Amoy Gardens
| Company type | Private housing estate |
|---|---|
| Industry | Real estate, residential property |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Kowloon , Hong Kong |
Area served | Jordan Valley district, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
Amoy Gardens () is a private housing estate situated in the Jordan Valley district of Kowloon, Hong Kong. The development was completed over the period from 1981 to 1987. It gained prominence as the site most severely impacted during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, with more than 300 confirmed infections.
Features
The estate comprises 19 residential towers labeled A through S, each ranging between 30 and 40 stories. Blocks A to H rise 33 floors high, reaching approximately 105 meters atop a 14-meter elevated podium that houses a commercial complex. These eight towers are designed with eight units per floor arranged in a cruciform pattern, featuring two apartments on each wing. The property also incorporates the Amoy Plaza shopping arcade alongside a food court area.
Development
The land, originally acquired by Amoy Canning in the 1920s for industrial purposes, was put up for auction in March 1977 when Amoy decided to shift its manufacturing operations elsewhere. Although the auction did not meet the reserve price, Hang Lung Development purchased the site in April 1977 for roughly HK$200 million, while Amoy retained a stake in profits from the site's redevelopment.
Construction proceeded in four stages. The initial contract, awarded on 18 October 1979 to Shui On Construction, covered seven residential blocks (A-G) along with retail facilities. Phase one reached completion in 1981, and the entire project was finalized by 1987.
SARS outbreak
In March 2003, Amoy Gardens experienced a significant SARS outbreak, with 321 cases reported as of 15 April. Block E accounted for the highest proportion of infections at 41%, followed by Blocks C (15%), B (13%), and D (13%). The earliest cases were predominantly found in vertically stacked flats within Block E.
To contain the spread, residents were temporarily relocated to isolation facilities at Lei Yue Mun and Lady MacLehose Holiday Village. Investigations identified that bathroom floor drains lacked water trap replenishment systems, allowing contaminated aerosols to enter bathrooms; this issue was exacerbated by exhaust fans. This architectural deficiency played a key role in accelerating transmission. Following thorough disinfection, residents were permitted to return, and an auxiliary drainage system with fresh water interlocks was installed to prevent sewer gas backflow.
Demographics
According to the 2016 by-census, Amoy Gardens had a population of 10,721 individuals with a median age of 37.7 years. The community was predominantly Chinese, constituting 95.6% of residents. The average household comprised 2.4 persons, and the median monthly household income was HK$34,000.
Transportation
Amoy Gardens is conveniently served by the Kowloon Bay station on the MTR network and benefits from numerous bus routes providing access to surrounding areas.
Education
The estate falls under Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 46, which includes several aided schools receiving government funding; however, there are no government-operated primary schools within this school net.
See also
- East Kowloon Cultural Centre – located opposite Amoy Gardens
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- Lower Ngau Tau Kok (II) Estate
Additional resources
- S.K. Hui, A. Cheung, J. Pang, "A Hierarchical Bayesian Method for Valuing Residential Properties: Case Study of the Hong Kong Housing Market", International Real Estate Review, 2010, Volume 13, Issue 1: pp. 1–29