Districts of Hong Kong

Encyclopedia : D : DI : DIS : Districts of Hong Kong

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This article is part of the series Politics and government of Hong Kong
> Basic Law Government     Chief Executive     Donald Tsang     Executive Council     Depts and related organisations Legislative Council Elections Political parties Judiciary     Court of Final Appeal Districts District Councils Human rights Foreign relations

Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, is divided into eighteen districts. Each district has a district council. The districts were established, each with a district board, in the early 1980s, when Hong Kong was under British rule as a crown colony.

History

The District Administration Scheme commenced in 1982 with the establishment of a district board and a district management committee in each of the districts in Hong Kong. The aim of the scheme is to achieve a more effective coordination of government activities in the provision of services and facilities at the district level, ensure that the Government is responsive to district needs and problems and promote public participation in district affairs. From 1st July, 1997 to 31st December, 1999, the former district boards were replaced by provisional district boards. With effect from 1st January, 2000, 18 district councils have been established to replace the provisional district boards.

Two major changes on district divisions had been made in the history.

1. The merge of Yau Tsim District and Mong Kok District became Yau Tsim Mong District.
2. Kwai Tsing District spun off from Tsuen Wan District.

Population

The population density per district varies from 470 (Islands) to 55,000 (Kwun Tong) per sq. km. Before the combination of Mong Kok and Yau Tsim districts in 1995, Mong Kok District had the highest density (~120,000).

Hong Kong Island / 香港島

• Central and Western / 中西區 (274,400)
• Eastern / 東區 (620,800)
• Southern / 南區 (282,400)
• Wan Chai / 灣仔 (190,300)

Kowloon Peninsula / 九龍 (New Kowloon / 新九龍 included)

• Kowloon City / 九龍城 (406,000)
• Kwun Tong / 觀塘 (564,700)
• Sham Shui Po / 深水埗 (372,200)
• Wong Tai Sin / 黃大仙 (432,400)
• Yau Tsim Mong / 油尖旺 (295,700)

New Territories / 新界 (New Kowloon / 新九龍 excluded)

• Islands / 離島 (87,800)
• Kwai Tsing / 葵青 (474,600)
• North / 北區 (294,200)
• Sai Kung / 西貢 (316,000)
• Sha Tin / 沙田 (625,300)
• Tai Po / 大埔 (321,500)
• Tsuen Wan / 荃灣 (290,500)
• Tuen Mun / 屯門 (478,600)
• Yuen Long / 元朗 (447,700)

The role of the Home Affairs Department

Main article: Home Affairs Department

The Home Affairs Department is responsible for the District Administration Scheme, community building and community involvement activities, minor environmental improvement projects and minor local public works, and the licensing of hotels and guesthouses, bedspace apartments and clubs. It promotes the concept of effective building management and works closely with other government departments to consistently improve the standard of building management in Hong Kong. It monitors the provision of new arrival services and identifies measures to meet the needs of new arrivals. It also disseminates information relating to and, where necessary, promotes the public's understanding of major government policies, strategies and development plans; and collects and assesses public opinion on relevant issues affecting the community. These responsibilities are discharged primarily through the 18 district offices covering the whole of Hong Kong.

The role of the District Officers

''Main article: District Officer

As head of each district office, the district officer is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government at the district level. He has the responsibility of overseeing directly the operation of the District Administration Scheme in the district. He is charged with implementing and coordinating the execution of district programmes, ensuring that the advice of the district council is properly followed up, and promoting residents' participation in district affairs. In addition, he is required to maintain close liaison with different sectors of the community and reflect their concerns and problems to the Government. It is his duty to ensure that district problems are resolved promptly through inter-departmental consultation and cooperation. Also, he acts as a link between the district council and departments and serves as a mediator between them when problems arise. The district officer is also involved with the community at every level. He has a role to mediate in the resolution of disputes between corporate bodies and residents. He performs an advisory and liaison role in providing assistance to building management bodies. He operates a public enquiry service to enable the community to have easy access to services and information provided by government. In emergency situations, the district officer is responsible for coordinating various departments’ efforts on the ground for ensuring the effective provision of relief services.

The role of District Councils

Main artcle: District Council of Hong Kong

District councils play an essential advisory role on district matters and issues affecting the whole of Hong Kong as appropriate. The functions of a district council are:

• to advise the Government on:
• * matters affecting the well-being of the people in the district;
• * the provision and use of public facilities and services within the district;
• * the adequacy and priorities of government programmes for the district; and
• * the use of public funds allocated to the district for local public works and community activities;
• where funds are made available for the purpose, to undertake:
• *environmental improvements within the district;
• *the promotion of recreational and cultural activities within the district; and
• *community activities within the district.

The district councils also advise on the management of community halls, which should be in the best interest of the local residents. The district councils initiate, organise and sponsor community involvement projects and activities aimed at enhancing community spirit and social cohesion and promoting the well-being of people in the districts. These range from large-scale district festivals to the formation of local youth choirs and dance troupes. They have also achieved notable success in improving the local environment by undertaking minor environmental improvement projects such as the provision of rest gardens, rain shelters and amenity planting. In the 2003/04 financial year, $205.6 million has been allocated for the district councils.

Consultation with District Councils

Departments send representatives to district council meetings, to consult them and, where appropriate, act on their advice and keep them informed of government policies and programmes in general and, more specifically, of the work of departments in the district and local matters that are likely to affect the livelihood, living environment or well-being of the residents within a district.

Composition of District Councils

The second-term district councils, comprising 529 members (400 elected, 102 appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio who are chairmen of the rural committees in the New Territories), commenced on January 1, 2004. The distribution of seats is as follows:

District Management Committees

The district management committee in each district is chaired by the district officer. It is a government committee consisting of representatives of the core departments in the district, and provides a forum for departments to discuss and resolve district problems. It responds positively to the advice and requests of the district council and submits a comprehensive written report on its work to each meeting of the district council. To enhance communication between the district management committee and the district council, the district council chairman, vice chairman and chairmen of district council committees are invited to join district management committee as members.

See also

• List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
• District Council of Hong Kong
• List of cities and towns in Hong Kong

External links

• [District Councils]
• Hong Kong population and area by district: [1999], htm format, [2001], pdf format

	Lists of county-level divisions of the People's Republic of China
Provinces Anhui | Fujian | Gansu | Guangdong | Guizhou | Hainan | Hebei | Heilongjiang | Henan | Hubei | Hunan | Jiangsu | Jiangxi | Jilin | Liaoning | Qinghai | Shaanxi | Shandong | Shanxi | Sichuan | Yunnan | Zhejiang Autonomous regions Guangxi | Inner Mongolia | Ningxia | Tibet | Xinjiang Municipalities Beijing | Chongqing | Shanghai | Tianjin See also: Districts of Hong Kong | Concelhos and freguesias of Macau Political divisions of the Republic of China

 

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