Ma Yau Tong
Encyclopedia
Ma Yau Tong is an area on a mountain pass
between Po Lam
of Tseung Kwan O New Town
and Lam Tin
of urban New Kowloon
in Hong Kong
. It is named after the village
of the same name. It is known as Lau Tong and Ma Lau Tong in early 20th Century maps. Ma Yau Tong is on the border of New Kowloon and the New Territories
.
Ma Yau Tong Au (馬游塘拗) is a specific name for the mountain pass in the area.
The landform of the valley west of Ma Yau Tong was greatly changed by the construction of the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
.
during World War II
. The defense line was known as Ma Lau Tong Line.
connecting Custom Hill and Devil's Peak
along the mountain range, passing through Ma Yau Tong. The section north of Mau Yau Tong became a regular road and a short section south became Ma Yau Tong Road.
In 1955, a new road Po Lam Road
was built to serve the refugees of Kuomingtang in Rennie's Mill. The road began at the settlement and ends in Anderson Road at Ma Yau Tong. When the Tseung Kwan O New Town began to develop in 1980s, the road was improved by Hong Kong Government and extended to Sau Mau Ping
. Another road, Tsui Lam Road, was built to connect a new public housing area in Po Lam
of the new town.
Though it is not related to the transportation in Ma Yau Tong, the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
beneath the high ground Ma Yau Tong is the major road traffic connection between the new town and the urban.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between Po Lam
Po Lam
Po Lam is an area in the northern part of Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong. The name of the area came from the first road in Tseung Kwan O, the Po Lam Road, built in 1950s. An MTR station with the same name is located there....
of Tseung Kwan O New Town
Tseung Kwan O New Town
Tseung Kwan O New Town is one of the nine new towns in Hong Kong, mainly built on reclaimed land in the northern half of the Tseung Kwan O, after which it is named.-Geography:...
and Lam Tin
Lam Tin
Lam Tin is an area in the Kwun Tong District in southeastern New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Lam Tin is primarily a residential area, though it also hosts a major transport interchange and the location of several renowned shopping attractions. Lam Tin was once a large field in the vicinity of Kowloon Bay....
of urban New Kowloon
New Kowloon
New Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is named after the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of the same name. It is known as Lau Tong and Ma Lau Tong in early 20th Century maps. Ma Yau Tong is on the border of New Kowloon and the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
.
Ma Yau Tong Au (馬游塘拗) is a specific name for the mountain pass in the area.
Geography
The land is relatively flat on the saddle between Tai Sheung Tok (大上托), Mau Wu Shan (茅湖山) and Black Hill (五桂山). Ma Yau Tong is suitable for farming with rivers flowing towards the valleys east and west.The landform of the valley west of Ma Yau Tong was greatly changed by the construction of the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel is a 900-metre tunnel beneath Ma Yau Tong in Hong Kong. Part of Route 7, it links Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong of East Kowloon and the new town of Tseung Kwan O , Sai Kung in New Territories...
.
History
As Ma Yau Tong is on the ridge of Kowloon, it has been on the defense line against Japanese invasionBattle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The defense line was known as Ma Lau Tong Line.
Transport
In the past, it was reachable on foot. When the British took over New Territories from Qing in 1899, their army built Anderson RoadAnderson Road
Anderson Road is a road on the eastern border of the New Territories and New Kowloon in Hong Kong. It starts near the junction of Clear Water Bay Road and New Clear Water Bay Road, above Shun Lee Estate, and runs southeast windingly to Tsiu Lan Shue and continues eastward on the hills above Sau...
connecting Custom Hill and Devil's Peak
Devil's Peak, Hong Kong
Devil's Peak is the peak besides Lei Yue Mun on New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area around the peak was garrisoned by the British Army or local pirates to control the passage of Lei Yue Mun, which is an important nautical passage in South China. The remains of a redoubt and batteries are still...
along the mountain range, passing through Ma Yau Tong. The section north of Mau Yau Tong became a regular road and a short section south became Ma Yau Tong Road.
In 1955, a new road Po Lam Road
Po Lam Road
Po Lam Road is a road in Hong Kong that links Sau Mau Ping in New Kowloon and the new town of Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories.-History:...
was built to serve the refugees of Kuomingtang in Rennie's Mill. The road began at the settlement and ends in Anderson Road at Ma Yau Tong. When the Tseung Kwan O New Town began to develop in 1980s, the road was improved by Hong Kong Government and extended to Sau Mau Ping
Sau Mau Ping
Sau Mau Ping is an area in eastern New Kowloon, Hong Kong.Its Chinese name was formerly So Mau Ping , but this was often mis-rendered So Mo Ping , meaning a place to 'visit one's ancestors'. In fact, during World War II, much of the area was used as a cemetery...
. Another road, Tsui Lam Road, was built to connect a new public housing area in Po Lam
Po Lam
Po Lam is an area in the northern part of Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong. The name of the area came from the first road in Tseung Kwan O, the Po Lam Road, built in 1950s. An MTR station with the same name is located there....
of the new town.
Though it is not related to the transportation in Ma Yau Tong, the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel is a 900-metre tunnel beneath Ma Yau Tong in Hong Kong. Part of Route 7, it links Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong of East Kowloon and the new town of Tseung Kwan O , Sai Kung in New Territories...
beneath the high ground Ma Yau Tong is the major road traffic connection between the new town and the urban.