn a bit about Hong Kong’s past with a museum crawl across Sha Tin. Start your education at the Heritage Museum, one of the city’s finest, tracing our history and culture over 12 impressive exhibition galleries, including a Bruce Lee retrospective.
Next, visit the surprisingly engaging Railway Museum, where train-spotters can hop aboard old-fashioned carriages before learning about Hong Kong’s engineering past. Finally, end the day at the Tao Heung Foods of Mankind Museum, a slightly bizarre space that showcases various eating habits from around the world.
Time Travel
The steps to Sha Tin’s Ten Thousands Buddhas. Photo: Constantine Agustine
Travel through time with Sha Tin’s villages and temples. Kick things off at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, a true Hong Kong highlight. Be prepared to climb over 400 steps before gazing out at sweeping views, gorgeous pavilions and, of course, the eponymous golden Buddhas.
Continue on to the Che Kung Temple, a 300-year-old site that honours the famed Song Dynasty military commander, and finish it all off at Tsang Tai Uk, an ancient Hakka walled village where you’ll stroll through olde worlde courtyards and ancestral halls.
Horsing Around
Sha Tin Racecourse. Photo: Peter Bonnette
Hong Kong’s “other” racecourse holds daytime events every weekend. Dust off your favourite Ascot hat, break out the HKD20 bills, load up on plastic-cup beers and head back to your hotel surprisingly skinter than you were that morning. Keep telling yourself it’s not really gambling.
Park Life
Sha Tin Park. Photo: Andreas via Flickr
Grab a chilled bottle of white, pack a small picnic and take advantage of Sha Tin’s impressive parks. Sha Tin Park is the big one, with over 19 hectares of lush gardens, quaint verandas, kids’ playgrounds and an amphitheatre. But nearby Penfold Park, located in the infield of the Sha Tin Racecourse, isn’t a bad bet, with 20 acres of lawns, lakes and gardens that allow pets(!).
Cycle the Harbour
Sha Tin cycle path. Photo: Chuwa (Fancis)/ Flickr
Hire a rickety bike from one of the Sha Tin Park stands and cycle along through the sights, sounds and wafting smells of Tolo Harbour. A dedicated 16-kilometre cycling track to Tai Po means you can take in Hong Kong-centric sights such as the Science Park and Shing Mun River completely car-free.
Where to Eat
Sha Tin 18
4/F, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Sha Tin, 18 Chak Cheung Street (+852) 3723-7932
True foodies swear that this Hyatt restaurant does the best Peking duck in town, with their Beijing-imported chefs serving it up three ways. But there’s plenty of other Chinese delights here; multiple kitchens mean you’ll get flavours from Shanghai, Donguan, Xian and even Macau. It’s like tasting the whole of China without ever leaving the hotel!
Peking Duck at Sha Tin 18. Photo: Facebook
Lung Wah Hotel
22 Ha Wo Che Chuen (+852) 2691-1594
The hotel’s long gone, but Lung Wah still serves up a decent pigeon for nostalgic Hongkongers. The rest of the dishes are so-so, but it’s worth a visit just to bask in the blast-from-the-past ‘60s décor.
Chan Kun Kee
3-5 Wo Che Estate Market (+852) 2606-1390
A famed decades-old dai pai dong, Chan Kun Kee is a late-night favourite, opening its doors until 1am to serve up old-school wok-fried dishes such as shredded chicken, roast pigeon and mantis shrimp. Better after a few beers, obviously.
Where to Stay
Hyatt Regency Sha Tin
18 Chak Cheung Street, Ma Liu Shui (+852) 3723-1234
Sha Tin’s finest option and one of the best reasons to trek out to the area, the Hyatt Regency is a gorgeous resort property that more than takes advantage of the district’s lush green surroundings and wide-open spaces. With a 25-metre outdoor heated pool, tennis courts, fitness centre, kids’ camp, Michelin recommended restaurant, late-night bar and world-class spa, it’s one of the finest getaways in the city.
Hyatt Regency Sha Tin
Prices start at HKD990 for regular weeknight rooms, but it might be worth upgrading to their weekend-special Explore Package for HKD1,500. It gets you an expansive room, late checkout till 2pm, a buffet breakfast, an afternoon tea buffet, and two hours of bike rental for trips along the Tolo Harbour. Hard to beat.
Regal Riverside Shatin
34 Tai Chung Kiu Road, Shatin, (+852) 2649-7878
A massive hotel with more than 1,000 rooms, Regal Riverside comes second-best against the Hyatt, with a sizeable pool alongside a couple quality pubs and restaurants. Make sure to check out the bizarrely retro-styled Carnival Bar.
Regal Riverside Sha Tin
Courtyard Marriott Shatin
1 On Ping Street, Shatin, (+852) 3940-8888
The Marriott’s budget-friendly outpost is small but fairly comfortable, featuring a huge heap of conference rooms and other business-friendly options. The real reason to visit? LevelThirty, a top-floor bar that offers sweeping views.
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