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Tai Wai

Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.

Geography
Tai Wai occupies the southwestern end of the Sha Tin Valley. The Sha Tin area is located directly northeast of Tai Wai. Hill ranges separate Tai Wai from New Kowloon in the south, and from Tsuen Wan in the west. The Tai Wai Nullah, sometimes referred to as the upper stream of Shing Mun River, flows through Tai Wai, where it joins the Shing Mun River. The Shing Mun River then flows in a southwest–northeast direction across the Sha Tin Valley towards Tolo Harbour. ==History==
History
Sprouting from traditional farming villages growing rice, vegetables and fruits, such as choy sum, Chinese broccoli, bamboo, banana, peach, and lychee, Tai Wai area once functioned as a light suburban industrial park in the 1970s. Few factory buildings are still in use, mostly as warehouses. The current urbanization of the area is the consequence of the development of Sha Tin New Town that started in the 1970s. Tai Wai Village, where the name of the area came from, was the largest and oldest walled village in Sha Tin. It was built in 1574 during the Ming dynasty, and was called Chik Chuen Wai () at the time. It was originally made up of 16 families, Wai (), Chan (), Ng (), Yeung (), Wong (), Lee (), Hui (), Cheng (), Tong (), Yuen (), Yau (), Lam (), Lok (), Tam (), Mok () and Choy (). The Wai family, being the largest family, is thought to be the direct descendants of the famous founder general of the Han dynasty, Han Xin, who purportedly fled there to escape executions ordered by Emperor Gao of Han's empress Empress Lü Zhi. The Han descendants changed their surname into Wai by splitting the word Han () in two halves and took up the character on the right hand side, Wai (韋). The Cheng family, on the other hand, originated from a place called Xingyang in Zhengzhou, Henan which is the place where Chang'e supposedly flew to the Moon. It is also the birthplace of Li Shangyin, one of the most famous poets in the late Tang dynasty. Tai Wai appears on the "Map of the San-On District", published in 1866 by Simeone Volonteri. The first public housing estate built in the area was Mei Lam Estate, with the first two blocks of its Phase 1 completed in 1981. Tai Wai station opened in August 1983. ==Electoral constituencies==
Electoral constituencies
Tai Wai in Sha Tin District, as defined at the time of the 2015 Hong Kong District Council elections. They are: Chun Fung (, R10), Sun Tin Wai (, R11), Chui Tin (, R12), Hin Ka (, R13), Lower Shing Mun (, R14), Wan Shing (, R15), Keng Hau (, R16), Tin Sum (, R17), Chui Ka (, R18), Tai Wai (, R19), Chung Tin (, R20). ==Demographics==
Demographics
Tai Wai is composed largely of low to medium income households of different ethnic backgrounds ranging from local Chinese to Westerners. According to the 2016 Population By-census, the number of persons living in Tai Wai was as follows: ==Housing==
Housing
, Sun Chui Estate and Man Lai Court. The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is visible at the bottom left. A large part of the population of Tai Wai lives in public housing estates. Privately owned apartment blocks are also common and higher income luxury housing is also available in various parts of Tai Wai. Hundreds of three-storey village houses (some western styled, others more traditional) can be found in the villages of the area. Public housing , built in 1981. and Ka Keng Court, with Lion Rock in the background. The table below lists all the public housing estates in Tai Wai, including Public Rental Housing (Public), Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) and Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS). Private housing estates Festival City Festival City () is a HK$20 billion residential development project by Cheung Kong and MTR Corporation located above the Tai Wai (Station) Maintenance Centre. Phase I was completed in September 2010, Phase II in October 2011, and Phase III in August 2012. The plan was to build 12 50-stories high residential towers with a total construction area of 313,955 square meters as well as 25,890 square meters for the general public's use. It offers 4,264 flats to families, two schools and one community facility. This residential project raised the population of Tai Wai significantly. The controversy of this project is that the 12 towers would create an urban heat island effect and block off the air flow of the area. Other estates Other private housing estates in Tai Wai include: • Glamour Garden () • Golden Lion Gardens (金獅花園) • Grandeur Garden () • Granville Garden (恆峰花園) • Greenview Garden () • Julimount Garden () • Lakeview Garden () • Man Lai Court () • Parc Royale () • Park View Garden () • Peak One (壹號雲頂) • Pristine Villa () • Sha Tin Heights () • The Great Hill (嘉御山) • The Met. Acappella () • The Pavilia Farm (柏傲莊) • Worldwide Gardens () Villages . The towers in the background are part of Hin Keng Estate. A number of villages exist in Tai Wai and most of them are surrounded by the towers of housing estates. Traditional village layout and some historic buildings can still be found. • Tai Wai Village, aka. Chik Chuen Wai (). It is located next to Tai Wai station and the main commercial streets of the area. The village was walled to protect the villagers from bandits, pirates and/or unfriendly neighbours. It was rectangular in shape with 4 watch towers at its four corners. The towers and the walls have long been demolished leaving only the entrance gate and part of the front wall. The houses inside the walls are in rows, and many houses have been built outside the walls due to later development. Ha Keng Hau, Sheung Keng Hau and Hin Tin are three adjacent villages located along Hin Keng Street (), along a northeast–southwest direction. Hin Keng Estate, located northeast of the villages and across Hin Keng Street, was named after them. • Ha Keng Hau () () is located east of Hin Keng Estate and west of Lung Hang Estate. It was established by the Law () and the Mak () during the 18th century. The Mak who settled there had branched out of Pan Chung () in Tai Po. • Sheung Keng Hau () () is located southeast of Hin Keng Estate. It is a single-surname village, Wai (), with a history of over 300 years. The Wai Ancestral Hall was rebuilt in 1930. • Hin Tin () () is located south of the main part of Hin Keng Estate. The village was erected with government funding in the 1920s to resettle three clans of villagers from Shek Lei Pui Valley (), to make way for the construction of the Shek Lei Pui Reservoir, completed in 1925. Some 80 people lived in 26 houses in the former Shek Lei Pui Village. The Yeung (), the Law () and the So () were Hakkas from Nantou who had settled in the Valley for some 300 years. Another clan in the Valley, the Lau (), moved to Kwai Chung instead of Hin Tin at the resettlement. The ancestral halls of the three clans were built in Hin Tin, connected together to form a single block on the front row of the original three rows of houses. They have been listed as Grade III historic buildings since 2010. In 1982, the Housing Department demolished 600 structures at Hin Tin and relocated 167 families. • Hung Mui Kuk Village () () • San Tin Village (not to be confused with San Tin within Yuen Long District), () () is located south of Che Kung Temple and east of Sun Chui Estate. It was historically a single-clan village of the Lau (), and it now features the Lau Ancestral Hall (). The Lau were Hakkas who first moved from Huizhou to Grassy Hill, northwest of Sha Tin, during the 18th century. They were farmers engaged in cultivation. As their population increased, they bought a piece of land from the Kak Tin and Tin Sam villages and established a new village called 'San Tin' (lit. "new field") in the late 1890s. • Lei Uk Tsuen () () is located east of Che Kung Temple and west of Chun Shek Estate. It was established by the Lei clan in the late 17th century. it was first settled by the Chan () and later by the Law (), the Lam (), the Yip (), the Lau () and others. There are several ancestral halls in the village, including the Lau Ancestral Hall (), that was built before 1900. The founding ancestor of the Lau clan of Sha Tin Tau village moved from Longchuan in the mid-19th century. The clan has lived there for nine generations by the early 21st century. • Sha Tin Tau New Village () () Other villages in Tai Wai include: • Heung Fan Liu New Village () () is located near the Tai Wai Nullah, north of Mei Tin Estate and east of the Lower Shing Mun Reservoir. • Luk Hop Village () () is located on the hill along Tai Po Road and on top of Sha Tin Heights Tunnel. • Fuk Lok Village () () is located on the hill, north of Heung Fan Liu New Village and Pak Tin. • Pak Tin () () is located west of Mei Chung Court. At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Pak Tin was 3. • Tin Sam Village () () is located west of Sun Chui Estate, north of Lung Hang Estate, and southeast of Festival City. It was a Punti walled village, historically inhabited by the Choi (), the Wai (), the Leung (), the Tsang () and the Liu (). A moat was built for its protection, and was later filled up and used as a fish pond. Historic buildings in the village include the Choi Ancestral Hall, the Leung Ancestral Halls, the Liu Ancestral Hall, • Tung Lo Wan () () is located east of Mei Lam Estate, across the Tai Wai Nullah. It was historically a Hakka village occupied by families of different surnames, the Yau () being the majority. The first generation of the Tse clan who settled in the village moved to Tung Lo Wan in the early 20th century. The Tse Ancestral Hall (), also called Tse Po Shu Tong (), was built before 1910. It is the only ancestral hall in the village. The Li Cottage (), located nearby, at the corner of Tung Lo Wan Hill Road and Chung Ling Road, was built around 1918. It is connected by a path to the Li Tomb () uphill. • Yau Oi Tsuen () (), located west of Tao Fung Shan. ==Retail==
Retail
. The buildings on the left are part of Grandway Garden. Several public housing estates have a shopping centre. The only private shopping centre was Grandeur Shopping Arcade (), located within Grandeur Garden, along Tai Wai Road (), until The Wai shopping mall opened in 2023. The Wai () opened on 22 July 2023. At the time of its opening, The Wai housed the largest of the then 43 Market Place supermarkets in Hong Kong, covering an area over 20,000sq ft. ==Recreational==
Recreational
Sports venues Sports venues in Tai Wai include: Sports centres There are three indoor public sport centres in Tai Wai: Che Kung Temple Sports Centre (opened in 2020), Hin Keng Sports Centre (opened in 1988) and Mei Lam Sports Centre (opened in 1986). They are located in or next to major estates, namely Chun Shek Estate, Hin Keng Estate and Mei Lam Estate. They offer a wide range of facilities including a fitness centre with weight training and cardiovascular equipment, squash courts as well as badminton courts. These sport centres are owned and operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; however, the facilities are charged prior to booking with several exceptions. Swimming pool Hin Tin Swimming Pool (顯田游泳池) is the only public swimming pool in Tai Wai. Opened in 1992, it is operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It is located along Che Kung Miu Road, between Tai Wai station and Hin Keng station. Cycling The Tai Wai Cycling Park, where beginners could practice their cycling skills, was demolished in 2001 to make way for the railway terminus of the Ma On Shan Line. A number of bicycle rental shops can be found in Tai Wai and bicycle lanes run along the Shing Mun River and link Tai Wai to Tai Po, Ma On Shan and Plover Cove Reservoir. Hiking Hiking is also a popular activity in Tai Wai. Situated at the end of a valley, Tai Wai is surrounded by country parks: Shing Mun (north), Kam Shan (west), Lion Rock (south) and Ma On Shan (southeast). Sections of the Wilson Trail and the MacLehose Trail run across the hills near Tai Wai. Food Some sources mention Tai Wai as being famous for its chicken porridges and roast baby pigeon. ==Schools==
Schools
Tai Wai is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 88. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Shatin Government Primary School (沙田官立小學). Tai Wai has multiple primary and secondary schools, mostly public, some with religious background. They include: • Buddhist Wong Wan Tin College • Carmel Alison Lam Primary School • Cheng Wing Gee College • Christian Alliance Cheng Wing Gee College • Free Methodist Bradbury Chun Lei Primary School • Free Methodist Mei Lam Primary School • Helen Liang Memorial Secondary School (Shatin) • Immaculate Heart of Mary School • Lau Pak Lok Secondary School • Lock Tao Secondary School • Ng Yuk Secondary School • Po Leung Kuk Dr. Jimmy Wong Chi-ho (Tin Sum Valley) Primary School • Pui Kiu College • Sha Tin Government Secondary School • Shatin Public Mei Lin Primary School • Shatin Public School • Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School • Sir Chu Wan Primary School • Sung Lan Middle School • T.W.G.H's Lam Shiu Primary School ==Religion==
Religion
TemplesChe Kung Temple: Hundreds of thousands flock to the Taoist Che Kung Temple on the second day of each Chinese New Year to worship Che Kung - a general of the Song dynasty, and queue up to turn the wheel which symbolizes both the cosmic movement in the turning of the year and the hope of each wheel spinner for a good turn of fortune in the forthcoming year. • Chi Hong Ching Yuen, also Tze Hong Monastery (). Located next to Che Kung Temple. It is a Buddhist nunnery established in the early 20th century. • Koon Ngam Ching Yuen, also Ku Ngam Ching Yuen or Ku Au Tseng Yuen or "Wat Tai Wai" () near Lei Uk Tsuen. It is a Chinese Thai temple established in the early 1990s. The current temple has replaced an earlier temple, probably built in 1884 and demolished in 1982. • Puguangming Temple (), near Pak Tin Village and directly north of Mei Chung Court. Contains a controversial private columbarium. • Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon (), near Pak Tin Village and directly west of Mei Chung Court. It also houses a private colombarium. Christian institutionsTao Fung Shan: • Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre • Tao Fong Shan Christ Temple • Lutheran Theological Seminary • ELCHK Living Spirit Lutheran Church • ELCHK Salvation Lutheran Church • High Rock Centre (). Built in 1924 as Shatin Police Station, it became High Rock Christian Camp in 1980. • St. Alfred's Church () • Shatin Assembly of God Church () ==Other structures and facilities==
Other structures and facilities
Other historic or otherwise notable buildings and structures in Tai Wai include: • Former Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) Beacon Hill Tunnel (). Completed in 1910, now disused as a rail transport tunnel. • Tai Wai industrial area has an area of about 4.70 ha and included 8 industrial buildings in 2005. • Union Hospital (Hong Kong) • Wai Bun Castle (博雅山莊 or ) ==Transport==
Transport
in 2012. . MTR Tai Wai station is on the East Rail line and the Tuen Ma line of the MTR. The northward termini of the East Rail line, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations, located at the border with Shenzhen, are about 30 minutes away. The station was opened in 1983 and its expansion for the Ma On Shan line was completed in September 2004. Che Kung Temple station of the Tuen Ma line is also located in the Tai Wai area. It opened in 2004. In 2002, KCRC won the bid to plan, build and operate the Sha Tin to Central Link, and in 2004 it submitted the Draft Final Proposal to the Government. The March 2008 MTR-KCR revised proposal includes the extension of East Rail line across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island and the extension of Ma On Shan line to West Rail line via East Kowloon. The Tai Wai to Hung Hom section was fully completed in 2021 and the Cross Harbour section was completed in 2022. As part of this project, a new station was built in the Tai Wai area, Hin Keng station, which opened in February 2020. Road connections Tai Wai is the main gateway of tunnels and roads connecting the New Territories to Kowloon as well as Tsuen Wan due to its convenient location. In the early 20th century and until the Lion Rock Tunnel, the first road tunnel in Hong Kong, was built in 1967, Tai Po Road was the main road connecting Tai Wai and the New Territories to Kowloon. Tai Po Road to this day remains as the only toll-free road connecting the two areas. The tunnels are: Lion Rock Tunnel (1967), Shing Mun Tunnels (1990) and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel (2008). Sha Tin Heights Tunnel opened in March 2008 to lessen the traffic of the Kowloon Tunnels and Tai Po Road. It is part of Route 8 that connects Tai Wai to the airport over the Stonecutters Bridge and through the Nam Wan Tunnel. Bus A large percentage of the bus routes that go past Tai Wai are circular routes which both start and terminate in Sha Tin. There are also long-distance routes that go past famous Hong Kong landmarks and attractions. They include 170, which goes to Ocean Park; E42 goes to the airport (via Tung Chung) and R42 to Disneyland. There are 5 major bus termini in Tai Wai: • Mei Lam () • Mei Tin () • Sun Chui () • Hin Keng () • Tai Wai Station () Minibus Many green minibus (GMB) routes that pass Tai Wai go around all parts of Sha Tin to provide feeder services for major public transport operators such as the MTR. Routes such as 481B go to the Tsuen Wan area via Shing Mun Tunnel offering a fast but cheap alternative to buses and the MTR. Residents' buses also operate at Tai Wai station. Union Hospital's free shuttle bus also operates from there at 10-minute frequencies. ==See also==
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