area Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an obje ...

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

Lam Tsuen River The Lam Tsuen River () is a river in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, with a length of 10.8 kilometres and a catchment area of approximately 21 square kilometres.Tai Wo Shi, literally ''Tai Wo market'') on Fu Shin Street on the south of the

Lam Tsuen River The Lam Tsuen River () is a river in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, with a length of 10.8 kilometres and a catchment area of approximately 21 square kilometres.old Tai Po Market railway station The Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened on 20 December 1985, it is located at the site where the old Tai Po Market railway stat ...

of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section). Both market towns became part of the

Tai Po New Town Tai Po New Town, or Tai Po Town, is a new town (satellite town) and non-administrative area in Tai Po District, in the New Territories, Hong Kong. The area is a planned town that surrounding the existing indigenous market towns Tai Po Hui ( ...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In present-day usage, "Tai Po" may refer to the area around the original market towns, the

Tai Po New Town Tai Po New Town, or Tai Po Town, is a new town (satellite town) and non-administrative area in Tai Po District, in the New Territories, Hong Kong. The area is a planned town that surrounding the existing indigenous market towns Tai Po Hui ( ...

(), or the entire

Tai Po District Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The suburban district covers the areas of Tai Po New Town (including areas such as Tai Po Market, , Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Wo Estate), Tai Po Tau, Tai Po Kau, Hong Lok Yuen, Ti ...

.

Etymology

In Chinese, the place, Tai Po (), was formerly written as . Treating the Chinese characters separately, the pronounce of Po in the third tone () in Cantonese are shared with many words, not only Po in the sixth tone (). For example, the "Po" () of

Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui P ...

, literally ''deep water port''. Moreover, according to the ''

Kangxi Dictionary The ''Kangxi Dictionary'' ( (Compendium of standard characters from the Kangxi period), published in 1716, was the most authoritative dictionary of Chinese characters from the 18th century through the early 20th. The Kangxi Emperor of the Qing d ...

'', the word can be written as . As a coincidence, Tai Po is a seashore town. The name Tai Po Hoi () was appeared in ''Nanhai Zhi'' () of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

(1271 to 1368 of

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

), which stated that pearl was the product of the Tai Po sea. In

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

's ' (), recorded the names Tai Po Hoi and Tai Po Tau (). In the attached map of that book, the sea next to Tai Po Tau was labelled with "can shelter hurricane" (). In early

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

Kangxi The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...

27th Year edition of ''

Xin'an Xianzhi ''Xin'an Xianzhi'' (; literally ''Gazetteers of Xin'an County'') were the chorography of the historical Bao'an County, Xin'an County (San-On or Sun-On County; literally ''New Peace County''; known at times as the Po-On County (spelt Bao'an in pi ...

'' (literally ''Gazetteer of the

Xin'an County Xin'an County () is a county in the west of Henan Province, bordering Shanxi Province to the north across the Yellow River. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Luoyang, and contains its northernmost point. History In an ...

''), Tai Po Tau Hui () as market centre (), Tai Po Tau as village (under the administration of ) and Tai Po Hoi as water body, were recorded. According to Hong Kong sinologist and historian

Jao Tsung-I Jao Tsung-I or Rao Zongyi (; 9 August 1917 – 6 February 2018) was a Hong Kong Sinology, sinologist, Chinese calligraphy, calligrapher, historian and painter. A versatile and prolific scholar, he contributed to many fields of humanities, inclu ...

, the character Po in Tai Po, should interpreted as port or sea side. However, there was another urban legend version of the meaning of Tai Po. In the urban legend, the area around Tai Po was a habitat of wild animal, which people have to "Big-Step".

History

Tai Po as a populated place, could be traced back to the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

. Archaeological site in

Yuen Chau Tsai Yuen Chau Tsai, was an island in Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong. It is now connected to land by a causeway after land reclamation. It is part of Tai Po New Town in the Tai Po District. The Tai Wong Yeh Temple and Island House are located in the a ...

, had discovered stone axe and pottery which was believed to be made in

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

era. The indigenous inhabitants of Tai Po lived by clamming and pearl farming in Tai Po Hoi (literally ''Tai Po Sea'';

Tolo Harbour Tolo Harbour, or Tai Po Hoi (, historically ) is a sheltered harbour in northeast New Territories of Hong Kong. Geography Tide Cove aka. Sha Tin Hoi is to the south of the harbour, and Plover Cove, Three Fathoms Cove and Tolo Channel are to ...

) since at least AD 963. The pearl making business reached its peak during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

and started to decline gradually in the midst of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. Tai Po had been developed as a fishing port around the late Ming dynasty and the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. While a village that belong to the modern day Tai Po area, Wun Yiu (), had developed into a center of porcelain industry in the Ming dynasty.

Tang clan The Tang Clan of Hong Kong () is one of the Five Great Clans of the New Territories (). The others are Man (Wen Wen, wen, or WEN may refer to: * WEN, New York Stock Exchange symbol for Wendy's/Arby's Group * WEN, Amtrak station code for Columbi ...

migrated from the area north of the border of the modern day Hong Kong to the modern day the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

of Hong Kong in the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

of China. A branch of Tang clan was split from

Lung Yeuk Tau Lung Yeuk Tau (), commonly known as Lung Ku Tau () and also called Lung Ling () is an area located northeast of Luen Wo Hui in Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. Administration For electoral purposes, Lung Yeuk Tau is part of the Queen's Hil ...

of the modern day the New Territories, to establish the village in Tai Po Tau. The Tai Po Tau branch and Lung Yeuk Tau branch also founded the first Tai Po Hui the market town (also known as Tai Po Tau Hui), despite it is now defunct and the area now known as Tai Po Old Market. The area around the first market town, also lived other people that were not from the Tang clan. They formed an inter-villages alliance (literally ''Tai Po Seven Alliances''; each alliance contained one or more villages). The inter-villages alliance founded another market town Tai Wo Shi (literally ''Tai Wo market'') after the

Qing government The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

ruled that Tai Po Hui (Tai Po Tau Hui) was belonged to Tangs, other clans cannot open shops in Tang's market town. However, Tai Wo Shi replaced the original Tai Po Hui (Tai Po Tau Hui) as the main market, and took the name Tai Po Hui (anglicized as Tai Po Market). The old market town thus became Tai Po Kau Hui (anglicized as Tai Po Old Market; ). During the British colonial rule, a District Office, a

police station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...

, two railway stations: Tai Po Market railway station and

Tai Po Kau railway station Tai Po Kau (), also signed simply as Tai Po,Tai Po Kau Tai Po Kau () is an area and a villages south of the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong, which was the site of the former Tai Po Kau station on the Kowloon–Canton Railway. It is located at a river estuary that empties into Tolo Harbour. Administratio ...

; ) and other public facilities were built with-in the modern day area that belong to the new town and the administrative district. Most of them in close distance with the market town of Tai Po at that time. In the 1970s, the Hong Kong government began to develop satellite towns:

Tai Po Industrial Estate Tai Po Industrial Estate (, branded as ) is an industrial estate on the reclamation in Tai Po Hoi, Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is administered by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. Location Tai Po Indu ...

, the first industrial estate in Hong Kong was built in the reclaimed land of the former Tai Po Hoi in 1974; Tai Po was named as a site to built "

new town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

" in 1979, which the government obtain lands by reclamation of the river mouth and Tai Po Hoi. The new town was also designed to incorporate and interact with the existing market town. The first

public housing estate Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...

of

Tai Po New Town Tai Po New Town, or Tai Po Town, is a new town (satellite town) and non-administrative area in Tai Po District, in the New Territories, Hong Kong. The area is a planned town that surrounding the existing indigenous market towns Tai Po Hui ( ...

: Tai Yuen Estate – was established in 1981. The population has soared to 320,000, and Tai Po New Town began to prosper following the completion of the

Tolo Highway Tolo Highway () is a major expressway on Route 9 in Hong Kong. It connects the new towns of Sha Tin and Tai Po in the eastern New Territories, forming part of the New Territories Circular Road. The highway, constructed in three stages betw ...

which were integrated with the older urban areas. At present, due to the development of the new town, the place name Tai Po may refer to Tai Po New Town or the historical area centre Tai Po Market, or the Tai Po District (excluding exclave Sai Kung North) that cover the new town and

Lam Tsuen Valley Lam Tsuen Valley () is situated in the New Territories, Hong Kong, west of Tai Po New Town. Lam Tsuen and other villages are located in the valley. The Lam Tsuen River and its branches collect water from nearby hills. The area is suitable for cult ...

and other area. However, the boundary of Tai Po was not defined. In contrast, a namesake election constituency of Tai Po Market had its legally defined boundary, as well as Tai Po District; Tai Po New Town also had its officially defined boundary in urban planning regulation and law. Moreover, Hong Kong police, as well as primary and secondary schools district, had their own boundaries.

Education

In historical eras clan villages organised private study halls or ''sishu'' ().

King Law Ka Shuk King Law Ka Shuk is a Hong Kong historical building situated in Tai Po Tau Tsuen, north of Tai Po in the New Territories. In the past, it was used as an ancestral hall to hold meetings and traditional functions in the village and it is now in ...

, is a

declared monument of Hong Kong In the sport of cricket, a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture occurs when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings without batting. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 15 of the ''Laws o ...

. It is the ancestral hall of Tang clan Tai Po Tau branch, and historically a study hall. Village schools opened with government subsidies in the early 20th century.Poon, Shuk Wah.
Education in Tai Po: From the Founding of Rural Normal School to the Demise of Village Schools

Archive
.

'. p. 256. In the 1920s and 1930s secondary schools in the vernacular medium opened in Tai Po. Many village schools opened after World War II. Due to a decline in the birthrate, by the 1990s the number of school students was declining and many village schools began to close. In present day, Tai Po is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 84. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Tai Po Government Primary School (大埔官立小學). Several

international schools An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

also located in the district.

Schools

The Spanish Primary School, which has education in Spanish, English, and Mandarin under the

National Curriculum for England The National Curriculum for England was first introduced by the Education Reform Act 1988. At the time of its introduction the legislation applied to both England and Wales. However, education later became a devolved matter for the Welsh government. ...

, was organised by Adriana Chan. It opened in September 2017.

References

External links

{{Authority control Tai Po District

Etymology

History

Education

Schools

See also

References

Further reading

External links