Considered a town built on a bay, Tsuen Wan has a unique story. Tsuen Wan is in Hong Kong. It sits opposite Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. This tour explores the town of Tsuen Wan.
Tsuen Wan emerged as a market town. It grew from surrounding villages and fishing fleets. The modern city of Tsuen Wan is around the MTR station. Its coastline expanded through land reclamation.
People settled in Tsuen Wan 2000 years ago. It was once called Tsin Wan meaning shallow bay. Later it was renamed Tsuen Wan. Another name Tsak Wan means pirate bay. Pirates were nearby long ago. Rambler Channel was known as Sam Pak Tsin. This means three hundred coins. Legend says pirates collected this from those passing through.
In 1911, about 3000 villagers lived in Tsuen Wan. Factories arrived in the 20th century. They liked its closeness to Kowloon. Castle Peak Road was built in 1917. Motor vehicles could reach the town. People could also travel on foot and by boat. Regular bus services started in 1933. Early industries used local water. They made incense sticks and preserved fruit. They also farmed. Post-war industries made metal wares and textiles. By the 1950s, Tsuen Wan was Hong Kong’s textile center.
In the 1950s, Hong Kong developed Tsuen Wan as a satellite town. Kwun Tong was the other. In 1961, Tsuen Wan Satellite Town became Tsuen Wan New Town. It was the first in Hong Kong. The new town includes Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi. It has housing estates like Fuk Loi Estate built in 1967. By 1971, 400000 people lived there. It was one of the last areas developed without a Colony Outline Plan.
Visit Sam Tung Uk Museum in Tsuen Wan Town. This museum shows a local settlement village. It is a 200-year-old walled village. Exhibits show traditional village life. It was donated in 1981. It opened in 1987 after restoration during MTR construction.
Tsuen Wan has many Shanghainese people. Many live in the Fuk Loi area.
Before the 1960s, Tsuen Wan was a shallow bay. Three waterways flowed into it. These are now underground. Look for Tai Chung Road Big Stream Road. It was an open channel until 1980. Tai Ho Road Big River Road had its channel buried in the 1960s. Kwan Mun Hau Street Luen Yan Street still has a visible section behind Shing Mun Swimming Pool.
See Discovery Park in Tsuen Wan Town. It is a large shopping center. Buy jewels on Goldsmith Street. Other places include Tsuen Wan Plaza and Citywalk. Stay at L’Hotel. Visit Sam Tung Uk Museum and Tin Hau Temple. The Panda Hotel is one of Hong Kong’s biggest hotels. The Nina Towers have an 80-story tower. i-CABLE has its headquarters in Tsuen Wan at Wharf Cable Tower.
Tsuen Wan sits in a valley on reclaimed land. Hills and woodlands surround it. These make up Shing Mun Country Park and Tai Mo Shan Country Park. Tai Mo Shan is the highest point in Hong Kong. It measures 957 metres. Upper Shing Mun Reservoir is also located here. Route Twisk winds through the country parks. It links Tsuen Wan with Pat Heung. Royal Engineers built it as a military road. It opened to the public on May 25 1961.
Citywalk and Citywalk 2 are urban renewal projects. They include residential areas above them. The former Tsuen Wan Sports Ground was replaced by Shing Mun Valley Sports Ground. The old site remains abandoned.
Allway Gardens is the earliest and largest private housing estate in Tsuen Wan. Hopewell Holdings developed it. It has sixteen towers. They were completed between 1978 and 1981.
Chinachem has its head office in Nina Tower. Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School is located in Tsuen Wan.
Tsuen Wan has three MTR stations. These are Tsuen Wan station and Tai Wo Hau station on the Tsuen Wan line. Tsuen Wan West station is on the Tuen Ma line.
The Tsuen Wan Pier connects Tsuen Wan to Park Island. This is a private housing estate in Ma Wan. The Tsuen Wan Transport Complex was a major interchange. It connected ferries and buses. Land reclamation moved the ferry pier. Ferry services scaled back after the MTR opened. Tsuen Wan is still served by many bus routes. Major bus termini are at Tsuen Wan and Tsuen Wan West stations. Some are at private developments like Nina Tower.
Enjoy your visit to Tsuen Wan.