Heng Fa Chuen

Heng Fa Chuen
A bird's eye view of Heng Fa Chuen
Traditional Chinese 杏花邨
Simplified Chinese 杏花邨
Cantonese Yale Hahngfāchyùn
Literal meaning Almond Flower Village

Heng Fa Chuen (Chinese: 杏花邨) is a private housing estate in Chai Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, jointly developed by MTR Corporation and Heng Fa Chuen Development. It is located on the waterfront and offers views of the Tathong Channel. Heng Fa Chuen is administratively part of the Eastern District.

History

The area which is now known as Heng Fa Chuen was reclaimed from Pak Sha Wan (白沙灣) and Lei Yue Mun Bay (鯉魚門灣). In fact, the place where the current Promenade along the shoreline is was once a beach. There was nothing in addition except for barren hills and numerous vegetation. Further to the West, near the current Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, there was once a quarry. However, after consuming all of the quarry's resources, the miners dispersed, with some moving to Chai Wan and settling in wooden houses. The rest of the quarry was abolished by the Hong Kong Government, and interesingly, there were still traces of it left before the establishment of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense. In the early 1980s, the Island Line of the MTR was built, the working name of the station was "Chai Wan Quay" on the Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates Mass Transportation Study became Heng Fa Chuen when the MTR became the rightful developer of the land on top of the station and depot. Not only was the name of the station changed, but also it was relocated to its present place (The old location is currently situated near the Chai Wan pier/Ming Pao Industrial Centre).

Reclamation of the 15-hectare site began in 1978.[1] In order to increase the development potential, the airport height limit on the site was raised from 30.48 metres above principal datum to 60 metres on 7 September 1984.[2] The main architect of the development was Simon Kwan and Associates, while the main contractor was Carson Construction.[3][1]

Heng Fa Chuen was jointly developed by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation and the Heng Fa Chuen Development Company Limited. The latter was a consortium comprising Kerry Trading, Kiu Kwong Investment Corporation (associated with the Bank of China), and Riverkent Limited.[4]

The first 448 flats went on sale and were all sold on the evening of 25 July 1985.[5] By 1986, the first 17 blocks of Heng Fa Chuen (all directly above the railway depot) were being completed and handed over to the owners.[6] The remaining 31 blocks, which sit at grade closer to Victoria Harbour, were completed a few years later.

Features

Heng Fa Chuen Residential Podium
Paradise Mall Shopping Arcade before the 2018 renovation, with the theme of European Renaissance shown in the fountain and surrounding decorations.
The Heng Fa Chuen Station of the MTR

Housing

There are a total of 48 residential blocks,[7] of which each of them is assigned a number in ascending order (from 1 to 50), but numbers 14 and 44 are omitted, accordingly because of each of the numbers' association with bad luck and death when interpreted in Cantonese. The first phase of the development featured 20-storied complexes while the second phase featured 21-storied counterparts, accordingly since Heng Fa Chuen was in the flight path of most planes using the former Hong Kong International Airport at Kai Tak. The Chai Wan Depot, a railway depot, is located below Heng Fa Chuen. It is used for stabling and maintenance of MTR EMUs that run on the Island Line.

All of the town's 48 residential blocks are managed by MTR Property Management. The MTR Corporation Limited has control over the MTR depot, and on top of it are 17 blocks of residential complexes. There is a recreation centre near blocks 32 and 33, with two swimming pools, a gym, and a restaurant.

Commerce

There is also a fairly large shopping centre named "Paradise Mall", completed and opened in 1987.

The world's 11,000th McDonald's fast-food restaurant was opened at Heng Fa Chuen in 1989.[8]

In 2000, the PARKnSHOP supermarket replaced the existing Carrefour giant chain supermarket. This Carrefour store, which had opened in December 1996, had been the first one opened in Hong Kong.[9][10]

The mall has been undergoing a total renovation since early 2018, changing it theme, especially on the ground floor, from the European Renaissance style to a more sports-oriented style. Together with the renovation, the "Paradise Mall" also altered its general direction to posit itself as an outlet with well-known sports brand including Adidas, Converse, NIKKO, Puma, and Under Armour etc., attracting people from outside Heng Fa Chuen.

Amenities

The Heng Fa Chuen waterfront offers a picturesque view of the Tathong Channel, providing a pleasant break from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Railway depot

The Chai Wan Depot is located under blocks 1 to 18 of Heng Fa Chuen Estate and beside Heng Fa Chuen Station. This depot houses trains serving on the Island Line, and inspections of trains are carried out here.

Demographics

The development has a total of 6,504 flats.[7] It had a population of 18,921 in 2011.[11]

Education

Heng Fa Chuen has one secondary school, two primary schools, and four kindergartens:

  • Lingnan Secondary School (嶺南中學)
  • The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial Primary School (救世軍韋理夫人紀念學校)
  • The C. & M. A. Scholars' Kindergarten (上書房中英文幼稚園)
  • St. Dominic Kindergarten (聖道明幼稚園)
  • The Creative Kindergarten (啟思幼稚園)
  • The Ruth Kindergarten (路德會幼稚園)

Transport

Heng Fa Chuen is served by the station of its namesake on the MTR Island Line. There is also a bus station just a few minutes away from the Paradise Mall, opposite to the residential blocks 49 and 50.

There are two mini bus routes (62 & 62A) going between Heng Fa Chuen and Siu Sai Wan, Heng Fa Chuen and Island Resort. Each costs $3.3 (as of 2015).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The Arup Journal 1987 Issue 4". Ove Arup and Partners. 1987.
  2. ↑ "Height limit on MTR raised". South China Morning Post. 8 September 1984. p. 6.
  3. ↑ "Heng Fa Chuen". Simon Kwan & Associates. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Island Line property booster". South China Morning Post. 30 May 1984. p. 1.
  5. ↑ Chan, Albert (27 July 1985). "It's that old familiar property fever push". South China Morning Post. p. 8.
  6. ↑ "Development is MTR's line". South China Morning Post. 24 November 1986. p. 36.
  7. 1 2 MTR Properties website - Heng Fa Chuen
  8. ↑ "Company info". McDonald's Hong Kong. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Consumer Council - The Practice of Resale Price Maintenance in Hong Kong (2 September 1997)
  10. ↑ "500 to lose jobs as Carrefour quits SAR", The Standard, 30 August 2000 Archived 7 January 2013 at Archive.is
  11. ↑ "Fact Sheet for Heng Fa Chuen in Eastern District Council District" (PDF). 2011 Population Census. Census and Statistics Department. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

Coordinates: 22°16′39″N 114°14′21″E / 22.27750°N 114.23917°E / 22.27750; 114.23917

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