Sai Wan Swimming Shed

In 1911, Chinese Recreation Club (Hong Kong), built a swimming shed in Tsat Tsz Mui, formerly a village, in eastern North Point. It then became the most popular swimming resort, attracting more than 100 thousands of visitors every year. In the 1950s, there were around 8 to 10 swimming sheds in Hong Kong. Among all these swimming sheds, Chung Sing Swimming Shed and Kam Ngan Swimming Shed were the most famous ones, which were located in Kennedy Town and Mount Davis respectively. Moreover, South China Athletic Association built a swimming shed in A Kung Ngam between 1950 and 1972 and many swimming sheds were also built in Lai Chi Kok Bay, in northern Kowloon, which provided boat rental service. In the 1960s, the Hong Kong Government revoked part of the land area of the swimming shed in certain districts for redevelopment. As harbour pollution problem worsened gradually, more swimming sheds were disintegrated and declined. In 1988, Wan Hung Fai, the regimental commander of beach cottage, and his friend’s application on reopening swimming shed in Sai Wai Victoria Road was approved by the Hong Kong Government, making Sai Wai Swimming Shed the one and only swimming shed in Hong Kong now. There were facilities like office, changing rooms for both male and female, lockers etc.; opened to the public from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm, charged HKD$120 per month. On 22 October 2012, LEUNG Chun-ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, pointed out that the water quality of the harbour has been improving since all major sewage treatment and purification projects are nearly completed. He suggested building more swimming sheds on both sides of the harbour, and in turn encouraging people, particularly those working on both sides of the Victoria Harbour, to swim or do a little fishing to reduce stress.[1] However, Professor Ho Kin-chung, Dean of the School of Science and Technology in the Open University of Hong Kong, indicated that the water quality is not suitable for swimming now, not until the completion of the second phase of the effluent treatment projects wraps up. But he agrees that the consideration of building swimming sheds in both sides of the Victoria Harbour is feasible because many citizens swim in Hung Hom and North Point, however, with no facilities provided.