[Explanation] It is surrounded by mountains and seas, with many houses and courtyards. Hong Kong and Shenzhen are connected by one street and a strip of water. As a "restricted area" for more than half a century, in order to cooperate with the development of the northern metropolitan area, on June 3, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced The Sha Tau Kok restricted area will be opened at the stage. Tourists can visit the Sha Tau Kok Pier and the nearby local specialty market, and take a boat to the outer islands through the pier.

　　[Explanation] Sha Tau Kok is located on the border of the New Territories North District of Hong Kong and Yantian District of Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province.

In 1898, Britain leased the New Territories to the Qing government for a period of 99 years.

The two sides subsequently demarcated the land boundary in the northern New Territories, with the Shenzhen River and the Sha Tau Kok River as the boundary. Since then, Sha Tau Kok has been divided into two parts, which are divided into "China Territory" and "British Territory", which are connected by Chung Ying Street.

In the 1980s, Shenzhen opened to the outside world as a special economic zone, and thousands of mainlanders came to know and understand Hong Kong through here.

Today, the street has become one of the landmarks of Sha Tau Kok and is jointly managed by Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen.

　　[Explanation] Going all the way along the waterfront, you can reach the easternmost corner of Sha Tau Kok, which is also the newest landmark here.

An old street sign was printed with the words "Shatoujiao Zhijiao", and under the card stood a stone tablet imitating the boundary stone of Zhongying Street. The origin of the name Tau Kok.

　　[Concurrent] Li Guanhong, Chairman of Sha Tau Kok Rural Committee

　　You can see our monument, that is, there is this boundary stone among us.

This is our Shatoujiao. I believe that some officials from the Qing Dynasty helped us to install it. They came to this place and thought it was very beautiful. It just happened to have a sunrise and saw a very beautiful scenery, so they made a sentence "Sunday" Out of the sand and the moon hanging over the cape".

　　[Explanation] Standing in this corner, you can overlook the coastal scenery of Sha Tau Kok Pier and the endless Hong Kong waters. A floating fence made of blue plastic buckets stretches between the sea and sky. Turning around and looking back, you can see Shenzhen up close. The residential landscape of the community is veritable as "one corner, two places and three landscapes".

　　[Concurrent] Li Guanhong, Chairman of Sha Tau Kok Rural Committee

　　Why are we introducing this place?

That is to allow tourists to see that our two places are very close, just separated by a river.

If after customs clearance, our Dahuan Bay tourism in Sha Tau Kok is completed, in fact, both places can be visited, and we can see our mainland and Hong Kong.

This is the first very important milestone.

We hope to take advantage of this scenic spot. Our vision in the future is to open up this restricted area and connect the tourism industry of the two places. In the future, everyone can have a win-win situation, which will bring benefits to Hong Kong, and compatriots from the mainland can come to travel again. That is A place that complements each other.

　　[Commentary] As the only outlet to the sea in the northern metropolitan area, Shatoujiao is the exclusive starting point for exploring many hidden outer islands.

Take a boat from Sha Tau Kok Wharf, and during the voyage, you can see Shenzhen Yantian Port, which is full of large cargo ships.

Across the water from Yantian Port is Yazhou, a weathered sedimentary rock named after its shape resembling a duck.

About half an hour's flight, you can arrive at Lai Chi Wo, a Hakka village with a history of more than 300 years in the North New Territories of Hong Kong.

There are ancient buildings such as Xietian Temple, Heshan Temple and Fengshui fence in the village.

In the past, the villagers here were mainly engaged in farming. Since then, the villagers have left and the villages have been abandoned.

In 2013, agricultural restoration and rural community building programs were launched here, bringing this traditional Hakka village back to life.

　　[Concurrent] Liang Xiumei, Project Director of Hong Kong Countryside Fund

　　After a few years as a community farmer here, we actually opened some land after recultivation.

There are some very thoughtful people who came in to help plough the fields and do things.

Restoring some of the surrounding areas through farming, especially the wet fields where rice can be seen.

That can increase biodiversity and at the same time people can provide food here.

For some tourists, the Sha Tau Kok restricted area is now open, or there are street guides coming in during the holidays.

In the past, many people felt that they had to leave the villages they gave up, but now many people feel that it is very valuable, and they have a new identity.

　　[Explanation] Today, most of the dilapidated aboriginal houses in the village have been restored and used as hotel rooms to show their new appearance, which also allows visitors to experience the cultural features of hundreds of years ago.

　　[Concurrent] Au Zhiwei, Project Director of Hong Kong Countryside Fund

　　So what are our unique elements?

You can see the stove on the left. In the past, the villagers used to eat a large pot of rice. That pot was used for cooking, steaming, and stir-frying. After it was cleaned, he said it could be used as a clothes dryer.

You can see there are two houses here. In fact, the one we are working on is called an old construction technique factory. We can teach others to make mud bricks and do some minor restorations here. I hope they can appreciate and understand the ancient buildings in the past. way of doing.

In fact, you can see that there are some holes in the wall. What do these actually represent?

It means that there is a wooden lattice here.

In the end, we designed this house and hoped to keep its original appearance, but to have a new way of expression inside.

　　[Explanation] With the gradual opening of the "restricted area" Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong's "Northern Metropolitan Area Development Strategy" has also set a development milestone.

The metropolitan area covers an area of ​​300 square kilometers, covering the deep port economic belt from west to east and the deeper hinterland. The unique urban landscape of "combination of urban and rural areas, coexistence of development and conservation" not only provides more abundant resources for Hong Kong citizens Diversified tourism resources will also help Hong Kong better integrate into the overall national development in the future.

　　Reporter Fan Siyi and Luo Siyu report from Hong Kong

Responsible editor: [He Sanli]