Tsuen Wan
| Tsuen Wan | |||||||||||||||
The day scene of Tsuen Wan across Rambler Channel (View taken from Tsing Yi Island)
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| Traditional Chinese | 荃灣 | ||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 荃湾 | ||||||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Quánwān |
| Hakka | |
| Romanization | cien4 van1 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | cyun4 waan1 |
Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a new town built on a bay in the New Territories area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The now crowded city is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR. It was extended as far as the reclamation proceeded.
According to the report of Hong Kong archaeological society, there were people settled in Tsuen Wan as early as two thousand years ago. In earlier days, it was known as Tsin Wan (淺灣) which means shallow bay, and later renamed to Tsuen Wan. Another name Tsak Wan (賊灣, Hakka dialect pronunciation: tshet wan), pirate bay, indicates the presence of pirates nearby long ago. In fact, the area around Rambler Channel was known as Sam Pak Tsin (三百錢), literally meaning three hundred coins. There was a legend that pirates would collect three hundred coins should one pass through the area.
In 1911, there were approximately 3000 villagers living in Tsuen Wan. In the 20th century, factories moved in gradually due to its proximity to Kowloon. With the construction of Castle Peak Road in 1917, motor vehicles could reach the town in addition to access on foot and by boat. Regular bus services did not begin until 1933. Early industries relied on the ample local water supply to make incense sticks, preserved fruit and farming, while post-war industries included metalwares and textiles.
In the 1950s, the Hong Kong Government developed the area with new town concept. In the 1960s it was developed as part of Tsuen Wan New Town, including housing estates like the Fuk Loi Estate, built in 1967. By 1971, the area housed 400,000 residents. It was one of the last areas in Hong Kong to be developed without the "Colony Outline Plan". A museum of a local settlement village is located in Tsuen Wan Town: Sam Tung Uk Museum. The museum consists of a 200-year-old walled village featuring exhibits designed to replicate traditional village life. It was donated in 1981 and after restoration during the construction of the MTR, it was opened for the public in 1987.
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Wikipedia