Tsim Sha Tsui is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. Geographically, Tsim Sha Tsui is a cape on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula pointing towards Victoria Harbour, opposite Central. Several villages had been established in this location before Kowloon was ceded to the British Empire in 1860. Tsim Sha Tsui in Chinese means sharp sandspit. Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in metropolitan Hong Kong, with many high-end shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Many of Hong Kong's museums are located in the area.
　　Before any land reclamation, Tsim Sha Tsui consisted of two parallel capes with a bay in between in the south. The west cape, Kowloon Point, the proper Tsim Sha Tsui, coincided with the small hill where the Former Marine Police Headquarters is sited, while the east cape was the hill that is today known as Blackhead Point.
　　Before Kowloon was ceded to Britain in 1860, many villages were present in the area. Incense trees from New Territories were gathered at some quays in Tsim Sha Tsui and transferred to Shek Pai Wan in southern Hong Kong Island to be exported to rest of the world. In 1888, the Star Ferry offered regular transport between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and the area has flourished ever since. Until the 20th century, Tsim Sha Tsui was a leafy suburb dominated by the people and facilities of the British military.