Yuen Long (Chinese: 元朗) is a town in the western New Territories, Hong Kong. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu (洪水橋), Tin Shui Wai, Lau Fau Shan and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin (錦田), and to the north Nam Sang Wai.
History[]
Tuen Mun remained an important town of coastal defence until the start of British rule in 1898. When the British took over the New Territories from the Qing government in this year, the area was renamed Castle Peak, and Tuen Mun Hui to Castle Peak Market (青山墟) or Tsing Shan Hui. The name Tuen Mun, however, continued to be used by those living in the area.
In 1965, "Castle Peak New Town" was planned. It was later renamed Tuen Mun New Town and constructed from 1970 onwards with many buildings on the reclamed land of the former Castle Peak Bay. The name was officially changed back to Tuen Mun in 1972. The first public housing estate built in the town was Castle Peak Estate, opened 1971.
The area to the west of the hill is an industrial area with several power plants owned by CLP (Castle Peak Power Station and Black Point Power Station). It is also the old name of Tuen Mun during early British rule before starting development of Tuen Mun New Town. In early proposal of the development, the new town was named Castle Peak New Town.
Castle Peak Hinterland[]
Most areas north of the mountain and west of the mountain are commonly known as the Castle Peak Hinterland. Much of this large rocky Hinterland is a designated firing range used by the People's Liberation Army and police forces in Hong Kong, and is named the "Tsing Shan Firing Range". Warnings are issued to the public before live military exercises are carried out. Sometimes the Fire Range is open to the public, but before venturing into the Hinterland, it is best to confirm the days on which the Hinterland is open to the public by searching for "fire range" in the Hong Kong Government press release website. The press releases concerning the fire range for any given month is typically released one week prior to the start of that month. Generally speaking, Sundays and Public Holidays are open days.
There are many hills that are considered sub-peaks of Castle Peak within this Hinterland. Mountains Kon Shan and Por Lo Shan are frequently visited by hikers because the area's terrain has been compared to that of the Grand Canyon in the US, but in a smaller scale.
Note that while the summit of Castle Peak is not part of the Hinterland and is accessible daily, some of the routes leading up to the summit, namely from the north and west, may be closed because of military exercises on select days.
Castle Peak is unique in that it is among the few prominent mountains in Hong Kong which are not inside a Country Park.
Castle Peak Road[]
Castle Peak Road is a longest road in Hong Kong, similar to Lim Chu Kang Road, from Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po to Fan Kam Road at Sheung Shui. The road was named after Castle Peak, a peak in the western New Territories. The area to the east of the peak was hence named Castle Peak. Later at the dawn of the development of new town, the area was renamed to its old name, Tuen Mun.
The road was originally known in Chinese as Tsing Shan To (青山道) for its entire length. The Chinese name of the section of the road in the New Territories was later changed to Tsing Shan Kung Lo (青山公路) Lit. "Castle Peak public road" or "Castle Peak Highway". In everyday conversation, however, the term Tsing Shan To survives for the stretches within Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.
The road was named after Castle Peak, a peak in the western New Territories. The area to the east of the peak was hence named Castle Peak. Later at the dawn of the development of new town, the area was renamed to its old name, Tuen Mun.
The road was originally known in Chinese as Tsing Shan To (青山道) for its entire length. The Chinese name of the section of the road in the New Territories was later changed to Tsing Shan Kung Lo (青山公路) Lit. "Castle Peak public road" or "Castle Peak Highway". In everyday conversation, however, the term Tsing Shan To survives for the stretches within Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.
The road was constructed soon after the British leased the New Territories in 1898. Speaking in the Legislative Council in 1909, Governor Frederick Lugard cited the facilitation of trade and police control as reasons for the road's construction. It was built and gradually widened in sections.
The road starts east at Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po and passes through Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok in Kowloon. On both sides of the road are old residential blocks, with some dated back to pre-World War II. Towards Lai Chi Kok, it is surrounded by industrial buildings instead. The road is one-way eastbound between Kom Tsun Street & its terminus at Tai Po Road.
After leaving Kowloon, it goes uphill past Kau Wa Keng and Tai Ching Cheung along a four-lane expressway to Kwai Chung and downhill into Tsuen Wan. The stretch within Tsuen Wan is also commonly called "main road" (大馬路), especially among the older generations.
Next, it goes along the south shore of the Western New Territories, via Yau Kom Tau, Ting Kau, Sham Tseng, Tsing Lung Tau, Tai Lam, Siu Lam and So Kwun Wat and then reaches the Tuen Mun New Town, which was also known as Castle Peak (after which the road was named). Much of this stretch was bypassed by Tuen Mun Road between 1977 and 1983.
It continues north-east as a six-laned road, paralleling the Light Rail through Lam Tei, Hung Shui Kiu, Ping Shan and goes through another new town, Yuen Long New Town. The section within Yuen Long, again, is also commonly called "main road" (大馬路). This section was bypassed by the Yuen Long Highway in 1992.
It then turns north at Au Tau, just west of Kam Tin. This section is paralleled by San Tin Highway, constructed between 1991 and 1993. It then passes through Mai Po, San Tin, Lok Ma Chau (near the Chinese border), Pak Shek Au and Kwu Tung before terminating at Fan Kam Road in Sheung Shui.
Yuen Long attack[]
The 2019 Yuen Long attack was a mob attack that occurred on 21 July 2019, in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. A mob of over 100 armed men dressed in white indiscriminately attacked civilians on the streets and passengers in the Yuen Long MTR station including the elderly, children, black-clad protesters, journalists and lawmakers. At least 45 people were injured in the incident, including a pregnant woman. The attack happened following an anti-extradition bill protest in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong and was an act threatening the pro-democracy protesters who were preparing to target Yuen Long.