Kennedy Town
Encyclopedia
Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan
on Hong Kong Island
in Hong Kong
. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong
from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District
.
Due to its distance to major commercial cores and lack of MTR
access, town development is not as vigorous as other parts of urban Hong Kong; this is expected to change when the MTR extends to the area.
. It is bordered by the Belcher Bay
of Victoria Harbour
to the north, by the Sulphur Channel
to the west, Shek Tong Tsui
to the east and Mount Davis
and Lung Fu Shan to the south.
In 1886, when Arthur Edward Kennedy was governor, land was reclaimed
along the coast of Kennedy Town. It formed a narrow coastal strip of land that included the Kennedy Praya and the coastal area from Beach Street via Collinson Street to Shek Tong Tsui. Additional land was reclaimed along the coast of Kennedy Town between 1933-1939, but works were suspended before the Battle of Hong Kong
in 1941. Further reclamation was conducted at the end of the 20th century.
For district council elections purposes, the area roughly corresponds to the "Kennedy Town and Mount Davis
", "Kwun Lung
" and "Sai Wan
" constituencies. The boundaries of such constituencies may be subject to modification.
of Hong Kong are located in Kennedy Town: Sai Wan Estate
, completed in 1958, and Kwun Lung Lau
, built in 1967. The Merton
, completed in 2005, is a high-rise private housing development in the area.
Historical buildings and places in Kennedy Town include:
is located in Kennedy Town.
In the summer of 2005, the ExCo
approved the extension
of the Island Line
of the MTR
through The Belcher's
with a stop in Kennedy Town. The travel time from Kennedy Town Station to Causeway Bay Station is estimated to be 12 minutes once completed in approximately 2014.
Sai Wan
Sai Wan , or Western District, or simply Western, is an area in Hong Kong that corresponds to Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Belcher Bay and Kennedy Town....
on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District
Central and Western District
The Central and Western District located on northern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 261,884 in 2001...
.
Due to its distance to major commercial cores and lack of MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
access, town development is not as vigorous as other parts of urban Hong Kong; this is expected to change when the MTR extends to the area.
Geography
Kennedy Town occupies the northwestern part of Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
. It is bordered by the Belcher Bay
Belcher Bay
Belcher Bay is a bay at Kennedy Town on the northwest shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is east of Sulphur Channel. The bay is named after Edward Belcher, who surveyed the surrounding water and land in the Victoria Harbour in 1841....
of Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
to the north, by the Sulphur Channel
Sulphur Channel
The Sulphur Channel is a narrow inshore passage between Green Island and the northwest tip of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The Sulphur Channel is mainly used by small craft and inter-island ferries passing between Victoria Harbour and the East Lamma Channel.The channel was named after HMS...
to the west, Shek Tong Tsui
Shek Tong Tsui
Shek Tong Tsui is a town in Sai Wan on the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it belongs to the Central and Western District....
to the east and Mount Davis
Mount Davis, Hong Kong
Mount Davis is a hill in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is the westernmost hill on Hong Kong Island.It is named after John Francis Davis, who was the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong, from 1844 to 1848....
and Lung Fu Shan to the south.
In 1886, when Arthur Edward Kennedy was governor, land was reclaimed
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
along the coast of Kennedy Town. It formed a narrow coastal strip of land that included the Kennedy Praya and the coastal area from Beach Street via Collinson Street to Shek Tong Tsui. Additional land was reclaimed along the coast of Kennedy Town between 1933-1939, but works were suspended before the Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
in 1941. Further reclamation was conducted at the end of the 20th century.
For district council elections purposes, the area roughly corresponds to the "Kennedy Town and Mount Davis
Mount Davis, Hong Kong
Mount Davis is a hill in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is the westernmost hill on Hong Kong Island.It is named after John Francis Davis, who was the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong, from 1844 to 1848....
", "Kwun Lung
Kwun Lung Lau
Kwun Lung Lau is a public housing estate in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. It is one of the first public housing developments in Hong Kong, built in 1967 to alleviate a housing crisis in the territory. It is on 20 Lung Wah Street....
" and "Sai Wan
Sai Wan
Sai Wan , or Western District, or simply Western, is an area in Hong Kong that corresponds to Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Belcher Bay and Kennedy Town....
" constituencies. The boundaries of such constituencies may be subject to modification.
History
Kennedy Town is the western section of the historical Victoria City. In 1903, the Hong Kong Government erected seven boundary stones for the city, inscribed "City Boundary 1903". One of them is located next to the Kennedy Town Temporary Recreation Ground at Sai Ning Street (西寧街).Streets
Streets in Kennedy Town include:- New Praya, Kennedy Town
- Kennedy Town Praya
- Catchick Street
- Belcher's StreetBelcher's StreetBelcher's Street is a main street in Kennedy Town of Hong Kong. It connects east Victoria Road and joins west Queen's Road West. A small section in its west end built a turn around for Hong Kong Tramway....
- SmithfieldSmithfield, Hong KongSmithfield is a street with a length of approximately 1,300 m. in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its northern section is a commercial and residential area, while its southern section is a road connecting it to Pok Fu Lam Road.-Location:...
- Davis StreetDavis Street, Hong KongDavis Street is a street in Kennedy Town, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It was named after John Francis Davis, the second Governor of Hong Kong.-Location:...
- Pokfield RoadPokfield RoadPokfield Road is a road in the west of Mid-Levels, above Kennedy Town, on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.The Pokfield Road Bus Terminus is situated at one end of the road. It connects Smithfield and Pok Fu Lam Road.-See also:...
- Victoria RoadVictoria Road, Hong KongVictoria Road is a main road near the west shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong connecting Kennedy Town and Wah Fu and an alternative connection of Pok Fu Lam Road. It begins north with Belcher's Street in Kennedy Town and goes along Mount Davis, Sandy Bay, Telegraph Bay and Waterfall Bay and...
.
Housing
Two of the earliest public housing estatesPublic housing in Hong Kong
Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing...
of Hong Kong are located in Kennedy Town: Sai Wan Estate
Sai Wan Estate
Sai Wan Estate is a public housing estate in Kennedy Town, Sai Wan, Hong Kong. Built into a hillside that had to be extensively cut away in 1958 and 1959, the estate comprises 640 flats in five linear blocks of 10 to 14 storeys...
, completed in 1958, and Kwun Lung Lau
Kwun Lung Lau
Kwun Lung Lau is a public housing estate in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. It is one of the first public housing developments in Hong Kong, built in 1967 to alleviate a housing crisis in the territory. It is on 20 Lung Wah Street....
, built in 1967. The Merton
The Merton
The Merton is a high-rise development located in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. The complex consists of three towers. The Merton 1 rises 59 floors and , and stands as the 60th-tallest building in city...
, completed in 2005, is a high-rise private housing development in the area.
Historical buildings
- Lo Pan TempleLo Pan TempleLo Pan Temple which is built for the later generation to commenmorate Lo Pan is in Central and western district, No. 15 Ching Lin Terrace, Kennedy Town...
, a Grade I historic building - Elliot Pumping Station & Filters Senior Staff Quarters, No. 77 Pok Fu Lam RoadPok Fu Lam RoadPokfulam Road, or Pok Fu Lam Road, is a four-lane road in Hong Kong. Built on Hong Kong Island, the road runs between Sai Ying Pun and Wah Fu, through Pok Fu Lam....
, a Grade II historic building - Elliot Pumping Station & Filters Workmen's Quarters, a Grade III historic building
- Elliot Pumping Station & Filters, Treatment Works Building, a Grade III historic building
- Ex-Western Fire Station, No. 12 Belcher's StreetBelcher's StreetBelcher's Street is a main street in Kennedy Town of Hong Kong. It connects east Victoria Road and joins west Queen's Road West. A small section in its west end built a turn around for Hong Kong Tramway....
, a Grade III historic building. Converted into the Po Leung KukPo Leung KukThe Po Leung Kuk is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services.-Founding of Po Leung Kuk:...
Chan Au Big Yan Home for the Elderly.
Facilities
- Smithfield Municipal Services Building (士美菲路市政大廈), located at 12K Smithfield, at the corner with Rock Hill Street
- Kennedy Town Community Complex, located at 12 Rock Hill Street, adjacent to Smithfield Municipal Services Building. The 16-storey building was completed in May 2006 and won a Certificate of Merit in the 2006 Design Award Scheme
- Kennedy Town Swimming Pool, located at 2 Sai Cheung Street North, next to Belcher Bay Park. It opened on May 11, 2011, replacing the swimming pool at Smithfield, demolished to facilitate the construction of Kennedy Town Station.
- Kennedy Town Fire Station, located at the northern end of SmithfieldSmithfield, Hong KongSmithfield is a street with a length of approximately 1,300 m. in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its northern section is a commercial and residential area, while its southern section is a road connecting it to Pok Fu Lam Road.-Location:...
, at the corner with New Praya
Parks
- Belcher Bay Park
- Cadogan Street Temporary Park
- Forbes Street Temporary Playground
- Kennedy Town Temporary Recreation Ground at Sain Ning Street
Demographics
The neighborhood is primarily Chinese, but a growing number of expats are moving into a number of luxury buildings built along the waterfront.Transport
The western terminus of the Hong Kong TramwaysHong Kong Tramways
Hong Kong Tramways is a tram system in Hong Kong and one of the earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong. Owned and operated by Veolia Transport, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley...
is located in Kennedy Town.
In the summer of 2005, the ExCo
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
approved the extension
West Island Line
The West Island Line is a rapid transit line under construction of the Hong Kong MTR metro system. Planned as an extension to Island Line, the construction of the West Island line depended on reclamation and redevelopment of Western District....
of the Island Line
Island Line (MTR)
The Island Line is one of 10 lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Sheung Wan in the Central and Western District to Chai Wan in the Eastern District. The line first opened in 31 May 1985...
of the MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
through The Belcher's
The Belcher's
The Belcher's is a high-rise residential development situated in the Western Mid-levels area of Hong Kong Island. It consists of six residential buildings which were constructed in two phases; three buildings were constructed in each phase. Construction for the first phase was completed in 2000,...
with a stop in Kennedy Town. The travel time from Kennedy Town Station to Causeway Bay Station is estimated to be 12 minutes once completed in approximately 2014.
External links
- Pang, Yee-han, "Urban revitalization of Kennedy Town", University of Hong Kong, 1996