Why is Tai Po Mei called Tai Po Mei? Tai Po Mei is a village in the Tai Po District. It is in Hong Kong. Tai Po Mei is a recognized village. It falls under the New Territories Small House Policy.
Tai Po was once the heart of the local pearl industry. Historical records indicate that pearl collection in the nearby sea began as early as AD 761. This was during the reign of the Tang Emperor, Hoi Yuen.
The Emperor established a monopoly. In AD 964, he sent 8000 soldiers to Tai Po. They were there to protect it. The pearls and tortoise shells were highly prized. They were used to adorn an imperial palace in Canton. Sadly, it later burned to the ground.
Gathering oysters from the seabed was dangerous work. Pearl fishers were tied to weighted ropes. They were lowered into the sea from boats. They remained in the depths until boatmen pulled them back up with bags of oysters. If boatmen were distracted the pearl fisher would drown. The pearl industry cost many lives. At least two petitions were filed against this practice. It stopped in AD 971. It started again in 1280. The imperial monopoly was finally abolished in 1324.
Overfishing led to a serious drop in oyster stocks. This ensured the pearl industry’s decline. Oyster fishing moved eastward to Lau Fau Shan. There, oyster beds are still tended in family plots. They are harvested throughout the year. The oysters are bred for consumption and not for their pearls. Today, the age-old oyster fisheries face threats. Pollution is growing at Deep Bay.
In the 1960s, the construction of Plover Cove Reservoir reduced the water flowing through the channel. Mud settled. It accumulated over the oyster beds. Knowledge of the oysters faded. The shells became buried below the muddy seabed.
The oyster fossils were found during the construction of a gas pipeline. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company buried it beneath the seabed. It runs along the channel. The project finished in 2006.
Now you know a secret about Tai Po Mei. It was once a center for pearl cultivation. The industry shaped the area. The stories of emperors, soldiers, and pearl fishers still echo here. They remind us of Tai Po Mei’s rich past.