Tseung Kwan O
Encyclopedia
Tseung Kwan O is a bay in Sai Kung District
, New Territories
, Hong Kong
. In the northern tip of the bay lies the Tseung Kwan O Village
.
The Tseung Kwan O New Town
, one of the nine new town
s in Hong Kong
, was mainly built on reclaimed land
in the northern half of the bay.
The exact origin of the name Tseung Kwan O is unknown, but it is said to be named in honour of a Ming Dynasty
general who visited Tseung Kwan O at some point. Another theory is that the name was chosen in the 17th century, when naval battle
s were fought against pirates from Japan
at Tseung Kwan O. Yet another theory is that the pronunciation of "將軍" can sound like "Junk Wan" to the ears of English speakers; wan is also a transliteration of the Chinese word for "bay" (灣).
The current town center of Tseung Kwan O stands on reclaimed land. The English name Junk Bay was said to be derived from the existence of junk
s in the bay, and the reclamation land based on the landfill. The Fat Tong Chau
(Junk Island) is in the southeastern part of the bay.
.
Before the development of the new town, the area around the bay was occupied by a number of fishing towns and villages. The Tseung Kwan O Village in the northern tip of the bay is about 600 years old. Other towns and villages include Tiu Keng Leng
(Rennie's Mill), Hang Hau
and Yau Yu Wan. Rennie's Mill was where Kuomintang
loyalists were settled following the end of the Chinese civil war
, and Hang Hau had a ship building industry.
The Hong Kong Government had been interested in developing a new town at Hang Hau because of its proximity to the urban area. The project was postponed for a long time owing to the extensive scale of reclamation
in the bay, which is rather deep. It finally started under the name of Tseung Kwan O.
and shopping mall
near MTR
Tseung Kwan O Station. It was developed by Nan Fung Group
in 2004. It comprises 8 high-rise buildings with a total of 2880 units.
Sai Kung District
Sai Kung District is the second largest district in Hong Kong in terms of area. It comprises the southern half of Sai Kung Peninsula and Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the New Territories plus a strip to the east of Kowloon. The administrative centre is Sai Kung Town but the district's population is...
, 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...
, 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...
. In the northern tip of the bay lies the Tseung Kwan O Village
Tseung Kwan O Village
The Tseung Kwan O Village is one of the oldest communities in the Tseung Kwan O area of Hong Kong. It lies in the northern tip of Junk Bay, it is a sleepy and comfortable village that rests at the foot of a small mountain...
.
The 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:...
, one of the nine new town
New towns of Hong Kong
The area of Hong Kong is very mountainous and many places in the New Territories have limited access to roads. Hong Kong started developing new towns in the 1950s, to accommodate booming populations. In the early days the term "satellite towns" was used. The very first new towns included Tsuen Wan...
s 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...
, was mainly built on reclaimed land
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
in the northern half of the bay.
Name
In Cantonese, Tseung Kwan (將軍) means the "General" of an army, and O (澳) means "bay". Therefore, Tseung Kwan O literally means "General's Bay".The exact origin of the name Tseung Kwan O is unknown, but it is said to be named in honour of a Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
general who visited Tseung Kwan O at some point. Another theory is that the name was chosen in the 17th century, when naval battle
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
s were fought against pirates from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at Tseung Kwan O. Yet another theory is that the pronunciation of "將軍" can sound like "Junk Wan" to the ears of English speakers; wan is also a transliteration of the Chinese word for "bay" (灣).
The current town center of Tseung Kwan O stands on reclaimed land. The English name Junk Bay was said to be derived from the existence of junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
s in the bay, and the reclamation land based on the landfill. The Fat Tong Chau
Fat Tong Chau
Fat Tong Chau is a former island of Hong Kong. It is now part of Tseung Kwan O and Clear Water Bay Peninsula, Sai Kung as a result of land reclamation. It is located at the in the southeastern part of Junk Bay....
(Junk Island) is in the southeastern part of the bay.
History and geography
The bay is near the eastern mouth of Hong Kong's Victoria HarbourVictoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
.
Before the development of the new town, the area around the bay was occupied by a number of fishing towns and villages. The Tseung Kwan O Village in the northern tip of the bay is about 600 years old. Other towns and villages include Tiu Keng Leng
Tiu Keng Leng
Tiu Keng Leng is an area of Hong Kong in the Sai Kung District adjacent to Tseung Kwan O .-History:...
(Rennie's Mill), Hang Hau
Hang Hau
Hang Hau is a residential area in Hong Kong. It is located at the eastern edge of the Tseung Kwan O New Town. Most of the land was reclaimed from Ap Chai Wan .- History :...
and Yau Yu Wan. Rennie's Mill was where Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
loyalists were settled following the end of the Chinese civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, and Hang Hau had a ship building industry.
The Hong Kong Government had been interested in developing a new town at Hang Hau because of its proximity to the urban area. The project was postponed for a long time owing to the extensive scale of reclamation
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
in the bay, which is rather deep. It finally started under the name of Tseung Kwan O.
Tseung Kwan O Plaza
Tseung Kwan O Plaza is a private housing estatePrivate housing estate
A private housing estate is a term in Hong Kong that refers to a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings,...
and shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
near MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
Tseung Kwan O Station. It was developed by Nan Fung Group
Nan Fung Group
Nan Fung Group is a privately held group of companies carrying on the business of property development as its core business in Greater China including shipping, textiles and financial services. It is also one of the leading property developers and largest privately held developers in Hong Kong.Nan...
in 2004. It comprises 8 high-rise buildings with a total of 2880 units.