Fo Tan is a suburb of Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. One of the 9 districts located in the New Territories, it covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Siu Lek Yuen and Ma Liu Shui . The district has the highest population...

, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. It was developed as a light industrial area, but this activity has declined markedly in recent years. There are residential areas to the east, alongside the MTR

MTR

Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...

 line, and in the foothills to the west.

Location

To the south is Sha Tin New Town

Sha Tin New Town

Sha Tin New Town is one of the new towns in Hong Kong. It is within the Sha Tin District, which covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Fo Tan, Tai Shui Hang, Ma On Shan, etc. With development started in the 1970s, it covers an area of 35.87 square kilometres . It presently has a population over...

, with the small community of Wo Che

Wo Che

Wo Che is an area in Sha Tin of Hong Kong. South of Fo Tan and north of proper Sha Tin, it is divided into Sheung Wo Che and Ha Wo Che , and the reclamation by Shing Mun River....

 in between. To the north is Kau To and the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...

 (CUHK). Nearby to the east is Sha Tin Racecourse

Sha Tin Racecourse

Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...

 while across the Shing Mun River

Shing Mun River

Shing Mun River, or Shing Mun River Channel, is a river in Sha Tin, Hong Kong.-History:The original Shing Mun River began at Needle Hill, and flowed into the former Tide Cove , a shallow bay. In the 1970s, Tide Cove was drained and turned to Sha Tin New Town...

 is City One Shatin

City One

City One Shatin is a residential area in the District of Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. City One is located 12.5 kilometres north of Central. City One is the largest private residential estate in Sha Tin District. There are a total of 52 blocks of residential buildings...

.

Artistic community

Since 2001, as industrial businesses have closed and moved to China, more than 70 units in the utilitarian industrial blocks have reopened as artists' studios, creating a vibrant if well hidden local arts scene. Every January, a festival, Fotanian - Open Studio Programme, sees many of the studios open to the public. Guided walks lead visitors to these normally private working studios, which encompass a wide range of media and styles.

There are also some art exhibitions in the New Asia Library on the CUHK campus all year round.

Private housing estates

Private housing estates in Fo Tan include:

• Royal Ascot
  Royal Ascot, Hong Kong
  Royal Ascot is a private residential development in Fo Tan, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong. The development is consisted of 2 phases, which was completed in 1995 and 1997 respectively. The development was jointly developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation...
  
  
• Jubilee Garden
  Jubilee Garden (Hong Kong)
  Jubilee Garden is a private housing estate situated at 2-18 Lok King Street, Fo Tan, Sha Tin District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is located near the MTR Fo Tan Station and right next to Sha Tin Racecourse.-Overview:...
  
  
• Scenery Garden
• Shatin 33
• The Grandville
• The Palazzo

Restaurants

Shatin Galleria is the only significant retail development in Fo Tan. It has several restaurants, including KFC

KFC

KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...

, McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

, Maxim Chinese Restaurant, Asra Indian restaurant, Comma Cafe and Seafood Delight.

The residential area in Fo Tan, namely the apartment complexes in Royal Ascot, Jubilee Garden, and the Palazzo, also provides a variety of restaurants.

Transportation

• Fo Tan station on the East Rail Line
• Buses
  Buses in Hong Kong
  Bus services in Hong Kong have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR, and residents' services for residential estates...
  
   and minibuses
  Public light bus
  A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....
  
  

External links

• Fotanian - Fotan Artists Open Studio Programme