Tin Shui Wai New Town
Encyclopedia
Tin Shui Wai New Town is located in northwestern New Territories
of Hong Kong
. It is a part of the Yuen Long District
, and is the second new town in Yuen Long
and the eighth in Hong Kong. It is situated 25 kilometres due north-west of Central, Hong Kong
on land reclaimed from low lying areas south of Deep Bay. As of 2007, the New Town has a population of 268,800.
fishponds and wetland representing one quarter of the flat land in the New Territories. The process of land reclamation for the new town was completed in 1990. Formation of the 2.4 km2 was estimated to cost HK$820 million in a contract signed with a Chinese joint-venture company. 20 million cubic metres of material would be required for the landfill
. Maximum possible land formation was 4.88 km2.
A new modular style of construction for the public housing estate allowed rapid development and, in a first for a New Town, on 26 March 1993 Tin Shui Wai was officially opened by Governor
Chris Patten. By that time, some 30,000 people were already living there.
The Government was accused by the developers of stalling the release of land for political reasons. Tin Shui Wai Development, a company 51% owned by China Resources
and 49% by Cheung Kong Holdings, sued the Government for damages caused by delays in handing over 388,000 m² of land for development originally promised for 1985. The land was eventually handed over in May 1989.
The first occupants moved into the new town in 1991. The Housing Association launched 6,459 Home Ownership Scheme
flats in the area at steep discounts to an adjacent private estate, and attracted some 90,000 applications.
, demonstrating the diversity of the Hong Kong's wetland
ecosystem, is located in north Tin Shui Wai.
Tin Shui Wai consists of both public
and private housing estate
s. Tin Wah Road separates the south and the north development zones of Tin Shui Wai. The south development zone first started in the late 1980s, and has since become a unique community. Since Tin Shui Wai was planned and developed from scratch, locals enjoy wider walkways and larger open areas when compared to other urban developments in Hong Kong.
Following the completion of the north development zone, the government planned to build 85,000 units and apartments annually in Hong Kong. As such, the north development zone has residential apartment buildings that are generally taller and denser than those in the south zone. The population of Tin Shui Wai rose rapidly over the last part of the century, but has since stabilised. The government has been criticised for maintaining insufficient level of services and facilities to meet the rapid population growth in Tin Shui Wai.
of 3 girls through coal burning took place, attracting extensive reports from the local media. The image of Tin Shui Wai is thus severely tainted in the minds of many Hong Kong citizens; family tension and domestic violence issues are not limited to Tin Shui Wai. According to some Social workers, Tin Shui Wai is prone to family tragedies because of its remote location, limited employment opportunities, and high density of public housing estate
s. Some would also argue that the large number of new immigrants from Mainland China in the area, struggling to adjust to the different cultural and social dynamics of Hong Kong, also contributes to the problem.
A number of incidents and personal tragedies have occurred in the town. In 2003, a mainland woman, who had sought help from both social services and the police, and her twin daughters were stabbed to death by her husband who then fatally wounded himself. In April 2004, a man killed himself after stabbing his 31-year-old mainland wife and two teenage daughters to death in their flat in Tin Shui Wai. The accumulation of events caused the Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Carrie Lam, to label Tin Shui Wai "City of Misery" (悲情城市) in July 2006. Lam's comment was criticised because it did nothing to solve the social problem within the town
In October 2007, Mak Fu-tai, a 36-year-old woman suffering from mental illness bound the hands and feet of her 12-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, and threw them out of a window in their 24th floor flat at Yiu Fung House, and then jumped to her death. Mak's husband, also with a history of mental illness, was hospitalised with terminal cancer. The deaths spurred a review of the inadequate social services provision. This spurred some 20 non-governmental organization
s to plead with the Legislative Council
's welfare panel for more resources to deal with the problems there.
On November 25, 2007, numerous residents rallied outside government headquarters to push for more aid and reform for the area. Many demanded the government to create new hospitals, jobs, and increase police enforcement in the town.
and adjacent to Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shing Court and Tin Yau Court. The station is elevated over the junction of Ping Ha Road and Tin Fuk Road. Several bus stops serve the station. Three footbridges are constructed along Tin Fuk Road and Ping Ha Road to connect the station to the highly populated urban area that the station is built in.
The district is also served by the Light Rail, Tin Shui Wai Station serving as the main interchange point for the local branch of this network, which runs in a circle around Tin Shui Wai proper. The light rail network, in conjunction with the West Rail Line, connects the townships of Tuen Mun
and Yuen Long
.
A well-developed bus
network is also an important transport element in Tin Shui Wai, with buses running to most major destinations in Hong Kong.
Main roads connecting the township to surrounding areas are Ping Ha Road, Tin Ha Road, Long Tin Road, Yuen Long Highway
and Tin Wah Road (to Lau Fau Shan
).
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 is a part of the Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District , is one of the districts of Hong Kong located in the northwest of the New Territories. It had a population of 449,070 in 2001. The district has the youngest population of Hong Kong and the lowest income in the New Territories.-Geography:...
, and is the second new town in Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
and the eighth in Hong Kong. It is situated 25 kilometres due north-west of Central, Hong Kong
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...
on land reclaimed from low lying areas south of Deep Bay. As of 2007, the New Town has a population of 268,800.
History
The new town, conceived in 1987 to house 140,000 people, was constructed on 2.4 square kilometres of reclaimedLand reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
fishponds and wetland representing one quarter of the flat land in the New Territories. The process of land reclamation for the new town was completed in 1990. Formation of the 2.4 km2 was estimated to cost HK$820 million in a contract signed with a Chinese joint-venture company. 20 million cubic metres of material would be required for the landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. Maximum possible land formation was 4.88 km2.
A new modular style of construction for the public housing estate allowed rapid development and, in a first for a New Town, on 26 March 1993 Tin Shui Wai was officially opened by Governor
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
Chris Patten. By that time, some 30,000 people were already living there.
The Government was accused by the developers of stalling the release of land for political reasons. Tin Shui Wai Development, a company 51% owned by China Resources
China Resources
China Resources is a group of companies in a wide variety of businesses in Hong Kong and mainland China. Some of its companies use the name in the form of the acronym CRC....
and 49% by Cheung Kong Holdings, sued the Government for damages caused by delays in handing over 388,000 m² of land for development originally promised for 1985. The land was eventually handed over in May 1989.
The first occupants moved into the new town in 1991. The Housing Association launched 6,459 Home Ownership Scheme
Home Ownership Scheme
The Home Ownership Scheme is a subsidized-sale programme of public housing in Hong Kong managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority...
flats in the area at steep discounts to an adjacent private estate, and attracted some 90,000 applications.
Environment
Parts of Tin Shui Wai have a picturesque and tranquil environment. The Hong Kong Wetland ParkHong Kong Wetland Park
Hong Kong Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai New Town development....
, demonstrating the diversity of the Hong Kong's wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
ecosystem, is located in north Tin Shui Wai.
Tin Shui Wai consists of both public
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...
and private housing estate
Private housing estate
A private housing estate is a term in Hong Kong that refers to a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings,...
s. Tin Wah Road separates the south and the north development zones of Tin Shui Wai. The south development zone first started in the late 1980s, and has since become a unique community. Since Tin Shui Wai was planned and developed from scratch, locals enjoy wider walkways and larger open areas when compared to other urban developments in Hong Kong.
Following the completion of the north development zone, the government planned to build 85,000 units and apartments annually in Hong Kong. As such, the north development zone has residential apartment buildings that are generally taller and denser than those in the south zone. The population of Tin Shui Wai rose rapidly over the last part of the century, but has since stabilised. The government has been criticised for maintaining insufficient level of services and facilities to meet the rapid population growth in Tin Shui Wai.
"City of Misery"
In recent years, the town acquired a rather dubious reputation in Hong Kong for being an area where numerous serious family and social issues, including domestic violence, mental illness, and suicide occurs. The collective suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of 3 girls through coal burning took place, attracting extensive reports from the local media. The image of Tin Shui Wai is thus severely tainted in the minds of many Hong Kong citizens; family tension and domestic violence issues are not limited to Tin Shui Wai. According to some Social workers, Tin Shui Wai is prone to family tragedies because of its remote location, limited employment opportunities, and high density of 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...
s. Some would also argue that the large number of new immigrants from Mainland China in the area, struggling to adjust to the different cultural and social dynamics of Hong Kong, also contributes to the problem.
A number of incidents and personal tragedies have occurred in the town. In 2003, a mainland woman, who had sought help from both social services and the police, and her twin daughters were stabbed to death by her husband who then fatally wounded himself. In April 2004, a man killed himself after stabbing his 31-year-old mainland wife and two teenage daughters to death in their flat in Tin Shui Wai. The accumulation of events caused the Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Carrie Lam, to label Tin Shui Wai "City of Misery" (悲情城市) in July 2006. Lam's comment was criticised because it did nothing to solve the social problem within the town
In October 2007, Mak Fu-tai, a 36-year-old woman suffering from mental illness bound the hands and feet of her 12-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, and threw them out of a window in their 24th floor flat at Yiu Fung House, and then jumped to her death. Mak's husband, also with a history of mental illness, was hospitalised with terminal cancer. The deaths spurred a review of the inadequate social services provision. This spurred some 20 non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s to plead with the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
's welfare panel for more resources to deal with the problems there.
On November 25, 2007, numerous residents rallied outside government headquarters to push for more aid and reform for the area. Many demanded the government to create new hospitals, jobs, and increase police enforcement in the town.
Home Ownership Scheme estates
- Tin Chung Court (天頌苑)
- Tin Fu Court (天富苑)
- Tin Oi Court (天愛苑)
- Tin Lai Court (天麗苑)
- Tin Sing Court (天盛苑)
- Tin Yau Court (天祐苑)
Private Housing Estate
- Kingswood VillasKingswood VillasKingswood Villas is a private housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong. It has a total of 58 residential blocks and 15,808 units in seven phases. It is the first private housing estate in Tin Shui Wai and one of the largest private housing estates in Hong Kong...
(嘉湖山莊) – one of the largest private housing estates in Hong Kong- Chestwood Court (翠湖居)
- Kenswood Court (景湖居)
- Maywood Court (美湖居)
- Lynwood Court (麗湖居)
- Sherwood Court (賞湖居)
- Locwood Court (樂湖居)
Transport
MTR Tin Shui Wai Station is situated on the West Rail Line. It is located near Ping ShanPing Shan
Ping Shan is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located west of Yuen Long Town and Shui Pin Wai, and south of Tin Shui Wai. Administratively, it is part of Yuen Long District.-Geography:...
and adjacent to Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shing Court and Tin Yau Court. The station is elevated over the junction of Ping Ha Road and Tin Fuk Road. Several bus stops serve the station. Three footbridges are constructed along Tin Fuk Road and Ping Ha Road to connect the station to the highly populated urban area that the station is built in.
The district is also served by the Light Rail, Tin Shui Wai Station serving as the main interchange point for the local branch of this network, which runs in a circle around Tin Shui Wai proper. The light rail network, in conjunction with the West Rail Line, connects the townships of Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
and Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
.
A well-developed bus
Buses in Hong Kong
Bus services in Hong Kong have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR, and residents' services for residential estates...
network is also an important transport element in Tin Shui Wai, with buses running to most major destinations in Hong Kong.
Main roads connecting the township to surrounding areas are Ping Ha Road, Tin Ha Road, Long Tin Road, Yuen Long Highway
Yuen Long Highway
Yuen Long Highway is a Hong Kong road connecting Au Tau in Yuen Long and Lam Tei in Tuen Mun of New Territories. It is part of Route 9. It was completed in July 1993 and provides a continuation of route 9 from Tuen Mun to Yuen Long leading to the Shap Pat Heung Interchange and Pok Oi Interchange...
and Tin Wah Road (to Lau Fau Shan
Lau Fau Shan
Lau Fau Shan is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is at the shore of Deep Bay, near Tin Shui Wai and facing Shekou in Shenzhen, China. It is traditionally famous for fresh oysters. About 100 tons were harvested every year, some for consumption in Hong Kong restaurants and some for...
).