What if the hills around us could talk? They would tell a tale of transformation here at Tiu Keng Wan. This area now known as Tiu Keng Wan has a past richer and stranger than you might imagine.
Tiu Keng Wan was once called Chiu Keng Wan Shan. This name meant clear and tranquil waters. Fishermen knew this bay as Chiu Keng Wan. They called these hills Chiu Keng Leng. Another story says Chiu Keng Leng referred to Hakka women’s headwear. It reflected sunlight like mirrors. Hakka people then lived in southwestern Tseung Kwan O.
But the name Chiu Keng Leng didn’t last. After 1898 a Canadian named Albert Herbert Rennie saw opportunity. He bought land in Chiu Keng Leng. Rennie used his pension to build the Hong Kong Flouring Mill. The Mill produced flour only for local westerners. It began in 1905 but failed by 1908. High costs and poor quality shut it down. Mr. Rennie was devastated. He drowned himself at Lei Yue Mun. That was 3000 meters from his mill on April 14 1908.
News spread across Sai Kung. The story changed. People said Rennie hung himself at the mill. He tied a rope around his neck and to a rock. Then he jumped into the bay. This sensational story stuck. Chiu Keng Leng became Tiu Keng Leng meaning Hanging Ridge. It added a frightening feel to the place.
The truth is Mr. Rennie did not hang himself. Hanging Ridge was just a cruel joke. The name Tiu Keng Wan is a transition from Chiu Keng Leng.
In June 1950 many mainland refugees moved here. They came from Mount Davis on Hong Kong Island. They changed Tiu Keng Wan’s meaning. It now meant adjusting the condition.
Before 1997 Tiu Keng Leng was a refugee village. It housed former Kuomintang officials. They had fled mainland China after the communist victory. The original village was cleared before Hong Kong’s handover to China. Tiu Keng Leng is now part of Tseung Kwan O New Town. Tiu Keng Wan’s story shows how names and places evolve. They reflect history tragedy and new beginnings.