Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

built on a bay in the western New Territories of

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

, opposite of

Tsing Yi Island Tsing Yi, sometimes referred to as Tsing Yi Island, is an island in the urban area of Hong Kong, to the northwest of Hong Kong Island and south of Tsuen Wan. With an area of , the island has extended drastically by reclamation along almost all ...

across

Rambler Channel Rambler Channel is a body of water in Hong Kong that separates Tsing Yi Island from Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung in the New Territories. The channel separates the two landmasses by 900 metres at its widest point. Historically, the channel was known ...

. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The now-crowded city is around the present-day

Tsuen Wan station Tsuen Wan () is the northern terminus of the MTR in Hong Kong. It is the only station on the Tsuen Wan line at ground level. It is located in the northern central part of Tsuen Wan New Town, New Territories West. The preceding station is . ...

of the MTR. Its coastline was further extended through land reclamation.

History

HK Tsuen Wan Chai Wan Kok Industrial Area

According to the report of Hong Kong archaeological society, there were people settled in Tsuen Wan as early as two thousand years ago. In earlier days, it was known as Tsin Wan (淺灣) which means shallow bay, and later renamed to Tsuen Wan. Another name ''Tsak Wan'' (賊灣, Hakka dialect pronunciation: tshet wan),

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

bay, indicates the presence of pirates nearby long ago. In fact, the area around

was known as Sam Pak Tsin (三百錢), literally meaning three hundred coins. There was a legend that pirates would collect three hundred coins should one pass through the area. In 1911, there were approximately 3,000 villagers living in Tsuen Wan. In the 20th century, factories moved in gradually due to its proximity to Kowloon. With the construction of Castle Peak Road in 1917, motor vehicles could reach the town in addition to access on foot and by boat. Regular bus services did not begin until 1933. Early industries relied on the ample local water supply to make incense sticks, preserved fruit and farming, while post-war industries included metalwares and textiles. By 1950s, Tsuen Wan had become the centre of the

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry. Industry process Cotton manufacturi ...

in Hong Kong.http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/TC/Content_4025/Changes_in_Tsuen_Wan/frame.htm HK Ed City. Urban Development in Tsuen Wan. Retrieved 18 Sept 2012. In the 1950s, the Hong Kong Government developed the area as a

satellite town Satellite cities or satellite towns are smaller municipalities that are adjacent to a principal city which is the core of a metropolitan area. They differ from mere suburbs, subdivisions and especially bedroom communities in that they have m ...

, along with Kwun Tong satellite town in Eastern Kowloon. In 1961, Tsuen Wan Satellite Town was expanded to become

Tsuen Wan New Town Tsuen Wan New Town is a new town in Hong Kong. It spans Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and the eastern part of Tsing Yi Island. Traditionally, the administrative officials of Tsuen Wan managed the area of Tsuen Wan proper, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi Isla ...

, the first of such in Hong Kong. The new town covers not only Tsuen Wan, but also neighbouring

Kwai Chung Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a popula ...

and

Tsing Yi Tsing Yi, sometimes referred to as Tsing Yi Island, is an island in the urban area of Hong Kong, to the northwest of Hong Kong Island and south of Tsuen Wan. With an area of , the island has extended drastically by reclamation along almost al ...

, including housing estates like the Fuk Loi Estate, built in 1967. By 1971, the area housed 400,000 residents. It was one of the last areas in Hong Kong to be developed without the "Colony Outline Plan". A museum of a local settlement village is located in Tsuen Wan Town:

Sam Tung Uk Museum The Sam Tung Uk Museum is a museum restored from Sam Tung Uk (, which describes the original floorplan), a Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. History It was built by a Chan (, pronounced "''chin2 (or tshin2)''" in the Hakka dia ...

. The museum consists of a 200-year-old walled village featuring exhibits designed to replicate traditional village life. It was donated in 1981 and after restoration during the construction of the MTR, it was opened for the public in 1987. Tsuen Wan has one of the highest concentrations of

Shanghainese people in Hong Kong Shanghainese people in Hong Kong have played an important role in the region, despite being a relatively small portion of the Han Chinese population. "Shanghainese" is a term that refers to both the Wu Chinese language and the Han Chinese sub ...

, particularly in the constituency

Fuk Loi Fuk Loi is one of the 17 constituencies in the Tsuen Wan District. The constituency returns one district councillor to the Tsuen Wan District Council, with an election every four years. The seat has been currently held by Kot Siu-yuen of the H ...

Landmarks

Discovery Park, one of Hong Kong's largest shopping centres, is located in the heart of Tsuen Wan Town. There is a goldsmith street there where jewels can be purchased. Other features include

Tsuen Wan Plaza Tsuen Wan Plaza () is a private housing estate and shopping mall in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, located near the MTR Tsuen Wan West station, Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier, Nina Tower, Skyline Plaza, Citywalk and Citywalk 2. It is one of th ...

Tsuen Wan City Landmark Tsuen may refer to: *Village in Cantonese *Estate in Cantonese, particularly public housing estates * Ha Tsuen, an area in the Yuen Long Town area of Hong Kong * Lam Tsuen River, a river in Tai Po * Lam Tsuen Valley, the valley through which the L ...

, Citywalk and L'Hotel, The

Tin Hau Temple Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong are dedicated to Tin Hau (Mazu). Over 100 temples are dedicated (at least partially) to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. A list of these temples can be found below. Famous temples Famous Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong include: ...

and The Panda Hotel, one of the biggest hotels in Hong Kong. The

Nina Towers Nina Tower is a twin tower of 80-storey and 42-storey high-rise buildings in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong near Tsuen Wan West station. The tower was designed to be the tallest tower in the world at . However, due to its location near ...

, which include an 80-storey tower, rise over Tsuen Wan. Hong Kong's cable TV service company i-CABLE also has their headquarters located in Tsuen Wan at Wharf Cable Tower. Situated in the valley, floodplain and reclaimed land, Tsuen Wan is surrounded on two sides by hills and woodlands that make up the

Shing Mun Country Park The Shing Mun Country Park (established 24 June 1977) is a country park of Hong Kong, hugging the Shing Mun Reservoir. Location Located in the central New Territories, it covers a total of . It extends from Lead Mine Pass in the north, to the Shi ...

and the

Tai Mo Shan Country Park Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the n ...

. Located within these parks are the

Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the n ...

peak, the highest point in Hong Kong at 957 metres (3140 feet), and the Upper

Shing Mun Reservoir Shing Mun Reservoir is a reservoir in Hong Kong. It is located in Shing Mun, the area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, in the New Territories. History Several hundreds years ago, the area around the reservoir was a dense forest with very few in ...

. Route Twisk winds over and through the country parks linking Tsuen Wan with

Pat Heung Pat Heung is an area in the middle of New Territories, Hong Kong. Located at the east of Kam Tin and north of Shek Kong, it is the exit to Sheung Shui and Fanling. Administratively, it belongs to Yuen Long District. Villages Pat Heung c ...

, via

Shek Kong Shek Kong is an area north of Tai Mo Shan, located near Kam Tin and Pat Heung, in Yuen Long District, New Territories, Hong Kong. Shek Kong Airfield is located in Shek Kong. A sizable Nepal Gurkha population is present in the area even after the ...

. Originally built by the Royal Engineers as a military road, it was opened to the public on 25 May 1961. An urban renewal project led to the shopping malls Citywalk and Citywalk 2, as well as the residential areas above it. The former Tsuen Wan Sports Ground, on Yeung Uk Road, was demolished and replaced by the Shing Mun Valley Sports Ground. The site, now known as Tsuen Wan Town Lot 393, remains abandoned, but was sold by the government for nearly HK$4 billion in 2014 to Vincord Limited.

Housing

Public housing estates

Private housing estates

Private housing estates Private housing estate is a term used in Hong Kong for private mass housing – a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Socie ...

in Tsuen Wan include: * Allway Gardens is the earliest and one of the largest private housing estates in Tsuen Wan. It was developed by

Hopewell Holdings Hopewell Holdings Limited (), established on 17 October 1972, is a major property developer in Hong Kong headed by Sir Gordon Wu. History It was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchanges in 1972 and delisted when taken private in 2019. Hopewell ...

. It is located on Tsuen King Circuit, a hilltop at the west of Tsuen Wan. It comprises sixteen towers in four phases, completed between 1978 and 1981. * Belvedere Garden * The Cairnhill * The Cliveden * Discovery Park *

The Dynasty A dynasty is a series of rulers from one family. Dynasty may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''Dynasty'' (film), a 1976 NBC television film * ''Dynasty'' (Australian TV series), a 1970 Australian TV series * ''Dynasty'' ...

* The Westminster Terrace *

Luk Yeung Sun Chuen Luk Yeung Sun Chuen () is a private housing estate adjacent to the MTR Tsuen Wan station, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. It comprises 17 high-rise buildings with a total of 4000 flats. It was developed in 1983 and 1984 by a consortium ...

Riviera Gardens Riviera Gardens () is one of the largest private housing estates in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. The estate is bounded by Tsing Tsuen Road, Wing Shun Street and Rambler Channel. Formerly the Caltex' oil depot, the estate was develo ...

* Serenade Cove * Skyline Plaza * Tsuen King Garden *

Tsuen Wan Centre Tsuen Wan Centre () is one of the largest private housing estates in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, located at Tsuen King Circuit. It consists of 19 high-rise buildings, with their names of a number of Chinese cities, and a shopping arca ...

Economy

Chinachem has its head office in Nina Tower in Tsuen Wan.

Education

Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School (TWGSS; Chinese: 荃灣官立中學 or 荃官 in short) is an EMI co-education secondary school located at 70 Hoi Pa Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. The school building consists of the hall, the laboratory w ...

*Hoi Pa Street Government Primary School
Tsuen Wan Government Primary School
* St. Francis Xavier's School Tsuen Wan
Holy Cross Lutheran SchoolMary Of Providence Primary School (W.D.)Hong Kong Baptist Convention Primary SchoolHo Fung CollegeRosebud Primary School
* Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School Tsuen Wan is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 62, which includes schools in Tsuen Wan and areas nearby. The net includes multiple aided schools and one government school, Hoi Pa Street Government Primary School.

Public transport

Trains

Tsuen Wan is served by three

Mass Transit Railway The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...

(MTR) stations:

and Tai Wo Hau station on the

Tsuen Wan line The Tsuen Wan line is one of the eleven lines of the metro network in Hong Kong's MTR. It is indicated in red on the MTR map. There are 16 stations on the line. The southern terminus is Central station on Hong Kong Island and the no ...

, as well as Tsuen Wan West station on the

Tuen Ma line The Tuen Ma line () is a rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. Coloured brown on the map, the Tuen Ma line is in length, making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of ...

Ferries

The Tsuen Wan Pier connects Tsuen Wan to Park Island, a

private housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

Ma Wan Ma Wan is an island of Hong Kong, located between Lantau Island and Tsing Yi Island, with an area of .Tsuen Wan Transport Complex Tsuen Wan Transport Complex () was a large transport hub in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. There was a bus terminus and taxi stand on the ground floor; on top sat a multi-storey car park. Location Tsuen Wan Transport Complex was located at No. 98 Ta ...

was once a major interchange point between ferries and buses. It was rendered obsolete when land reclamation moved the adjacent ferry pier, and when ferry services were scaled back following the opening of the MTR. Tsuen Wan is still well-served by many bus routes. There are major bus termini at Tsuen Wan and Tsuen Wan West railway stations, and at some private developments like Nina Tower and Allway Gardens. There are also many minibuses to major destinations around Hong Kong.