Tuen Mun District
Encyclopedia : T : TU : TUE : Tuen Mun District
| Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Area: | km² |
| Inhabitants: | 520,000 (2000) |
| Pop. density: | inh./km² |
| Administrative centre: | Tuen Mun |
| Dist. Council Chairman: | Lau Wong-fat, GBM, GBS, JP |
| Dist. Council website: | [link] |
| Location Map | |
 Map highlighting Tuen Mun District 屯門區 | |
| Significant areas in district | |
| Tuen Mun | |
- For a town in Hong Kong, see Tuen Mun.
- ''For a new town in Hong Kong, see Tuen Mun New Town.
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Transport
- 3 Tourist attractions
- 3.1 Hong Kong Gold Coast
- 3.2 Ching Chung Koon
- 3.3 Red House
- 3.4 Lingnan University
- 3.5 Dragon Boat Racing
- 3.6 Reptile House
- 4 Public Facilities
- 4.1 Town Hall
- 4.2 Public Library
- 4.3 Hospitals
- 4.4 Tuen Mun Town Plaza
- 4.5 Power Stations
- 4.6 Schools
- 4.7 EcoPark
- 5 Public Affairs
- 6 See also
- 7 External links
- 8 References
History
According to archaeologists, fishermen started settling in Tuen Mun since the New Stone Age. As a result, the predominant activities in Tuen Mun were fishing and agriculture during the 20th century. In the 1950s, pirate and smuggling activities were frequent.Originally named Castle Peak New Town when planning, the new town was finally named Tuen Mun, adopting the historic name of the region. Tuen Mun in the Chinese language means a gateway where military is stationed. The new town was built on reclaimed land from the Castle Peak Bay, starting from the late 1970s. The district was subsequently named Tuen Mun after its establishment in the early 1980s.
Transport
It takes about 40 minutes by public transport to travel to Tuen Mun from downtown areas of Hong Kong such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Central.Rail
The first rapid transit line serving the district, KCR West Rail, went into service in December 2003, connecting Tuen Mun with Kowloon. It takes 30 minutes to travel between the termini, Tuen Mun and Nam Cheong (Sham Shui Po) in Kowloon. There is another station, Siu Hong, located in the northern part of Tuen Mun. Both stations are connected by the KCR Light Rail (LRT) service.The KCR Light Rail, which has been in service since 1988, is a light rail system which connects the 3 towns in North West New Territories: Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Tin Shui Wai.
Road transport
In the past, before its development into a new town, traffic between Tuen Mun and the city (Tsuen Wan) depended solely on the Castle Peak Road. In 1977, Tuen Mun Road (phase 1) was built. It is the first highway ever built in Hong Kong. Although the new highway has facilitated transportation between Tuen Mun and the city, any traffic accident on the highway, regardless of its magnitude, usually results in serious traffic congestion. Much of the road is built on concrete pillars, has many sharp bends, and follows the side of the mountains overlooking the sea. As a matter of fact, the highway has been notorious for accidents. The Road is regarded as one of the most dangerous highways in Hong Kong, with the highest accident rate. The deadliest traffic accident in the history of Hong Kong, in which 21 people died after a double decker bus fell off from the flyover, on 10 July, 2003.Ferry
In the near future, Tuen Mun will also be linked to the neighbour cities in the Pearl River Delta such as Macau and Zhuhai in China by the ferry travelling to and from Tuen Mun Ferry Pier.River Trade Terminal
The trade terminal is operated by [River Trade Terminal Co. Ltd.], and is located in the Tuen Mun Area 38. It covers an area of 650,000 m². Operations commenced on 14 October 1998. [River Trade Terminal Co. Ltd.]Tourist attractions
Hong Kong Gold Coast
The marina club in Hong Kong Gold Coast
The Hong Kong Gold Coast is one of the major tourist attractions in Hong Kong, and is the only 5-star beach resort and conference centre in Hong Kong. It features not only a world-class hotel but also a convention centre, a shopping mall, marina club, a 480m long Promenade and the Golden Beach.
The Golden Beach is the largest beach in Tuen Mun and the first artificial beach in Hong Kong, with the sand imported from Hainan Island, China. The beach is 545 metres long and covers a total area of 78,500 m², and is linked to the Cafeteria New Beach.
The Gold Coast can be conveniently accessed from Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, Central district and other downtown areas.
Ching Chung Koon
Ching Chung Koon is also one of the high spots for tourists to visit. It is a Taoist temple originally opened as a rural retreat in 1949. This peaceful temple also contains many treasures, such as lanterns from Beijing's Imperial Palace. The temple is divided into several houses where many dead peoples' bone ash are permanently stored in special apartments with their picture, name, date of birth, date of death and his or her origin. During Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival, many people go there to reminisce and respect their deceased friends or relatives.Red House
Built during 1885 to 1890, the Red House was a part of Castle Peak Farm which was owned by Lee Kay Tong. Lee joined the Hing Chung Party after he met Dr Sun Yat Sen, the father of the nation, in Hong Kong. The party then used the Red House as a base for revolution against the government.Lingnan University
Another attraction is the Lingnan University of Hong Kong, which is also located in Tuen Mun.Dragon Boat Racing
Every year at Tuen Ng Festival (端午節), which is the 5th day of the fifth Lunar month, there is Dragon Boat racing at Castle Peak Bay. The venue is one of the several places where this international cultural and sports event takes place. Every year many people from different companies or organsiations join the exciting competition. The event also attracts crowds to watch the exciting race.Reptile House
It is located in Tuen Mun Town Park. There are lots of real reptiles, for instance, tortoises, snakes, lizards and chameleons. Lives of the animals can be studied closely and it is a good place for children to learn more about the nature.Public Facilities
Town Hall
The Tuen Mun Town Hall and public library are located near the Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road.Public Library
It is believed that there is a shortage of library facilities in Tuen Mun District; there are only three public libraries.Hospitals
Castle Peak Hospital, which is opened in 1961, is a psychiatric hospital which provides general psychiatric treatment. It is the psychiatric hospital with longest history in Hong Kong. [Castle Peak Hospital]Tuen Mun Hospital was opened in 1990, providing a variety of medical services to residents in Tuen Mun and the North Western part of New Territories.
Tuen Mun Town Plaza
Tuen Mun Town Plaza was established in 1988, and is the largest shopping mall in the North Western New Territories, with more than 300 shops. It is located in the Tuen Mun town centre.Power Stations
There are two power stations to the west of Tuen Mun, which are run by CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, called Black Point Power Station and Castle Peak Power Station.Schools
There are currently 50 secondary schools, 56 primary schools and 50 kindergartens in Tuen Mun. There are also 5 special schools for mentally or physically disabled children. According to the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2004)", there are 42 primary schools allocated in Tuen Mun, which can be chosen through three school nets, nos. 69, 70 and 71.EcoPark
The 20-hectare (200,000 square metres) EcoPark is located at Tuen Mun Area 38. By providing exclusive land to recycling and environmental industry, EcoPark aims at promoting waste recycling in Hong Kong. Phase I of the EcoPark (about 80,000 square metres) will be made available for occupation by end 2006, while Phase II (about 120,000 square metres) will be commissioned in 2009.Public Affairs
Sex Crimes
Several years ago, Tuen Mun was notorious for its high occurrence of sex crimes, especially in public housing estates. Several offenders have been caught and the situation in recent years has improved. It is still a major cause for concern so residents have tried to solve the problem by setting up special voluntary teams to accompany women who work and return home late.District Council
Mr Lau Wong-Fat is the chairperson of the Tuen Mun district council.See also
External links
References
| Districts of Hong Kong |
|
| Hong Kong Island: Central and Western | Eastern | Southern | Wan Chai | |
| Kowloon (including New Kowloon): Kowloon City | Kwun Tong | Sham Shui Po | Wong Tai Sin | Yau Tsim Mong | |
| New Territories: Islands | Kwai Tsing | North | Sai Kung | Sha Tin | Tai Po | Tsuen Wan | Tuen Mun | Yuen Long | |
| ||||
| Tsuen Wan (Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi) | Sha Tin (Sha Tin and Ma On Shan) | Tuen Mun | Tai Po | Fanling-Sheung Shui (Fanling and Sheung Shui) | Yuen Long | Tseung Kwan O | Tin Shui Wai | North Lantau (Tung Chung and Tai Ho) | ||||
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