Tuen Mun District
Template:Infobox Hong Kong district
- For a town in Hong Kong, see Tuen Mun.
- For a new town in Hong Kong, see Tuen Mun New Town.
Tuen Mun District (Chinese: 屯門區) is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is the westernmost continental district of Hong Kong, located about 32 km from the Kowloon Peninsula, 7 km southwest of Yuen Long and 18 km west of Tsuen Wan. The population of Tuen Mun is about 520,000 and is forecast to rise to about 542,000 in 2011. Part of the district is the Tuen Mun New Town, which contains one of the largest residential areas in the New Territories.
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 Castle Peak Road. In 1977, Tuen Mun Road (Phase 1) was built. It was the first highway ever built in Hong Kong. Although the new highway facilitates transportation between Tuen Mun and the city, any traffic accident on the highway, regardless of magnitude, usually results in serious traffic congestion. Much of the road is built on concrete pillars, and the highway has many sharp bends, as it follows the mountain coastline along the sea. As a matter of fact, the highway is notorious for serious traffic accidents, being regarded as one of the most dangerous highways in Hong Kong, and having the highest accident rate. Tuen Mun Road holds the sordid record as host to the deadliest traffic accident in the history of Hong Kong; on the 10th of July 2003, 21 people died when a lorry cut off a bus travelling towards Tuen Mun in the lane closest to the flyover edge, resulting in the bus driver losing control and veering over the edge, and onto the mountainside below.
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. [1]
Tourist attractions
Hong Kong Gold Coast
The Hong Kong Gold Coast is one of the major tourist attractions in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Gold Coast is a Mediterranean-themed resort complex located at 1 Castle Peak Road, Castle Peak Bay, New Territories, Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Gold Coast is set in the picturesque Castle Peak Bay with European Continental architecture, evoking the romantic sentiments of the Mediterranean. The setting sun and swaying palm trees offer local residents a different flavor from their normal busy city life.
Hong Kong Gold Coast consists of the Hong Kong Gold Coast Residences which features apartments and beach houses, the Hong Kong Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club, the Hong Kong Gold Coast Shopping Mall, as well as the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel. The five-star resort and conference hotel is situated next to the Golden Beach, a popular beach that is dotted with local residents during the weekends. The beach is connected to a promenade that leads to the Dolphin Square which features a statue of three golden dolphins. Dolphin Square is a popular tourist destination where one can often spot the rare pink dolphins swimming around the marina and Castle Peak Bay.
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. It houses a variety of real reptiles such as tortoises, snakes, lizards and chameleons. Visitors are able to study the livelihood of these animals in close proximity and it is said to be 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
There are three public libraries, Tuen Mun Central Library, Butterfly Estate Public Library and Tai Hing Public Library. It has been suggested that existing library facilities are inadequate to meet the residents' needs.
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. [2]
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
District Council
Mr Lau Wong-Fat is the chairperson of the Tuen Mun district council.
Trivia
Sex Crimes
In 1990's, Tuen Mun was notorious for its high occurrence of sex crimes. Vulnerable young women living in public housing estates are the usual targets of these sexual assaults. Several male offenders have since been caught and the situation has much improved. However these incidents have caused concerns for safety of women living in the area. To address these concerns, special teams of volunteers have been setup to escort women home who happens to work and return home late.