Tuen Mun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tuen Mun |
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Tuen Mun
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| Traditional Chinese | 屯門 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 屯门 | ||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Yale | Tyùhn mùhn | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Garrison Gate | ||||||||||||||
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Tuen Mun, also known as Castle Peak, is a lively area in Hong Kong's New Territories. It sits near the mouth of the Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay. This place is one of the oldest settlements in Hong Kong, with people living here since the Stone Age.
In more recent times, Tuen Mun was home to many Tanka fishermen. They used to gather their boats in Castle Peak Bay. Today, Tuen Mun is a modern area, mostly filled with homes. It's located in the northwest part of the New Territories. In 2011, about 487,546 people lived in Tuen Mun. More than 95% of them are Chinese.
Tuen Mun's Past: A Journey Through Time
Tuen Mun has a long and interesting history. It was an important place for defense and trade.
Ancient Times and Early Settlements
During the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), a navy town called Tuen Mun Tsan was built. This town was located across Deep Bay in Nantou. Tuen Mun and the rest of Hong Kong were protected by this navy town.
A big family, the To clan, brought the name Tuen Mun to the area. They moved from Jiangxi in mainland China. They started a village called Tuen Mun Tsuen in the late Yuan dynasty (1272–1368).
As more people arrived, the village grew. It was renamed Tuen Mun Tai Tsuen, meaning "large village." Later, a market town called Tuen Mun Hui was created. This old market is where Tuen Mun Kau Hui is today. "Kau Hui" means "old market," different from "San Hui," which means "new market."
British Rule and New Beginnings
Tuen Mun remained a key coastal defense spot. This changed when the British took over in 1898. When the British gained the New Territories from the Qing government, the area was renamed Castle Peak. Tuen Mun Hui became Castle Peak Market. However, locals still called it Tuen Mun.
In 1965, plans for a "Castle Peak New Town" began. This project was later renamed Tuen Mun New Town. Construction started in 1970, with many buildings on land reclaimed from Castle Peak Bay. The name was officially changed back to Tuen Mun in 1972. The first public housing estate, Castle Peak Estate, opened in 1971.
Exploring Tuen Mun's Geography
Tuen Mun is located in the western part of Hong Kong's New Territories. It sits between two mountains. To the west is Castle Peak, which is 583 meters tall. To the east is Kau Keng Shan, standing at 507 meters.
The Tuen Mun Trail is a great way to see the area. It has two parts. One part starts near Hoh Fuk Tong College in San Hui. It connects to the end of the MacLehose Trail. The other part goes from "Yeuk Mung Yuen" to Fu Tei. These trails offer amazing views of Tuen Mun from different lookout points.
What You Can Find in Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun has many places for shopping and fun. It also has important government buildings.
Markets and Public Services
There are three traditional markets in Tuen Mun. These are Tuen Mun Kau Hui, Tuen Mun San Hui, and Sam Shing Hui. Here you can find fresh food and local goods.
The town also has many government facilities. These include the Tuen Mun Magistracy and other government offices. For fun and learning, there are several sports complexes. You can also visit the large central library or the Tuen Mun Town Hall. The Town Hall is a place for theater shows and concerts.
Learning in Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a great place for education. It has many schools and colleges.
There are 36 primary schools and 38 secondary schools in Tuen Mun. This means lots of choices for students. The area also has three higher education institutions. These include Lingnan University, the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), and Chu Hai College of Higher Education.
Some well-known schools are Tuen Mun Catholic Secondary School and Christian Alliance S.C. Chan Memorial College. Harrow International School Hong Kong is also located here.
Getting Around Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun has a very good transport system. It connects residents to other parts of Hong Kong and mainland China.
Light Rail System
The Light Rail system serves Tuen Mun very well. It started running on September 18, 1988. This system connects different town centers and settlements. Feeder buses also link more remote areas to the Light Rail network.
The Light Rail has several loops. These loops serve most of the housing estates in northern Tuen Mun. There are also branches to On Ting Estate, Tuen Mun Ferry Pier, and all the way to Yuen Long.
MTR Tuen Ma Line
The MTR Tuen Ma Line opened in December 2003. Tuen Mun and Wu Kai Sha stations are the ends of this line. The trains have been made longer to carry more people. This helps with the growing population in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, and Yuen Long. Now, passengers can travel directly to areas like Ma On Shan, Kai Tak, Tai Wai, and Diamond Hill.
Roads and Buses
Tuen Mun is well-connected by roads. You can take many bus routes to different parts of Hong Kong. Buses like 952, 960, 961, and 962 go to Hong Kong Island. Long Win Bus (LWB) offers services to Hong Kong International Airport.
KMB, another bus company, has routes like 59M, 59X, 60M, and 60X. These take passengers to various places in the New Territories and Kowloon. For the airport, you can take buses like A33, A33X, E33, and N30.
You can also take cross-border buses. Citybus operates routes B3 and B3X to Shekou Industrial Zone in mainland China. Green Minibus services 44, 44A, and 44B go to the Lok Ma Chau Border and Lo Wu Border.
MTR Bus services are also available within Tuen Mun. Routes like K52, K51, and 506 cover most residential areas. If you transfer between Light Rail and the Tuen Ma Line, you can get a discount using your Octopus card.
Ferry Services
Private ferries are sometimes available from the public pier. This pier is a short walk from the Tuen Mun Ferry Pier.
There used to be ferry services to Tung Chung. Now, Fortune Ferry offers services from Tuen Mun to Tung Chung, Sha Lo Wan, and Tai O. In 2016, TurboJET started cross-boundary ferry services. These connected Tuen Mun to Macau and Shenzhen Airport. However, these services were paused in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Images for kids
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Detail of the 1866 "Map of the San-On District" showing Tuen Mun.
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Old buildings in San Hui
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Residence in Red Bridge
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Butterfly Bay Park is the largest sea side park in NT.
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Tuen Mun Town Centre
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Yan Oi Tong Jockey Club Centre
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Tuen Mun Civic Square (Tuen Mun Cultural Square)
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LRT Town Centre station
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