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Stanley
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| Chinese | 赤柱 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning: | "Bandit's post" or "red pillar" |
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Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok. Administratively, it is part of the Southern District.
The proper Chek Chue refers to the village town but Stanley generally refers to all the surrounding areas of the peninsula after the beginning of British rule and native Cantonese name Chek Chue became synonym to Stanley.
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Name
There are two possible origins of the name "Chek Chue".
Legend has it that the notorious pirate Cheung Po Tsai was active in Stanley. That is why the district became known in Cantonese dialect as Chak Chue (賊柱 for Bandit's Post). There was once a Cheung Po Tsai Cave near the Tin Hau Temple west of Stanley, but the cave was filled in the early 1950s.
The original Cantonese dialect name of the village was believed to be based on a big tall cotton tree (Bombax malabaricum, Bombax ceiba 木棉樹) often covered with bright red blossoms at the time, hence red pillar (赤柱) in Hakka language.
It was given an English name after Lord Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, 19th-century British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.
History
After the annexation of Hong Kong in 1842, the British made Stanley the temporary administrative centre, before moving it to the newly founded Victoria City (present day Central) on the north shore of Hong Kong Island.
Stanley was the location where British and Canadian troops made their last stand before surrendering to Japanese troops during the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. Stanley Fort, the former British barracks in Stanley, is now occupied by the People's Liberation Army. This change followed the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Places of interest
Stanley Market
Stanley Market, a large open-air marketplace, has become well known for its bargains in clothing - particularly silk garments and traditional Chinese dress - as well as toys, ornaments, luggage, souvenirs, and Chinese arts and crafts. It is a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike. People are drawn here by the cheap goods that would usually fetch a much higher price elsewhere. In addition to several Chinese restaurants and a Dai pai dong, Stanley Market now also boasts its own small Häagen-Dazs shop and most recently a branch of the Dymocks Booksellers.
Stanley Main Street
Stanley is renowned for its many bars and restaurants on its waterfront along Stanley Main Street where visitors can enjoy a variety of different foods (including French, Italian, American, Indian and Thai) or relax with a beer and soak up the friendly atmosphere in one of its bars.
To the west of Stanley Main Street, past the amphitheatre in Stanley Plaza is the Tin Hau Temple (Temple of the Queen of Heaven). Built by Cheung Po Tsai in 1767, it is one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong.
Stanley Prison
Stanley Prison is still operational and houses the most hardened of criminals from the Hong Kong Justice System. There is a Correctional Services Museum at the entrance to the prison.It opens from Monday to Friday.
St. Stephens
St. Stephens is a secondary school, it has a primary school too, that has long been located in Stanley. The mission of the College is: to provide quality education for the whole person, with a balanced emphasis on physical, intellectual and spiritual development, in a caring and supportive Christian environment. While the school is not open to the public or tourists, it is just a short walk from Stanley Main Street.
Stanley's beaches
Stanley is famous for its two beaches: Stanley Main Beach, located on the eastern side of the peninsular, and St. Stephen's Beach, on the western side. Both beaches are sandy and have areas designed for barbecues. Like many beaches in Hong Kong, they also have netted perimeters to protect swimmers from sharks.
The larger of the two beaches - Stanley Main Beach, which is also popular with windsurfers, hosts the Stanley Dragon Boat Championships each year in June to celebrate the Tuen Ng Festival.
(See official website for Stanley Dragon Boat Championships)
Murray House
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Stanley Plaza
Adjacent to Murray House, opened in 2001, it includes a shopping arcade and a community theatre. It is owned by The Link REIT. Every Christmas Stanley Plaza hosts a free concert in the amphitheatre put on by the Hong Kong International School band.
Ma Hang Estate
Ma Hang Estate (traditional Chinese: 馬坑邨) is a public housing estate in Stanley.[1] Formerly the site of Ma Hang Squatter Area, the estate is designed as "working village" and consists of 5 residential blocks completed between 1993 and 2000 for providing in-site rehousing for squatters.[2] Stanley Plaza[3][4], Murray House and Blake Pier at Stanley are also the territories of Ma Hang Estate.
Houses
| Name | Type | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Chun Ma House | Harmony Rural | 1993 |
| Kin Ma House | ||
| Koon Ma House | ||
| Leung Ma House | ||
| Ying Ma House | 2000 |
Others
- The Hong Kong Sea School [1] is also located in Stanley.
- Stanley Military Cemetery
- The Old Stanley Police Station, built in 1859 is a declared monument of Hong Kong.Today it retains the original architecture, but inside it houses a Wellcome Supermarket.
- The Stanley Municipal Building opened over summer 2006. It houses some government offices, a medium sized branch of the Hong Kong Public Library [2] containing both English and Chinese books and several recreational rooms such as basketball and badminton courts. There is also a very pleasant "garden zone" on the roof of the library section of the building with an outstanding view of Stanley Harbour.
- St. Stephen's College is also based in Stanley, providing secondary level education for over one hundred years. One of the most notable parts of its history was when, during the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong, the school campus was used as an internment camp. The college, and its counterpart primary preparatory school, both have boarding facilities — a rarity in Hong Kong.
- Currently the waterfront is undergoing a redevelopment program to create a boardwalk and pier in front of Murray House and Stanley Main Street. It was completed in early 2008.
- 'The Stanley Fort' is a PLA military barracks located at the southernmost part of Stanley, south of the lighthouse.
- Stanley Ferry Pier
Transport
Stanley is served by Repulse Bay Road and Tai Tam Road. It is extremely easy to reach with several buses that go back and forth from all over Hong Kong. In addition to the many buses Stanley is also served by a taxi stand, which is almost always full of taxis awaiting customers.
Bus
New World First Bus
To/From Stanley Market: 65 (Terminus: Exchange Square)
To/From Stanley Prison: 63 (Terminus: North Point Ferry Pier)
To/From Stanley Fort: 14 (Terminus: Grand Promenade)
To/From Stanley Plaza: 66 (Terminus: Exchange Square)
Citybus
To/From Stanley Market: 973 (Terminus: Tsim Sha Tsui)
To/From Stanley Prison: 6 6A 6X and 260 (Terminus: Exchange Square); 73 (Terminus: Cyberport); 314 (Terminus: Siu Sai Wan Bus Station)
Minibus
Between Chai Wan MTR Station and Stanley Market: 16M
Between Aberdeen and Stanley Prison: 52
Between Causeway Bay and Stanley Prison: 40
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See also
- Beaches of Hong Kong
- List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
- Strolling Around Stanley Market
- Historic Walking Tour of Stanley Market (self-guided)
- Hong Kong Disciplined Services (Correctional Services)
- Stanley Fort
- Stanley Prison
- More pictures of Stanley
References
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