A dark nickname, oysters and wetlands: Tin Shui Wai before Hong Kong’s protest chaos
- New Territories town has not been spared the unrest that has gripped Hong Kong, with local police station a flashpoint
- Before the tensions, the town was a sleepy backwater, later known for influx of mainlanders
Wan Ka-man grew up in remote and tranquil countryside with clean air and the Hong Kong Wetland Park, a 60-hectare wildlife reserve, within walking distance. But it is a bit of a hassle to reach other parts of the city.
“It takes at least an hour, no matter where I want to go, because I need to take buses first and then the West Rail line,” Wan, a 25-year-old resident of Tin Shui Wai, says.
During the nearly three months of unrest that has gripped the city, Tin Shui Wai has witnessed some of the most disturbing scenes amid the turmoil.
On the evening of July 30, two protesters were arrested there after a dispute with a middle-aged man at a “Lennon Wall” – a colourful display of Post-it notes bearing messages of support for the protest movement. The arrests sparked tensions and hundreds besieged the local police station.
Confrontations between protest supporters and police lasted till the small hours of July 31, when the crowd was suddenly hit by several fireworks thrown out of a passing car with fake number plates. Six people were injured in the incident.
Since then, Tin Shui Wai Police Station has become a flashpoint of recurring chaos.
