Yuen Long Kau Hui

Yuen Long Kau Hui is located in the north-east of the present Yuen Long Town. It is sited south of a small hill and directly north of Yuen Long MTR station. It comprises several villages, which are part of the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee. From West to East: • Sai Pin Wai or Sai Bin Wai (), a walled village • Nam Pin Wai or Nam Bin Wai (), a walled village • Tung Tau Tsuen () • Tsoi Uk Tsuen or Choi Uk Tsuen () • Ying Lung Wai (), a walled village • Tai Wai Tsuen (), a walled village • Wong Uk Tsuen () And also: • Shan Pui Tsuen (), located north of the hill. A small boat near the village entrance serves as a ferry across the Shan Pui River towards Nam Sang Wai in the north. • Tai Kiu Tsuen (), located west of the main group of villages and across the river, directly south of Long Ping MTR station. ==History==

Market The original Yuen Long Town was not located in the busiest place of present-day Yuen Long, namely Yuen Long Main Road (), part of Castle Peak Road. The earliest market in Yuen Long was established and developed in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) south of the main road, in Tai Kiu Tun () near Tai Kei Leng (). The Coastal ban caused the evacuation of most of the population of present-day Hong Kong and lasted eight years in Yuen Long. In 1669, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty, that eight-year ban was lifted. The same year, the market was moved north to the area now known as Yuen Long Kau Hui. This was done for political reasons. The Market was set up by Tang Man-wai (), a 23rd generation member of the Tang Clan of Kam Tin. He was a district magistrate of Longyou County in Zhejiang Province. While it is far from the coast today, it was beside the seashore when the market was first built. Agricultural produce and daily necessities for inhabitants in western New Territories were sold at the market. Farmers, boat people and traders came from as far as the nearby coastal districts of Guangdong Province. The market was managed by the Kwong Yu Tong (), a trust of a branch of the Tangs in Kam Tin. Nam Pin Wai was set up by members of the Tang Clan. Ss. Peter and Paul Church, located at No. 201 Castle Peak Road in Yuen Long near Shui Pin Tsuen, was originally built in 1925 in Tung Tau Tsuen. It was relocated and rebuilt on the present Castle Peak Road site in 1958. Choi Uk Tsuen. Ying Lung Wai was established by a branch of the Kam Tin Tangs, who were originally in Nam Pin Wai but moved to the area to establish the village due to feng shui reasons. Tai Wai Tsuen was founded by the Wong clan and the Choi clan around the early 16th century. Wong Uk Tsuen Shan Pui Tsuen was founded by Lam Siu-yuen (), a 13th generation member of the Lam Clan, who moved from Tai Wai Tsuen some 200 years ago. Tai Kiu Tsuen () was so named because a stone bridge was located at its west. It was established some 400 years ago by four clans: the Chan (), the Tang (), the Tse () and the Leung (). The Tangs probably came from Ping Shan and the Chans from Bao'an of Guangdong Province. or "Joint Meeting Group of Seven Villages" is an alliance of seven villages: Nam Pin Wai, Tung Tau Tsuen, Tsoi Uk Tsuen, Ying Lung Wai, Shan Pui Tsuen, Wong Uk Tsuen and Tai Wai Tsuen. The Yi Shing Temple in Wong Uk Tsuen (see below) is an alliance temple of the Tung Tau Alliance. ==Features==

Cheung Shing Street () was one of the busiest streets of the market. in Cheung Shing Street. Probably built between 1662–1722. It is the main temple of Nam Pin Wai as well as Yuen Long Kau Hui. It was built for the worship of Hung Shing and Yeung Hau. Other than for worship, the temple was a venue for solving disputes and discussing market affairs among the villagers. It also once served as a yamen and the officials lived there. Other buildings Chun Yuen Ngat (), a former pawnshop, at No. 72 Cheung Shing Street. Founded by Tang Lim-ming () of the Tang Clan, and father of Tang Pui-king (), the pawnshop was originally located at Lee Yick Street and was moved to the present site in the 1910s. It operated until WWII, when the business of the market declined. The building was used as the classrooms of a school for teaching village children in the 1930s-1960s, and as classrooms of a kindergarten in 1967-1968. Shophouses (tong-lau) of the early 20th century can be found at Nam Mun Hau (Nos. 33-35) and in Lee Yick Street (No. 3a). ==Education==

Yuen Long Kau Hui is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 74. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and one government school: Yuen Long Government Primary School (元朗官立小學). ==Transportation==

The area is served by the Yuen Long MTR station Exit A/B. ==See also==