Doesn’t the name Junk Bay conjure images of discarded waste? That’s a common misconception. Junk Bay has a much richer history than its English name suggests. Today we are standing at Junk Bay. It is also known as Tseung Kwan O.
In Cantonese Tseung Kwan means general. O means bay. Tseung Kwan O literally means General’s Bay. The exact origin of the name Tseung Kwan O is unknown. One theory suggests it honors a Ming Dynasty soldier. He supposedly visited Tseung Kwan O. Another theory links the name to 17th-century naval battles. These battles were fought against Japanese pirates.
Another theory is that English speakers misheard “Tseung Kwan”. It sounded like “Junk Wan”. Wan is another word for bay. The English name Junk Bay might come from the junks in the bay.
Tseung Kwan O New Town sits on reclaimed land. This land is in the northern half of Junk Bay. However, the landfill didn’t exist when the bay was named. “Junk” likely refers to ships. Fat Tong Chau is in the southeastern part of Junk Bay. It is also known as Junk Island.
Junk Bay is near Victoria Harbour’s eastern mouth. A local gazette from the Ming Dynasty mentions Tseung Kwan O. This shows people lived here then. Before the new town’s development, fishing towns dotted the bay. Settlements began as early as the 13th century. Hang Hau became a market town in the late 16th century. It was the most populated place on the Clear Water Bay Peninsula.
Other settlements included Rennie’s Mill and Yau Yue Wan. Rennie’s Mill housed Kuomintang loyalists. They settled here after the Chinese civil war. Hang Hau had a ship-building industry. The Hong Kong Government wanted to develop a new town at Hang Hau. The project was postponed due to the extensive reclamation needed. The bay was too deep.
Finally, the project started under the name Tseung Kwan O in 1983. Tseung Kwan O’s area is about 1790 ha. It has a projected population of 490000. Tseung Kwan O includes Po Lam, Hang Hau, and Tiu Keng Leng. It also includes Tseung Kwan O and LOHAS Park. All five areas have MTR stations.
The climate in Tseung Kwan O is warm. The record high is 37.6 degrees Celsius. The record low is 2.1 degrees Celsius. Junk Bay has transformed from fishing villages. It is now a modern new town. The name Junk Bay carries echoes of its past. It is a constant reminder.