Cheung Sha Wan was originally the name of a bay near Sham Shui Po. As there was an extensive beach, the local villagers called this ‘Cheung Sha Wan’ (literally ‘Long Sandy Bay’), while the old village nearby was named ‘Cheung Sha Wan Village’. By the 20th century, Cheung Sha Wan, which is next to Sham Shui Po, gradually developed into an industrial area. Before the 1950s, it was also a hub for the ship-building industry. After the Second World War, the need for industrial land surged, so in 1957 the government built the first block of public factory buildings in Cheung Sha Wan to accommodate various industries. This type of factory buildings was subsequently built in other industrial areas, such as the industrial area of Kwun Tong. Many famous factories were formerly located in Cheung Sha Wan, such as I-Feng Enamelling Co. (HK) Ltd., Chun Au Knitting Factory Limited and Man Yuen Weaving Mill, etc.

In 1955, during the construction of the Lei Cheng Uk Village Resettlement, a Han brick tomb was discovered at the site area in the north of Cheung Sha Wan. The tomb was later named ‘Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb’ and is a declared monument. Besides, in 1956, a riot started in the Lei Cheng Uk Resettlement Area, and gradually spread over the whole of Kowloon. The incident started on 10 October, with an officer of the resettlement area tearing a Kuomintang sign from the wall at Block G of the estate. A riot ensued, and the resettlement area office was set on fire. The riot promptly spread to various districts in Kowloon, and on 12 October the Government imposed curfew on the Kowloon Peninsula. The riots were finally suppressed and the imposition ended on 16 October, however, there were substantial casualties and great loss of property. The Lei Cheng Uk Resettlement Area later was redeveloped and became the present-day Lei Cheng Uk Estate.