by HKURBEX
Left to decay in 1999, Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir is a prize feature on many an urban explorer’s bucket list.
Surrounded by barbed wire and permanently guarded, the site – which opened in 1969 – is notoriously difficult to access.
After repeated scouting missions, Team HK URBEX finally found a way in.
They had to make a quick getaway after they were discovered by security guards, but they returned, alive, with photos.
The abattoir was one of three main slaughter houses in the territory – this one dealt with beef, pork and mutton.
A colonial relic, the gritty old building stands in contrast to its surroundings on Cheung Sha Wan Road.
The site is famous for what locals refer to as the “Spirit Buffalo” case.
In 1983, it is said that a water buffalo was heard “crying” and “begging for its life” right before its slaughter. Workers were so taken aback by the incident that they refused to kill it and, instead, released it into the wild.
“Spirit Buffalo” lived out its years in Tsz Wan Shan until 1994.
An effort to turn the compound into an arts hub failed, partly due to artists complaining of the ghostly, haunted atmosphere.
The artist’s village was instead set up at the Cattle Depot in Tokwawan.
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