53-527: Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan ) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong , opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel . The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The modern city is centered the Tsuen Wan station of the MTR . Its coastline was further extended through land reclamation . According to
106-750: A private housing estate in Ma Wan . The Tsuen Wan Transport Complex was once a major interchange point between ferries and buses. It was rendered obsolete when land reclamation moved the adjacent ferry pier, and when ferry services were scaled back following the opening of the MTR. Tsuen Wan is still well-served by many bus routes. There are major bus termini at Tsuen Wan and Tsuen Wan West railway stations, and at some private developments like Nina Tower and Allway Gardens. There are also many minibuses to major destinations around Hong Kong. New towns of Hong Kong The Hong Kong government started developing new towns in
159-453: A 34-hour blaze destroyed 282,500 trees at Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan and ravaged 7.40 km² of countryside. Tai Mo Shan Country Park was formally designated on 23 February 1979. The summit of Tai Mo Shan is not accessible to visitors, as it is occupied by a Hong Kong Observatory (ex- RAF ) weather radar station. It was reported in July 2014 that the station additionally houses facilities of
212-449: A commercial and financial centre in the region. In consequence, most of the work opportunities remained in the urban areas, forcing residents in the new towns to travel between the new towns and the city centre every day. From the 1990s on, when Hong Kong had almost no more substantial secondary industries, the industrial buildings were repurposed into offices and warehouses , or even rebuilt as residential apartments. The new towns planned in
265-529: A railway station had its town centre planned near it. Tsuen Wan New Town was distinctive in having more than one town centre, situated around Tsuen Wan station and Kwai Fong station , and later also around Tsing Yi station after Tsuen Wan New Town had expanded to Tsing Yi. With the exception of Tin Shui Wai New Town, the only new town without a clear town centre, the new towns’ town centres became vibrant business and cultural hubs of their areas. Transport
318-507: A supporting town for the then- newly constructed airport in Chek Lap Kok . At present, there are nine new towns in all. New Town development slowed in the 2000s, on account of unexpectedly slow population growth. Indeed, even the development of North Lantau New Town was hindered : the population of North Lantau New Town was just 80,000 in early 2010s, less than half of the 200,000 originally planned. No additional new towns were established in
371-634: Is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 62, which includes schools in Tsuen Wan and areas nearby. The net includes multiple aided schools and one government school, Hoi Pa Street Government Primary School. Tsuen Wan is served by three Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations: Tsuen Wan station and Tai Wo Hau station on the Tsuen Wan line , as well as Tsuen Wan West station on the Tuen Ma line . The Tsuen Wan Pier connects Tsuen Wan to Park Island ,
424-576: Is located in Tsuen Wan Town: Sam Tung Uk Museum . The museum consists of a 200-year-old walled village featuring exhibits designed to replicate traditional village life. It was donated in 1981 and after restoration during the construction of the MTR , it was opened for the public in 1987. Tsuen Wan has one of the highest concentrations of Shanghainese people in Hong Kong , particularly in the constituency Fuk Loi . Before infilling in
477-476: Is the highest waterfall in Hong Kong. Tai Mo Shan has a steep northwestern slope and less steep southern slope. Since it is the tallest mountain in Hong Kong, it forms a barrier that blocks the monsoon from the south, the rain shadow leading to the dryness of some of the northern and northwestern parts of the New Territories. The whole Tai Mo Shan mountain range, known as Kwun Fu Mountain (官富山, named after
530-436: Is vital for the new towns, and thus is planned with care. Before the development of new towns, most areas in the New Territories were poorly connected; new development required both roads and public transport. To ease the traffic between the new towns and the urban area, new roads and highways were built. For example, Tuen Mun Road and Tolo Highway were two principal highways built in the late 1970s and early 1980s to connect
583-557: The Hong Kong Principal Datum [ zh-tw ] , or around 956 metres (3,136 ft) above mean sea level. It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories . The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of 14.40 square kilometres (5.56 sq mi) around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the north of Tai Lam Country Park . The 35-metre-high (115 ft) Long Falls at Ng Tung Chai
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#1732841001755636-544: The January 2016 East Asia cold wave . Since the Tai Mo Shan weather station was established in 1997, it has never measured a temperature exceeding 30.0 °C (86.0 °F), and the most maximum temperature was measured as 29.5 °C (85.1 °F). In the past, Tai Mo Shan was famous for a type of green tea , called mist or cloud tea, which grew wild on the mountain side. Occasionally, local people can still be seen picking
689-600: The Tai Mo Shan peak, the highest point in Hong Kong at 957 metres (3,140 feet), and the Upper Shing Mun Reservoir . Route Twisk winds over and through the country parks linking Tsuen Wan with Pat Heung , via Shek Kong . Originally built by the Royal Engineers as a military road, it was opened to the public on 25 May 1961. An urban renewal project led to the shopping malls Citywalk and Citywalk 2, as well as
742-460: The slums of nearby Ngau Tau Kok . Thus, in the late 1950s, Kwun Tong became the first developed satellite town. Around the same time, the government also began to develop Tsuen Wan as a satellite town. In 1967, using a similar concept on a smaller scale, it also built Wah Fu Estate , which lay to the west of Aberdeen in Pok Fu Lam , in a remote corner on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. In
795-457: The 1950s to accommodate Hong Kong's booming population . During the first phase of development, the newly developed towns were called " satellite towns ", a concept borrowed from the United Kingdom , of which Hong Kong was a colony . Kwun Tong , located in eastern Kowloon , and Tsuen Wan , located in the south-west of the New Territories , were designated as the first satellite towns, when
848-598: The 1950s, most of the population in Hong Kong lived in Hong Kong's urban area, namely the central and western parts of the Kowloon Peninsula and the northern coast of Hong Kong Island. After the Second World War , however, the population boomed. The drastic growth was due to prolonged political unrest in Mainland China , which brought a large number of refugees to Hong Kong from the 1950s to the early 1970s and led to
901-562: The 1960, Tsuen Wan was a shallow bay with three waterways or nullahs that flowed to it. The nullahs are now diverted into man made underground systems but these roads: Discovery Park , one of Hong Kong's largest shopping centres, is located in the heart of Tsuen Wan Town. There is a goldsmith street there where jewels can be purchased. Other features include Tsuen Wan Plaza , Tsuen Wan City Landmark , Citywalk and L'Hotel, The Sam Tung Uk Museum , Tin Hau Temple and The Panda Hotel , one of
954-480: The 1970s to build New Towns in other areas as well. As part of this second phase, the development of Tai Po New Town , Yuen Long New Town and Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town began in 1976, 1977 and 1978 respectively; the extension of the Tsuen Wan New Town to Tsing Yi Town also began in the mid-1970s, and was regarded as part of the second phase of new-town development. The third phase of new-town development
1007-598: The 1980s and 1990s had either no more industrial areas (e.g. Tin Shui Wai New Town and Tung Chung), or industrial areas with only high-value-adding industries allowed (e.g. Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate 將軍澳工業邨). Typically, a new town was planned and developed around a town centre, which was the town's business, cultural and traffic hub. For example, in the town centres of Tuen Mun New Town and Sha Tin New Town, one can find shopping centres, public libraries, theatres, government offices, parks, and bus terminuses. Any new town with
1060-617: The 2000s and early 2010s, and new-town development was restricted to further development of the ones already developed. In response to excess housing demand since the late 2000s, however, which resulted in extremely high housing prices and rents as well as very long queues in pending for public housing, government considered to add to the number of new towns again. In the early 2010s, the government proposed to build new towns in Hung Shui Kiu , Kwu Tung , North Fanling and Ping Che - Ta Kwu Ling . The proposals are matters of heated public debate; if
1113-745: The 2010s, hoping thereby to increase the supply in the private housing market and provide more flats for public housing . For example, Hung Shui Kiu New Town , Kwu Tung North New Town and North Fanling New Town have been proposed by the government and currently under public consultation. Land use is carefully planned in new towns, and development sets aside plenty of room for public housing projects. Highways, tunnels, bridges and railways have been built for accessibility. The first few new towns, such as Tuen Mun, Sha Tin, Yuen Long and Tai Po, were intended to be self-reliant, each having not only residential areas but also commercial, industrial and recreational areas, such that residents would not need to travel between
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#17328410017551166-400: The Hong Kong population lives in these newly developed areas. After the government had built a new town on Lantau Island in the 1990s, the pace at which it developed new towns slowed in the 2000s, owing to lower population growth . As demand rose in the housing market and it became difficult for residents to buy new homes, the Hong Kong government suggested that new towns be built again in
1219-449: The active volcano's superheated steam vents. The area's volcanic rocks are mainly coarse ash crystal tuff . While Granodiorite , which is a kind of granite formed about 150 million years ago, intruded into the volcanic rocks. Under the Köppen climate classification , Tai Mo Shan features a humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ), bordering a subtropical highland climate ( Cwb ). Due to
1272-521: The ample local water supply to make incense sticks, preserved fruit and farming, while post-war industries included metal wares and textiles. By 1950s, Tsuen Wan had become the centre of the textile industry in Hong Kong. In the 1950s, the Hong Kong Government developed the area as a satellite town , along with Kwun Tong satellite town in Eastern Kowloon. In 1961, Tsuen Wan Satellite Town
1325-580: The biggest hotels in Hong Kong. The Nina Towers , which include an 80-storey tower, rise over Tsuen Wan. Hong Kong's cable TV service company i-CABLE also has their headquarters located in Tsuen Wan at Wharf Cable Tower. Situated in the valley, floodplain and reclaimed land, Tsuen Wan is surrounded on two sides by hills and woodlands that make up the Shing Mun Country Park and the Tai Mo Shan Country Park . Located within these parks are
1378-526: The border in Shenzhen are approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) to the southwest and 21 + 1 ⁄ 2 kilometres (13.4 mi) to the northeast respectively. There are a few subpeaks that are given names in the Tai Mo Shan area, including: Tai Mo Shan is an inactive volcano dating from the Jurassic period . A small hill known as " Kwun Yam Shan " near the mountain still vents warm air through cracks in
1431-531: The city centre, lowering both residents’ travel expenditures and the burden on the transportation system. For this reason, the government planned industrial areas near all the new towns it planned before the 1980s: The idea did not work, however. In the 1980s, when the new towns were developing at their highest pace, secondary sector industries in Hong Kong began moving to the Mainland China, where costs were much lower, and Hong Kong gradually emerged instead as
1484-457: The entire new town had been built; the estimated population in Sha Tin rose to 500,000 in the planning of the early 1970s. In the corresponding areas, land was reclaimed to create new space for some of the new towns. These newly developed towns, maturing in the 1980s, provided new homes to more than 1 million Hong Kong people. The first phase having succeeded, Hong Kong government proposed later in
1537-459: The government as part of the urban area. The first phase of new town development was unveiled in 1973, including Tsuen Wan New Town , which as a satellite town was not brought to full-scale development, and also Sha Tin New Town and Tuen Mun New Town . These new towns were intended to accommodate a few hundred thousand people each. For example, according to the first plan in 1961, the government planned to accommodate 360,000 people in Sha Tin once
1590-406: The height of the mountain, Tai Mo Shan is claimed to be Hong Kong's most misty area, as it is often covered in clouds. In summer it is frequently covered with cumulus clouds , especially on rainy days, and in winter stratus clouds and fog often cover the peak. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below freezing point during the winter. A record low of −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) was seen in
1643-473: The late 1960s and the 1970s, another stage of new-town developments was launched and the term "new town" was officially adopted. As most flat lands in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island had already been developed, the government proposed to build new towns in New Territories, a largely rural area at that time. Kwun Tong, as the first satellite town, was not considered as a new town, as it was part of Kowloon and regarded by
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1696-584: The mountain. A few types of wild orchids also grow in the streams of Tai Mo Shan including the Chinese pholidota orchid , Hong Kong's most common orchid, and the bamboo orchid , so called because of a distinct stem that looks like bamboo, which also grows in the streams of Tai Mo Shan. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II , most of the trees in the park were cut down and extensive reforestation
1749-433: The new towns and the city centre for work and leisure. To this end, a few industrial estates, such as Tai Po Industrial Estate and Yuen Long Industrial Estate , were built to provide work opportunities for the residents in the nearby new towns. Although the government successfully turned most of the new towns's town centres into vibrant commercial and cultural centres in their areas, the overall objective of self-reliance for
1802-588: The new towns failed, since most residents still had their jobs in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon; the objective became impossible to accomplish when most of Hong Kong's secondary sector industries had moved to China . The British government had developed new towns in the United Kingdom to help relocate displaced populations after the Second World War . This experience influenced the colonial Hong Kong government's development of new towns in Hong Kong. Before
1855-518: The new towns in western New Territories and eastern New Territories to New Kowloon; tunnels (e.g. Lion Rock Tunnel and Tate's Cairn Tunnel ) and bridges (e.g. Tsing Yi Bridge ) were also built to shorten travel times. Public transport was also developed. Many new towns were planned with new railway lines (e.g. MTR stations in Tsuen Wan New Town, Tseung Kwan O New Town, Tung Chung and the Ma On Shan Rail for Ma On Shan ). The Kowloon–Canton Railway
1908-400: The objective that the new towns should be self-reliant. Besides residential areas, then, the government included commercial, industrial and recreational areas in the planning of the new towns in the first two phases, such that the new towns could provide their residents with enough job opportunities. The attempt, if successful, could minimise the need for transportation between the new towns and
1961-433: The one hand, the government began to provide public housing, and on the other hand it proposed to develop “satellite towns” in undeveloped areas in order to make more lands available for the increasing housing need. At first, it identified Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung as sites for the first satellite towns, but it then found that Kwun Tong , located in then-underdeveloped eastern Kowloon, would be attractive to people living in
2014-589: The only links to Kowloon, the traffic between these new towns and the urban area was highly congested, prompting the government to study new road and rail links. The situation improved when Tai Lam Tunnel opened in 1998. These new towns in the north-western New Territories were finally connected to urban areas with direct railway service when KCR West Rail (now part of the Tuen Ma Line ) opened in 2003. New towns’ residential areas have both private and public housing. When new towns were first developed, land reclamation
2067-484: The proposals are adopted, construction work is expected to begin in the mid-2010s, and its first phase to end in the early 2020s. The planning of the new towns was, in colonial history, the first major attempt at horizontal coordination among government departments. Regarding it as a cornerstone of Hong Kong social policy, the colonial government aimed to alleviate urban overpopulation and improve quality of life for ordinary citizens. It planned all new towns carefully, with
2120-479: The rapid advance of Hong Kong's economy from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The government in the 1950s originally had no plans to deal with the problem of housing the increasing population, until the Shek Kip Mei Fire in 1953 destroyed the homes of 58,203 people in a shanty town . The government, for the first time, built public housing to accommodate the victims and found a change in housing policy essential. On
2173-514: The report of Hong Kong archaeological society, people settled in Tsuen Wan as early as 2,000 years ago. In earlier days, it was known as Tsin Wan (淺灣) which means shallow bay, and later renamed to Tsuen Wan. Another name Tsak Wan (賊灣, Hakka dialect pronunciation: tshet wan), pirate bay, indicates the presence of pirates nearby long ago. In fact, the area around Rambler Channel was known as Sam Pak Tsin (三百錢), literally meaning three hundred coins. There
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2226-555: The residential areas above it. The former Tsuen Wan Sports Ground, on Yeung Uk Road, was demolished and replaced by the Shing Mun Valley Sports Ground . The site, now known as Tsuen Wan Town Lot 393, remains abandoned, but was sold by the government for nearly HK$ 4 billion in 2014 to Vincord Limited. Private housing estates in Tsuen Wan include: Chinachem has its head office in Nina Tower in Tsuen Wan. Tsuen Wan
2279-461: The rocks that lead all the way to the mantle . The holes that exhale warm air are known as "hot pots". When the surface temperature is cold, and the warmth of the expelled air is clearly discernible, this phenomenon is referred to by locals as "dragon's breath". If the air temperature at the summit is 6 degrees Celsius, then the air emerging from the interior of Kwun Yum Shan is somewhere between 13 and 21 degrees Celsius. These "hot pots" are remnants of
2332-610: The salt field Kwun Fu Cheung [ yue ] (官富場) in present-day Kowloon Bay ) in Ming and Qing dynasties, covers over 350 square kilometres (140 sq mi), and stretches from Tai Lam Chung Reservoir in the West near Tuen Mun and Ma On Shan in the east and the mountains of Kowloon and Clear Water Bay in the south. Two other significant coastal peaks, the Lantau Peak (934m) on Lantau Island and Mount Wutong (943.7m) across
2385-597: The tea shoots for brewing green tea. More than 1,500 species of plants have been recorded in Tai Mo Shan including 27 species of native wild orchids, the protected Chinese Lily ( Lilium brownii ) which mostly grows on the east side of the Mountain, 24 species of native ferns, including tree ferns , of which a total of only 4 tree ferns species have been recorded around the entire mountain, 19 species of native grasses, and 7 species of native bamboos. Camellia sinensis var. waldenae (formerly Camellia waldenae ) are also found on
2438-403: The urban area in Hong Kong was still relatively small, restricted to the central and western parts of Kowloon Peninsula and the northern side of Hong Kong Island . Wah Fu Estate was also built in a remote corner on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, with similar concepts but at a smaller scale. Plans to develop new areas were continued in the late 1960s and 1970s, when the name “new town”
2491-457: Was a legend that pirates would collect three hundred coins should one pass through the area. In 1911, there were approximately 3,000 villagers living in Tsuen Wan. In the 20th century, factories moved in gradually due to its proximity to Kowloon . With the construction of Castle Peak Road in 1917, motor vehicles could reach the town in addition to access on foot and by boat. Regular bus services did not begin until 1933. Early industries relied on
2544-542: Was an important way of gaining land to build on. Large areas were gained by land reclamations in Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Tsing Yi, Ma On Shan, Tin Shui Wai, Tseung Kwan O and Tung Chung – 7 of 9 new towns, with Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town and Yuen Long New Town being the only exceptions. Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong , with an elevation of 957 metres (3,140 ft) above
2597-626: Was carried out after the war. Trees that were planted are mostly non-native such as Pinus massoniana , Acacia confusa , Lophostemon confertus , and paper bark tree . The area has now become one of Hong Kong's major forest plantations. The south-east slopes of Tai Mo Shan are covered with patches of well developed montane forest . The area, covering 130 hectares, was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1975. Local wildlife consists of birds, snakes and butterflies . There are also freshwater crabs , feral dogs , feral cats , oxen , Porcupines and wild boar . In 1986,
2650-418: Was electrified in the early 1980s in order to provide convenient transport to the new towns at Fanling-Sheung Shui, Tai Po and Sha Tin. New towns in the north-western New Territories were connected by Light Rail Transit , although at the time they remained the only new towns without direct railway service to the urban areas. Because there was no railway transport, and Tuen Mun Road and Castle Peak Road were
2703-466: Was expanded to become Tsuen Wan New Town , the first of such in Hong Kong. The new town covers not only Tsuen Wan, but also neighbouring Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi , including housing estates like the Fuk Loi Estate, built in 1967. By 1971, the area housed 400,000 residents. It was one of the last areas in Hong Kong to be developed without the "Colony Outline Plan". A museum of a local settlement village
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#17328410017552756-542: Was officially adopted. As most flat lands in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon had already been developed, the government proposed to build new towns in the New Territories, a largely rural area at that time. The first phase of new-town development, which began in 1973, included Tsuen Wan , Sha Tin and Tuen Mun . With the success of these new towns, and the experience gained from building them, the government launched further stages of new-town development in subsequent decades. To date, nine new towns have been built, and about half of
2809-406: Was proposed in the 1980s, including Tseung Kwan O New Town , Tin Shui Wai New Town and Ma On Shan , the last of which was officially considered as an extension of Sha Tin New Town. The fourth phase of new-town development, so far the last, commenced in 1996 and developed North Lantau New Town (only Tung Chung was developed, although originally the plan included the area near Tai Ho Wan ), as
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