Tide Cove, also known as Sha Tin Hoi or Sha Tin Sea (Chinese: 沙田海; Jyutping: saa1 tin4 hoi2), is a coastal cove located at the mouth of the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Geographically, it lies between the settlements of Ma Liu Shui to the south and Ma On Shan to the north, opening directly into Tolo Harbour (Tai Po Hoi). The cove’s coordinates are 22° 25′ 01″ N, 114° 13′ 09″ E.
Historically, Tide Cove formed the natural estuary of the Shing Mun River, which drains water from the surrounding mountainous region, including Needle Hill. In the early 1970s, large‑scale land reclamation projects were undertaken to develop Sha Tin New Town, resulting in the substantial reduction of the cove’s water area. The reclaimed land now hosts residential, commercial, and infrastructural facilities that constitute a major part of the Sha Tin district.
The Hong Kong government has indicated that additional land reclamation may be considered in the vicinity of Ma Liu Shui, which could further diminish the extent of Tide Cove. As of the latest publicly available planning documents, proposals for future reclamation remain under study.
References
- Wikipedia contributors, “Tide Cove,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_Cove (accessed April 2026).
- Civil Engineering and Development Department, “Enhancing Land Supply Strategy – Reclamation outside Victoria Harbour and Rock Cavern Development,” 2015.