Tai Po District

The Tai Po District, covering an area of some 14,700 hectares, lies in the northeast of the New Territories. The district is made up of two geographical areas - Tai Po proper and Sai Kung North. Sai Kung North is part of Tai Po because the residents of Sai Kung North used to come to Ta Po to market their produce. Over the years, the links have remained strong.

Documentary references associated with Tai Po date back to the Tang Dynasty when the district was named Huizhouren. It was famous for its pearl fisheries at that time.

During the Song Dynasty, warfare together with frequent foreign invasions resulted in migration of people from the Mainland. Some of the people eventually settled in Tai Po, the population of which had grown gradually since then.

The Tang clan started to settle in Tai Po in the Ming Dynasty. They built the "filial son temple", the Tai Po Tau Village and a market place. This market, now known as the Tai Po Old Market, was set up on a plain north of the Lam Tsuen River. It has become a significant feature of Tai Po. With the increase in population, the Man clan of Tai Hang Village organized seven villages in its vicinity into a "Tsat Yeuk" and in 1892 built a new market called the Tai Wo Market. The Tsat Yeuk Rural Committee also built the Man Mo Temple. They also built roads adjacent to the Temple and developed the town area which became the Tai Po Market of today. The building of the Kwong Fuk Bridge across Lam Tsuen River which once separated the two markets enhanced the expansion of commercial activities in Tai Po, making it the market centre of the New Territories.

The New Territories was leased to Britain in 1898. That year, the British held then Captain - Superintendent of Police, Sir Francis Henry May, officiated at a flag-hoisting ceremony at the site of the old Tai Po Police Station, signifying the beginning of their New Territories Administration. Afterwards, Tai Po became an important administrative centre for the New Territories. The inauguration of the Kowloon-Canton Railway service in 1910 further promoted the development of Tai Po.

Community Feature

Tai Po used to be a modest village town with historical relics and charming scenery. Now, it has been transformed into a thriving and prosperous new town. It is a marvel that the tranquillity of its traditional villages have been preserved and coexist in harmony with the high-rise buildings of the bustling new town.

Population

There are about 300,000 residents in Tai Po. Most of them live in private buildings in the new and the old Market areas and the six public housing estates , while the others live in the 80 plus villages in the district.