New Town Plaza

New Town Plaza is a shopping mall in the town centre of Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, it was the biggest shopping centre in the New Territories when it was completed in the early 1980s. Covering 200,000 square metres (49.4 acres), the plaza comprises Phase 1 (the main mall) and Phase 3, which are connected to each other, as well as the Grand Central Plaza, which is less than one kilometre from Phase 1. Phase 1 underwent extensive renovation from 2003 to 2008.

新城市廣場
New Town Plaza
新城市廣場New Town Plaza logo
New Town Plaza in November, 2020
Location18-19 Sha Tin Centre Street, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Coordinates22.381947°N 114.188309°E / 22.381947; 114.188309
Opening date30 January 1985 (1985-01-30)
DeveloperSun Hung Kai Properties
ManagementKai Shing Management
OwnerSun Hung Kai Properties
No. of stores and servicesmore than 400
Total retail floor area2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m2)
No. of floors9
Public transit accessSha Tin station
Websitewww.newtownplaza.com.hk
New Town Plaza
Traditional Chinese新城市廣場
Simplified Chinese新城市广场

The nine-storey shopping centre is right next to Sha Tin station and Citylink Plaza. It is one of the busiest shopping malls in Hong Kong. There are many different transportation links to New Town Plaza, such as shuttle services from nearby estates, minibus routes, the MTR station located right within the plaza itself, and so forth.

Floor plan

Phase 1
  • LB: Play Park
  • UB: Play Park
  • Level 1: MOVIE TOWN Cinema, restaurants
  • Level 2: c!ty'super, Uniqlo, Beauty & Health Care
  • Level 3: Luxury & Beauty, Fashion, Cosmetics, agnès b., Bally, Coach, American Eagle, ZARA, Tommy Hilfiger, SaSa and a roof garden with Pet play area
  • Level 4: Fashion & Accessories, Apple Store, IT, G2000, H&M
  • Level 5: Trendy, Casual & Sports Wear and a roof garden
  • Level 6: Electric World (Fortess, DG Lifestyle, Broadway, Suning, AV Life)
  • Level 7: THE MENU@Level 7, a CD shop and a roof garden in which a music fountain is included
  • Level 8: Maxim's Chinese Restaurant
  • Level 9: Roof garden

Phase 3
New Town Plaza Phase 3 in August 2007
New Town Plaza Phase 3 atrium have been removed after the renovation in 2017. Taken in July 2007.
New Town Plaza Phase 3 after the renovation in 2019

New Town Plaza Phase 3 (新城市廣場第三期) is a private housing estate and a shopping arcade. It comprises 5 high-rise buildings and a 3-floor shopping arcade built between 1990 and 1991.[1] Phase 3 underwent extensive renovation from 2017 to 2019, to increase the shops, the existing atrium from Level 1 to Level 2 have been removed.

Layout of the shopping arcade after renovation:

Layout of the shopping arcade before renovation:

  • Level 1: Toys "R" Us, Commercial Press, Children's wear and various stores, Drop off area
  • Level 2: Yata (一田) Department Store
  • Level 3: Yata supermarket & food court, fashion store, comesics store and various stores

Grand Central Plaza
Grand Central Plaza in December 2009

The Grand Central Plaza complex (新城市中央廣場) houses the HomeSquare shopping mall.

  • Levels 1 – 3: Furniture
  • Levels 5 & 6: IKEA flagship store in Hong Kong, in which a restaurant serving Swedish dishes is included

Snoopy's World

On the podium of Level 3 of Phase 1, there is an outdoor playground called the "Snoopy's World" (Chinese: 史努比開心世界), the first Peanuts outdoor playground in Asia.[2] It opened to the public on 1 September 2000.[3]

Spots in Snoopy's World

  • Doghouse Entry: the Snoopy House
  • School Plaza: Peanuts Academy
  • Boating Canal: Canoe Ride
  • Baseball Playground: Peanuts Dugout
  • Mini Town Area: Peanuts Boulevard
  • Covered Sitting Pavilion: Party Pavilion
  • Overview of Snoopy World
    Overview of Snoopy World
  • Entrance of Snoopy's World in November 2010
    Entrance of Snoopy's World in November 2010
  • Snoopy's World Entry Plaza in June 2005
    Snoopy's World Entry Plaza in June 2005
  • Snoppy World Hall in July 2011
    Snoppy World Hall in July 2011

Musical fountain

When New Town Plaza Phase 1 opened, an oval musical fountain at the centre of Level 3 was an icon of the shopping mall and the largest musical fountain in Asia. It was demolished in August 2004 and then, in May 2005, rebuilt on the roof garden of Level 7, opening in November that year. But it was then closed in 2015 which is the year of New Town Plaza has opened 30 years.

  • Entrance Arena in 2021
    Entrance Arena in 2021
  • Level 1 Restaurants
    Level 1 Restaurants
  • Level 3 Footbridge Gallery in 2020
    Level 3 Footbridge Gallery in 2020
  • New Town Plaza Cinema Complex
    New Town Plaza Cinema Complex
  • New Town Plaza after renovation in January 2013
    New Town Plaza after renovation in January 2013
  • Shops in Level 5 in November 2012
    Shops in Level 5 in November 2012

Nearby shopping malls

Nearby facilities
Sha Tin Park in May 2005

During the Anti-ELAB movement in 2019
People Complaint in New Town Plaza Customer Service Centre on 16 July 2019
Protesters gathering at New Town Plaza, Sha Tin, Hong Kong on 5 August 2019
cleansing workers cleaning glass trash in Footbridge gallery on 15 December 2019

New Town Plaza is one of the key locations for the Anti-ELAB movement, which originated from a peaceful protest held on 14 July in Sha Tin escalated into intense confrontations between the protesters and the police when the protesters were kettled inside New Town Plaza.[5][6] Sun Hung Kai Properties were scrutinised for allowing the police to enter the shopping centre without proper permit.[7]

In September 2019, protesters gathered several times in different shopping malls to sing for the song Glory to Hong Kong. On 11 September 2019, around 1000 people sang the song in New Town Plaza together that night, with crowds of people singing the song in other shopping malls around Hong Kong as well.[8]

  • People Dancing and trampling on Flag of China in new town plaza on 22 September 2019
    People Dancing and trampling on Flag of China in new town plaza on 22 September 2019
  • public access blocked on 1 October 2019
    public access blocked on 1 October 2019
  • Riot Police use the gun target to the people on 3 November 2019
    Riot Police use the gun target to the people on 3 November 2019
  • Entrance Arena Glasses damage on 9 November 2019
    Entrance Arena Glasses damage on 9 November 2019
  • Police arrest the people on 15 December 2019
    Police arrest the people on 15 December 2019
  • Plainclothes police in New Town Plaza on 24 December 2019
    Plainclothes police in New Town Plaza on 24 December 2019

References
  1. New Town Plaza-Phase 3
  2. Snoopy's World
  3. Jo Bowman (6 July 2000). "Snoopy World ready to amuse". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. "SHKP cheers Beijing Olympic torch relay". Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  5. Cheng, Kris. "Hong Kong democrats question police 'kettling' tactic during Sha Tin mall clearance, as pro-Beijing side slams violence". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  6. "Violent clashes broke out inside New Town Plaza". The Standard. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  7. Chan, Holmes; Creery, Jennifer. "Hundreds of protesters gather at Sha Tin mall to demand accountability for violent clashes on Sunday". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  8. "《願榮光歸香港》再響遍多區商場 千人迫爆新城市廣場". Stand News. 11 September 2019. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
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