Tai Po
Encyclopedia
Tai Po (ˌtaɪˈpoʊ) is an area in the New Territories
of Hong Kong
. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market town
s in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui (大埔舊墟) (originally Tai Po Market) and the Tai Wo
Town (Tai Wo Market) on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River
, near the old Tai Po Market Station
of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section)
. Administratively, it is part of the Tai Po District
.
Both market towns became part of the Tai Po New Town
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In present-day usage, "Tai Po" may refer to the area around the original market towns, the Tai Po Town
, or the entire Tai Po District
.
Although there are many public housing complexes in the densely-populated area of Tai Po, there are many expensive high-end private properties in the sparsely populated area of Tai Po.
and started to decline gradually in the midst of the Ming Dynasty
. Tai Po had been developed as a fishing port around the late Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty
.
Due to battles and political struggles in modern history, a lot of people migrated to Hong Kong from China; one of the destinations for them was Tai Po. People first began to settle around the riversides of Lam Tsuen River and finally Tai Po Old Market and Tai Wo Town were developed.
In the 1970s, the Hong Kong government began to develop satellite cities: the first industrial estate in Hong Kong was built in Tai Po in 1974; Tai Po was named as a "new town
" in 1979; the first public housing estate
in Tai Po - Tai Yuen Estate - was established in 1981. The population has soared to 320,000 and Tai Po began to prosper following the completion of the Tolo Highway
which were integrated with the older urban areas. Tai Po Industrial Estate, is an estate of industrial plants east of Tai Po Town, was the first industrial estate in Hong Kong. Plants and companies such as Vita Soy (famous internationally for their different types of juice) are located there.
Information credits from http://www.taipotour.com/history
Apart from the busy Tai Po Town and the rapid pace of development, Tai Po is lucky to have a large amount of green areas which is rare in Hong Kong's towns . Pat Sin Leng (The ridge of Eight Immortals) is one of the many symbolic natural landmarks in Tai Po as well as Hong Kong. With a great variety of creatures, it is especially known for its quantity of species of butterflies. Tai Po also has the potential to become a geology park of UNESCO.
origin. Before the 1970s, immigrants from Guangdong
Province of China migrated to Hong Kong. Many of the Hakka people moved to Tai Po Town, Fanling
Town and Sheung Shui
Town. In Tai Po Town, there is a noticeable large population of Hakka people in Tai Po Market (大埔墟), especially around the area of "Little Park" (公園仔). However there are a lot of people from Guangdong Province, especially from the Guangzhou area and many small villages that are scattered around along Guangdong. Most claim to be from the Han ethnic group, the largest Chinese ethnic group out of the other 55.
There may be other South Asian races, but they are rare.
The Tai Po area also has many "village houses
", resulting from a 1972 Hong Kong legislation which gave any male heir over the age of 18 who could prove he was descended from one of Hong Kong's original villages in 1898 the right to build a small house on a plot of land, either owned by the village itself or on leased government land. These houses are restricted by law to be no more than three stories and 27 feet (8.2 m) in height, and no more than 2100 square feet (195.1 m²) in total floor space.
There are also a few private housing developments in the Tai Po area with "detached" and "semi-detached" houses which include communal recreational areas such as swimming pools, tennis courts and children's playgrounds, and entertainment facilities such as private cinemas, health spas and karaoke rooms. These developments are excluded from the "village house" law, and therefore units are often much larger than 2100 square feet (195.1 m²), with a notable example being The Beverly Hills
development, which has units as large as 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²). Due to the rarity of such accommodation in Hong Kong, these developments are considered by locals to be part of the extreme high-end of the luxury property market, and are generally populated by very wealthy residents. Area of those includes the housings alongside Lo Fai Road, and the housings around Tai Po Road (Tai Po Kau Area).
in Tsim Sha Tsui and bus 307 which goes from central Tai Po Town towards the Central Ferry Piers via Central
and Wan Chai
of Victoria. There are also buses that lead directly to the airport such as E41 from Tai Po Centre (Tai Po Plaza and Tai Po Mega Mall) to Hong Kong International Airport
.
or Lok Ma Chau
and go to Hung Hom Train Terminal in Hung Hom, Kowloon, where there's an interchange to through train services throughout different metros across China as well as an interchange towards the West Rail Line in Hong Kong. It was formerly run by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
(KCR) but has been leased for 50 years to the MTR Corporation, which is partially owned by the Hong Kong Government. These trains are operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (Mass Transit Railway) since the end of 2007 and come from Lo Wu Station or Lok Ma Chau Spur Line
and go to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station. The same goes for trains coming from Hung Hom Station and trains go to either the Lo Wu Border Control Point (Luohu in the Chinese Customs in Shenzhen) or the Lok Ma Chau Border Control Point (Lok Ma Chau is the Chinese customs port for Shenzhen). Mainly, trains toward the Lo Wu Station only take 3-4 mins between each train while trains to Lok Ma Chau Station take about 6 mins between each train. There are two interchanges in the line, one in Kowloon Tong Station with the Kwun Tong Line towards either Tiu Keng Leng or Yau Ma Tei and at Tsim Sha Tsui Station with Tsuen Wan Line towards either Tsuen Wan Station or Central Station
(Hong Kong Station is considered another station, yet it only takes a few minutes to walk between Central Station
and Hong Kong Station).
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
s in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui (大埔舊墟) (originally Tai Po Market) and the Tai Wo
Tai Wo
Tai Wo is an area in Tai Po Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong; it forms the northern part of Tai Po Town. It has its own railway station on the MTR and a market...
Town (Tai Wo Market) on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River
Lam Tsuen River
The Lam Tsuen River is a river in Tai Po District, Hong Kong. It collects water from the Ng Tung Chai Water Fall on the hill Sze Fong Shan and joins other branches in the Lam Tsuen Valley...
, near the old Tai Po Market Station
Hong Kong Railway Museum
Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened in 1985, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913...
of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section)
KCR East Rail
The East Rail Line is one of ten railway lines of the Mass Transit Railway system in Hong Kong. It used to be one of the three lines of the Kowloon-Canton Railway network...
. Administratively, it is part of the Tai Po District
Tai Po District
Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It covers the areas of Tai Po, Tai Po Kau, Ting Kok, Plover Cove and the northern part of Sai Kung Peninsula on both shores of Tolo Channel. It is located in the New Territories...
.
Both market towns became part of the Tai Po New Town
Tai Po New Town
Tai Po New Town , or Tai Po Town , is a new town in New Territories, Hong Kong.The town was designed to be expanded from and incorporate the Tai Po Market, Tai Po Old Market and Tai Wo Market...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In present-day usage, "Tai Po" may refer to the area around the original market towns, the Tai Po Town
Tai Po New Town
Tai Po New Town , or Tai Po Town , is a new town in New Territories, Hong Kong.The town was designed to be expanded from and incorporate the Tai Po Market, Tai Po Old Market and Tai Wo Market...
, or the entire Tai Po District
Tai Po District
Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It covers the areas of Tai Po, Tai Po Kau, Ting Kok, Plover Cove and the northern part of Sai Kung Peninsula on both shores of Tolo Channel. It is located in the New Territories...
.
Although there are many public housing complexes in the densely-populated area of Tai Po, there are many expensive high-end private properties in the sparsely populated area of Tai Po.
History
From AD 963, the indigenous inhabitants of Tai Po lived by clamming and making pearls. The pearl making business reached its peak in the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
and started to decline gradually in the midst of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. Tai Po had been developed as a fishing port around the late Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Due to battles and political struggles in modern history, a lot of people migrated to Hong Kong from China; one of the destinations for them was Tai Po. People first began to settle around the riversides of Lam Tsuen River and finally Tai Po Old Market and Tai Wo Town were developed.
In the 1970s, the Hong Kong government began to develop satellite cities: the first industrial estate in Hong Kong was built in Tai Po in 1974; Tai Po was named as a "new town
New towns of Hong Kong
The area of Hong Kong is very mountainous and many places in the New Territories have limited access to roads. Hong Kong started developing new towns in the 1950s, to accommodate booming populations. In the early days the term "satellite towns" was used. The very first new towns included Tsuen Wan...
" in 1979; the first public housing estate
Public housing in Hong Kong
Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing...
in Tai Po - Tai Yuen Estate - was established in 1981. The population has soared to 320,000 and Tai Po began to prosper following the completion of the Tolo Highway
Tolo Highway
Tolo Highway is a major expressway on Route 9 in Hong Kong. It connects the new towns of Sha Tin and Tai Po in the eastern New Territories.The highway diverges from Tai Po Road near Sha Tin Racecourse. The following of the road runs on an embankment on the west coast of Tolo Harbour towards Yuen...
which were integrated with the older urban areas. Tai Po Industrial Estate, is an estate of industrial plants east of Tai Po Town, was the first industrial estate in Hong Kong. Plants and companies such as Vita Soy (famous internationally for their different types of juice) are located there.
Information credits from http://www.taipotour.com/history
Environment
As Hong Kong is one of the most densely-populated places in world, it is known for its high air pollution. However, although Tai Po is one of the newer Districts with a densely populated public housing and industrial estate, it is the second lowest polluted district in Hong Kong.Apart from the busy Tai Po Town and the rapid pace of development, Tai Po is lucky to have a large amount of green areas which is rare in Hong Kong's towns . Pat Sin Leng (The ridge of Eight Immortals) is one of the many symbolic natural landmarks in Tai Po as well as Hong Kong. With a great variety of creatures, it is especially known for its quantity of species of butterflies. Tai Po also has the potential to become a geology park of UNESCO.
People
While being a new town, Tai Po Town is inhabited with many people of HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
origin. Before the 1970s, immigrants from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Province of China migrated to Hong Kong. Many of the Hakka people moved to Tai Po Town, Fanling
Fanling
Fanling , also known as Fan Ling and Fan Leng, is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the North District...
Town and Sheung Shui
Sheung Shui
Sheung Shui is an area in New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast.-History:...
Town. In Tai Po Town, there is a noticeable large population of Hakka people in Tai Po Market (大埔墟), especially around the area of "Little Park" (公園仔). However there are a lot of people from Guangdong Province, especially from the Guangzhou area and many small villages that are scattered around along Guangdong. Most claim to be from the Han ethnic group, the largest Chinese ethnic group out of the other 55.
There may be other South Asian races, but they are rare.
Housing
Because Hong Kong is in a very densely-populated region, Tai Po Town has copied the many urban areas of Hong Kong by building high-rise apartments. 320,000 people have residences in the town, making high-rise apartments necessary and mandatory. These high-rise apartments are located inside estates, such as Tai Yuen Estates and Fu Heng Estates. These high-rise apartments have floors ranging from the low apartments in Tai Po Old Town to the new estates in northern Tai Po ranging from 20 to 34 levels. The area is serviced by the Tai Po Hui Market, Built in 2004.The Tai Po area also has many "village houses
Small House Policy
The Small House Policy was introduced in 1972 in Hong Kong. The objective was to improve the then prevailing low standard of housing in the ruralareas of the New Territories...
", resulting from a 1972 Hong Kong legislation which gave any male heir over the age of 18 who could prove he was descended from one of Hong Kong's original villages in 1898 the right to build a small house on a plot of land, either owned by the village itself or on leased government land. These houses are restricted by law to be no more than three stories and 27 feet (8.2 m) in height, and no more than 2100 square feet (195.1 m²) in total floor space.
There are also a few private housing developments in the Tai Po area with "detached" and "semi-detached" houses which include communal recreational areas such as swimming pools, tennis courts and children's playgrounds, and entertainment facilities such as private cinemas, health spas and karaoke rooms. These developments are excluded from the "village house" law, and therefore units are often much larger than 2100 square feet (195.1 m²), with a notable example being The Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hills is an upscale, private gated community in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong, situated along the coastline with a panoramic view of Tolo Harbour, developed by Henderson Land Development....
development, which has units as large as 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²). Due to the rarity of such accommodation in Hong Kong, these developments are considered by locals to be part of the extreme high-end of the luxury property market, and are generally populated by very wealthy residents. Area of those includes the housings alongside Lo Fai Road, and the housings around Tai Po Road (Tai Po Kau Area).
Transportation
Buses
Transportation in Tai Po Town is much like any other places of Hong Kong. Due to the high population, Hong Kong has double-decker buses. There are some buses that lead to the rest of Hong Kong such as the bus 271 that goes from Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po Town to Canton RoadCanton Road
Canton Road is a road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It starts from the junction with Salisbury Road in the south and ends in the north at the...
in Tsim Sha Tsui and bus 307 which goes from central Tai Po Town towards the Central Ferry Piers via Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
and Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
of Victoria. There are also buses that lead directly to the airport such as E41 from Tai Po Centre (Tai Po Plaza and Tai Po Mega Mall) to Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
.
MTR System (East Rail Line)
Currently, there are two stations in the East Rail Line for the entire Tai Po Town, Tai Po Market Station (old district) and Tai Wo Station (for Tai Wo Estates and other new estates in the part of Tai Po Town above the Lam Tsuen River). These trains go from the Hong Kong-Chinese border at either Lo WuLo Wu
Lo Wu or Lowu is an area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on the borders between Hong Kong and mainland China, specifically the Luohu District of Shenzhen in mainland China. The area is most notable as the location of the most heavily used immigration control point for...
or Lok Ma Chau
Lok Ma Chau
Lok Ma Chau or Lokmachau is a village in Hong Kong's New Territories and also a major pedestrian and road border crossing point between Hong Kong and mainland China. It lies just south of the Sham Chun River , which forms the border between Hong Kong and mainland China...
and go to Hung Hom Train Terminal in Hung Hom, Kowloon, where there's an interchange to through train services throughout different metros across China as well as an interchange towards the West Rail Line in Hong Kong. It was formerly run by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
The Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation was established in 1982 under the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance for the purposes of operating the Kowloon–Canton Railway , and to construct and operate other new railways...
(KCR) but has been leased for 50 years to the MTR Corporation, which is partially owned by the Hong Kong Government. These trains are operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (Mass Transit Railway) since the end of 2007 and come from Lo Wu Station or Lok Ma Chau Spur Line
Lok Ma Chau Spur line
The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line is the second railway link between Hong Kong and Mainland China, relieving passenger congestion at Lo Wu Station. The alignment branches off the existing MTR East Rail Line north of Sheung Shui Station and then runs to the Lok Ma Chau Station where customs and...
and go to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station. The same goes for trains coming from Hung Hom Station and trains go to either the Lo Wu Border Control Point (Luohu in the Chinese Customs in Shenzhen) or the Lok Ma Chau Border Control Point (Lok Ma Chau is the Chinese customs port for Shenzhen). Mainly, trains toward the Lo Wu Station only take 3-4 mins between each train while trains to Lok Ma Chau Station take about 6 mins between each train. There are two interchanges in the line, one in Kowloon Tong Station with the Kwun Tong Line towards either Tiu Keng Leng or Yau Ma Tei and at Tsim Sha Tsui Station with Tsuen Wan Line towards either Tsuen Wan Station or Central Station
Central Station
-Railway stations:A central station is generally the principal passenger railway station of major towns and cities which have multiple stations, or a station owned by a railway with "Central" in its name, such as the English Great Central Railway....
(Hong Kong Station is considered another station, yet it only takes a few minutes to walk between Central Station
Central Station
-Railway stations:A central station is generally the principal passenger railway station of major towns and cities which have multiple stations, or a station owned by a railway with "Central" in its name, such as the English Great Central Railway....
and Hong Kong Station).