Stanley, Hong Kong
Stanley Peninsula
Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong, China. 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.
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 Chinese as Chek Chue (賊柱 local dialect 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 Chinese 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 based on Lord Stanley, 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 the
British garrison in Hong Kong was defeated by the advancing Japanese troops 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
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 Dai pai dongs, Stanley Market now also boasts its own small Hagen-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, such as the Smugglers Inn - an English styled pub that's
very popular with both tourists and expats.
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.
St. Stephens
St. Stephens is a secondary school 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 Main Beach
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.
Murray House
Murray House
Once a government building in Central, it was dismantled in 1982 to make way for new
buildings. The facade was stored in a warehouse after the building was dismantled, and
the facade was rebuilt in Stanley in 1998. It was open to the public in 1999. It houses
several restaurants and the Hong Kong Maritime Museum (see below). When it was
rebuilt, the ink used to label the pieces had washed off, and when they had finished
constructing the building, they had six columns left over. These columns now stand
outside the building.
Currently the bottom floor of Murray House is home to the Hong Kong Maritime
Museum. The museum has over 500 exhibits from ancient pottery and shipping goods to
interactive games for all ages. It celebrates all of Hong Kong seafaring history for the
ancient Hakka people to the British Colonial Navy to the giant container ships which
grace the waters of Hong Kong today.
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 ampitheatre put on by the Hong Kong International School band.
Others
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The Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum is located in Stanley.
The Hong Kong Sea School is also located in Stanley.
The Old Stanley Police Station, built in 1859 is a declared monument of Hong
Kong.Today it retains the original architecture, but inside it contains a Welcome
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 is
expected to be completed in early 2007.