Starling Inlet

{{Short description|Harbour in northeast New Territories, Hong Kong}} {{refimprove|date=March 2021}} [[File:Dragon Kings Shrine, Nam Chung 04.jpg|thumb|View of Starling Inlet from the [[Dragon King]] shrine of the [[Tin Hau Temple]] Complex in [[Nam Chung]].]] [[File:HK 鹿頸路 Luk Keng Road 24 鴉洲 A Chau.JPG|thumb|[[A Chau]] seen from Luk Keng Road. [[Mangrove]]s are visible in the foreground.]] [[File:香港新界沙头角水域 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Sha Tau Kok Public Pier]] in Starling Inlet.]] '''Starling Inlet''' or '''Sha Tau Kok Hoi''' ({{zh|t=沙頭角海}}) is a harbour in northeast [[New Territories]], Hong Kong. The whole body of water falls within the [[Closed Area]] and generally restricted to local residents.

==Features== Settlements around the harbour include: [[Sha Tau Kok]], [[Wu Shek Kok]], [[Yim Tso Ha]], [[Nam Chung]], [[Luk Keng (North District)|Luk Keng]], [[Kai Kuk Shue Ha]], [[Fung Hang]], [[Kuk Po]], [[Yung Shue Au]].

Islets within Starling Inlet include [[A Chau]], near the southwestern end of the Inlet, and Shui Cham Tsui Pai ({{zh|t=水浸咀排|labels=no}}).

A section of Starling Inlet located offshore of Sha Tau Kok is one of the [[Agriculture and aquaculture in Hong Kong|26 designated]] marine [[Fish farming|fish culture]] zones in Hong Kong.<ref name="fisheries culture">{{cite web|url=https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/fish_aqu/fish_aqu_mpo/fish_aqu_mpo.html|title=Marine fish culture, pond fish culture and oyster culture |date=15 March 2022|access-date=23 March 2022|department=Fisheries Branch|publisher=[[Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department]]}}</ref>

==Closed Area== The border town [[Sha Tau Kok]] is located at the north of the opening of the inlet to [[Mirs Bay]]. For those who are not residents within the Closed Area, or are not crossing the border, a [[Closed Area Permit]] is required.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

On 15 February 2012, areas around Sha Tau Kok (but not the town itself) were taken out of the Frontier Closed Area. The checkpoint at [[Shek Chung Au]] on [[Sha Tau Kok Road]] was decommissioned.<ref>[http://www.news.gov.hk/tc/categories/infrastructure/html/2012/02/20120214_151825.shtml 邊境禁區範圍縮減首階段生效]</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=15 February 2012 |title=First stage of reduction of Frontier Closed Area implemented |url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201202/15/P201202150013_photo_1035211.htm|publisher=Hong Kong Government Information Centre |work= |location= |access-date=}}</ref>

==See also== {{Commons category|Starling Inlet}} * [[Sha Tau Kok Public Pier]] * [[Mirs Bay]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Ports and harbours of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Bays of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Closed Area]] [[Category:Sha Tau Kok]]