Here stands Tai Po Tsai Kau. This place whispers tales of a village that time almost forgot. Tai Po Tsai is an area and a village clustering in a small plain around Clear Water Bay Road. It is on Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the Sai Kung District of Hong Kong.
Tai Po Tsai’s history stretches back to 1629. That’s when Cantonese villagers founded it. This makes it one of Sai Kung’s oldest villages. Imagine life here centuries ago. The village was part of the Ho Chung Tung. It was also known as the Ho Chung Seven Villages. Ho Chung was its center.
By 1911, Tai Po Tsai had a population of 172. Seventy-seven of them were men. Life was simple then.
Later, the British Army moved in. They built Erskine Barracks next to Tai Po Tsai Village. The Black Watch, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment, and the Royal Cheshire Regiments were stationed here. Picture soldiers marching through this once quiet village.
Did you know Tai Po Tsai played host to a major scouting event? In 1986 and 1987, the Diamond Scouting Jubilee Jamboree took place here. It was held on the site that would become the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Today, Tai Po Tsai is home to modern facilities. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and TVB City are located here. Despite these changes, Tai Po Tsai Village retains its unique character.
The indigenous villagers of Tai Po Tsai all share the surname Wan. In the 1960s, the villagers established a primary school for its inhabitants. It was called Kwong Pui Primary School. This was due to its isolation and lack of transport facilities.
Many artists from Shaw Studios and TVB have lived in Tai Po Tsai. Simon Yam Tat-Wah was a long-term resident.
Tai Po Tsai sits northeast of Tseung Kwan O New Town. It is on the east mid-slope of Razor Hill, also known as Che Kwu Shan. The village faces Port Shelter. Pak Shui Wun is a beach off Tai Po Tsai. It lies on the shore of Port Shelter.
Tai Po Tsai offers a glimpse into Hong Kong’s past. It is a place where old and new coexist. As you leave Tai Po Tsai Kau, remember its story. Remember its transformation from a small village to a part of modern Hong Kong.