Tuen Mun
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Tuen Mun (屯門) is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is the westernmost continental district of Hong Kong, located about 32 km away from the Kowloon Peninsula, 7 km away from Yuen Long and 18 km away from Tsuen Wan. The population of Tuen Mun at present is about 520,000 and is forecasted to rise to about 542,000 in 2011. It is a new developing town of Hong Kong and also a large residential area in the New Territories.
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3.1 Hong Kong Gold Coast |
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. While in the 1950s, pirate and smuggling activities were frequent.
Transportation
It takes about 1 hour by public transportation to go to Tuen Mun from downtown such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Central.
Rail
The first urban heavy rail 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 with the KCR Light Rail (LRT).
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. As a matter of fact, the highway has been notorious for this. 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 22 people died after a double decker bus fell off from the flyover, happened on the Road on 10 July, 2003.
Ferry
In the near future, Tuen Mun will also be linked to the neighbour cities in Pearl River Delta such as Macau and Zhuhai in China by the ferry travelling to and from Tuen Mun Ferry Pier.
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 (青松觀)
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 their relatives or friends who have passed away.
Red House
Furniture of Suen is now displayed inside
Built from 1885 to 1890,it was a part of Castle Peak Farm which was owned by Lee Kay Tong. Lee joined the Hing Chung Party after he met Suen Yat Sin, 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 (嶺南大學)
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 lots of 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.
Castle Peak Hospital
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.
青山醫院 (http://www.ha.org.hk/cph/)
Tuen Mun 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 established in 1988, which 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 2 power stations in the west of Tuen Mun, which are run by CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, called Black Point Power Station and Castle Peak Power Station respectively.
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 primiary schools allocated in Tuen Mun which can be chosen through 3 school nets, and these school nets are no. 69,70 and 71.
Public Affairs
Sex Crimes
Several years ago, Tuen Mun was once 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. However, the problem still bothers women in the town a lot. Residents have tried to solve the problem by setting up special voluntary teams to accompany women who returned home late.
District Council
Tuen Mun has its own district council. Mr Lau Wong-Fat is the chairperson of the Tuen Mun district council.
See also
External links
- Tuen Mun District Council (http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tm/english/welcome.htm)
- Electoral Boundary Map (http://www.info.gov.hk/eac/pdf/distco/maps/dc2003l.pdf)
- Tuen Mun New Town (http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/achievements/regional/regi_tuenmun.htm)
- Hong Kong Gold Coast (http://www.goldcoasthotel.com.hk/home.html)