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.
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.
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 2007New 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:
Level 1: Yata (一田), Department Store, Drop off area
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]
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[citation needed]. 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.
On 25 August 2019, the protesters were applauded by the public as they passed by New Town Plaza in the evening after a confrontation with the police.People Complaint in New Town Plaza Customer Service Centre on 16 July 2019Protesters gathering at New Town Plaza, Sha Tin, Hong Kong on 5 August 2019cleansing 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
public access blocked on 1 October 2019
Riot Police use the gun target to the people on 3 November 2019
Entrance Arena Glasses damage on 9 November 2019
Police arrest the people on 15 December 2019
Plainclothes police in New Town Plaza on 24 December 2019