Tai Wai


Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.
With three rapid transit stations, one of which an interchange station serving two lines, five bus termini and several trunk roads and tunnels connecting it to other parts of the New Territories, such as Tsuen Wan, and Kowloon, Tai Wai is an important transport node in Hong Kong.

Geography

Tai Wai occupies the southwestern end of the Sha Tin Valley. The Sha Tin area is located directly northeast of Tai Wai. Hill ranges separate Tai Wai from New Kowloon in the south, and from Tsuen Wan in the west. The Tai Wai Nullah, sometimes referred to as the upper stream of Shing Mun River, flows through Tai Wai, where it joins the Shing Mun River. The Shing Mun River then flows in a southwest–northeast direction across the Sha Tin Valley towards Tolo Harbour.

History

Sprouting from traditional farming villages growing rice, vegetables and fruits, such as choy sum, Chinese broccoli, bamboo, banana, peach, and lychee, Tai Wai area once functioned as a light suburban industrial park in the 1970s. Few factory buildings are still in use, mostly as warehouses. The current urbanization of the area is the consequence of the development of Sha Tin New Town that started in the 1970s.
Tai Wai Village, where the name of the area came from, was the largest and oldest walled village in Sha Tin. It was built in 1574 during the Ming dynasty, and was called Chik Chuen Wai at the time. It was originally made up of 16 families, Wai, Chan, Ng, Yeung, Wong, Lee, Hui, Cheng, Tong, Yuen, Yau, Lam, Lok, Tam, Mok and Choy.
The Wai family, being the largest family, is thought to be the direct descendants of the famous founder general of the Han dynasty, Han Xin, who purportedly fled there to escape executions ordered by Emperor Gao of Han's empress Empress Lü Zhi. The Han descendants changed their surname into Wai by splitting the word Han in two halves and took up the character on the right hand side, Wai .
The Cheng family, on the other hand, originated from a place called Xingyang in Zhengzhou, Henan which is the place where Chang'e supposedly flew to the Moon. It is also the birthplace of Li Shangyin, one of the most famous poets in the late Tang dynasty.
Tai Wai appears on the "Map of the San-On District", published in 1866 by Simeone Volonteri.
The first public housing estate built in the area was Mei Lam Estate, with the first two blocks of its Phase 1 completed in 1981. Tai Wai station opened in August 1983.

Electoral constituencies

Tai Wai in Sha Tin District, as defined at the time of the 2015 Hong Kong District Council elections. They are: Chun Fung, Sun Tin Wai, Chui Tin, Hin Ka, Lower Shing Mun, Wan Shing, Keng Hau, Tin Sum, Chui Ka, Tai Wai, Chung Tin.

Demographics

Tai Wai is composed largely of low to medium income households of different ethnic backgrounds ranging from local Chinese to Westerners. According to the 2016 Population By-census, the number of persons living in Tai Wai was as follows:
ConstituencyMaleFemaleTotal
Chun Fung 7,1318,13515,266
Sun Tin Wai 7,5078,62116,128
Chui Tin 7,1668,07815,244
Hin Ka 5,7366,45812,194
Lower Shing Mun 8,6149,52018,134
Wan Shing 9,79912,47022,269
Keng Hau 9,54811,39720,945
Tin Sum 7,0637,45014,513
Chui Ka 7,6498,58316,232
Tai Wai 9,13911,12720,266
Chung Tin 6,6498,11514,764
Total86,00199,954185,955

Housing

A large part of the population of Tai Wai lives in public housing estates. Privately owned apartment blocks are also common and higher income luxury housing is also available in various parts of Tai Wai. Hundreds of three-storey village houses can be found in the villages of the area.

Public housing

The table below lists all the public housing estates in Tai Wai, including Public Rental Housing, Home Ownership Scheme, Tenants Purchase Scheme and Private Sector Participation Scheme.
NameTypeInaug.No BlocksNo UnitsNotes
Carado GardenPSPS199061,988
Chun Shek EstatePublic198442,166
Fung Shing CourtHOS198532,448
Grandway GardenPSPS19893864
Hin Keng EstateTPS198681,004
Hin Yiu EstatePublic20051799
Holford GardenPSPS19853800
Ka Keng CourtHOS20022640
Ka Tin CourtHOS198861,680
King Tin CourtHOS198361,424
Lung Hang EstatePublic198364,376
May Shing CourtHOS198232,192
Mei Chung CourtHOS199661,940
Mei Lam EstatePublic198144,156
Mei Tin EstatePublic200643,164
Sun Chui EstatePublic198386,692
Sun Tin Wai EstatePublic198183,430

Private housing estates

Festival City

is a HK$20 billion residential development project by Cheung Kong and MTR Corporation located above the Tai Wai Maintenance Centre. Phase I was completed in September 2010, Phase II in October 2011, and Phase III in August 2012. The plan was to build 12 50-stories high residential towers with a total construction area of 313,955 square meters as well as 25,890 square meters for the general public's use. It offers 4,264 flats to families, two schools and one community facility. This residential project raised the population of Tai Wai significantly. The controversy of this project is that the 12 towers would create an urban heat island effect and block off the air flow of the area.

Other estates

Other private housing estates in Tai Wai include:
  • Glamour Garden
  • Golden Lion Gardens
  • Grandeur Garden
  • Granville Garden
  • Greenview Garden
  • Julimount Garden
  • Lakeview Garden
  • Man Lai Court
  • Parc Royale
  • Park View Garden
  • Peak One
  • Pristine Villa
  • Sha Tin Heights
  • The Great Hill
  • The Met. Acappella
  • The Pavilia Farm
  • Worldwide Gardens

    Villages

A number of villages exist in Tai Wai and most of them are surrounded by the towers of housing estates. Traditional village layout and some historic buildings can still be found.
  • Tai Wai Village, aka. Chik Chuen Wai. It is located next to Tai Wai station and the main commercial streets of the area. The village was walled to protect the villagers from bandits, pirates and/or unfriendly neighbours. It was rectangular in shape with 4 watch towers at its four corners. The towers and the walls have long been demolished leaving only the entrance gate and part of the front wall. The houses inside the walls are in rows, and many houses have been built outside the walls due to later development. Historic and traditional buildings include the Entrance Gate, a Hau Wong Temple, the Wai Ancestral Hall and several old houses.
  • Tai Wai New Village is located on a slope alongside Tai Po Road, just minutes walk away from the old village. It was established in the 1980s as the then colonial government's effort to compensate the villagers for effectively confiscating their land for development. Each male villager was given a piece of land at a premium of HK$20,000 of which he has the right to build a Spanish-styled 700 sq.ft. three-story house to live in. Most of these houses are now rented by outsiders for the relatively tranquil countryside surroundings. The land occupied by the village was once cultivated for pineapples.
Ha Keng Hau, Sheung Keng Hau and Hin Tin are three adjacent villages located along Hin Keng Street, along a northeast–southwest direction. Hin Keng Estate, located northeast of the villages and across Hin Keng Street, was named after them.
Villages in the vicinity of Che Kung Temple:
  • Kak Tin is located south of Sun Chui Estate and Sun Tin Wai Estate. It was one of the five Punti villages in Sha Tin founded about 400 years ago by Tsang clanspeople, originally from Shandong. The villagers were historically farmers engaged in rice and vegetable growing supported by pig and poultry rearing. The village had a population of 130 in 1899 and 220 in 1960. About 80 households of the Tsangs are still residing in the village. Most of the village houses have been demolished and replaced by modern small houses.
  • Hung Mui Kuk Village
  • San Tin Village, is located south of Che Kung Temple and east of Sun Chui Estate. It was historically a single-clan village of the Lau, and it now features the Lau Ancestral Hall. The Lau were Hakkas who first moved from Huizhou to Grassy Hill, northwest of Sha Tin, during the 18th century. They were farmers engaged in cultivation. As their population increased, they bought a piece of land from the Kak Tin and Tin Sam villages and established a new village called 'San Tin' in the late 1890s.
  • Lei Uk Tsuen is located east of Che Kung Temple and west of Chun Shek Estate. It was established by the Lei clan in the late 17th century.
  • Sha Tin Tau is located east of Chun Shek Estate, north of Fung Shing Court and south of Tsang Tai Uk. Historically the only Hakka multi-surname village in the Sha Tin area, it was first settled by the Chan and later by the Law, the Lam, the Yip, the Lau and others. There are several ancestral halls in the village, including the Lau Ancestral Hall, that was built before 1900. The founding ancestor of the Lau clan of Sha Tin Tau village moved from Longchuan in the mid-19th century. The clan has lived there for nine generations by the early 21st century.
  • Sha Tin Tau New Village
Other villages in Tai Wai include:
Several public housing estates have a shopping centre. The only private shopping centre was Grandeur Shopping Arcade, located within Grandeur Garden, along Tai Wai Road, until The Wai shopping mall opened in 2023.
The Wai opened on 22 July 2023. Located on top of Tai Wai Station and below the Pavilia Farm residential complex, the shopping mall covers an area 650,000 sq ft across four floors. At the time of its opening, The Wai housed the largest of the then 43 Market Place supermarkets in Hong Kong, covering an area over 20,000sq ft.

Recreational

Sports venues

Sports venues in Tai Wai include:

Sports centres

There are three indoor public sport centres in Tai Wai: Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, Hin Keng Sports Centre and Mei Lam Sports Centre. They are located in or next to major estates, namely Chun Shek Estate, Hin Keng Estate and Mei Lam Estate. They offer a wide range of facilities including a fitness centre with weight training and cardiovascular equipment, squash courts as well as badminton courts. These sport centres are owned and operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; however, the facilities are charged prior to booking with several exceptions.

Swimming pool

Hin Tin Swimming Pool is the only public swimming pool in Tai Wai. Opened in 1992, it is operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It is located along Che Kung Miu Road, between Tai Wai station and Hin Keng station.

Cycling

The Tai Wai Cycling Park, where beginners could practice their cycling skills, was demolished in 2001 to make way for the railway terminus of the Ma On Shan Line. A number of bicycle rental shops can be found in Tai Wai and bicycle lanes run along the Shing Mun River and link Tai Wai to Tai Po, Ma On Shan and Plover Cove Reservoir.

Hiking

Hiking is also a popular activity in Tai Wai. Situated at the end of a valley, Tai Wai is surrounded by country parks: Shing Mun, Kam Shan, Lion Rock and Ma On Shan. Sections of the Wilson Trail and the MacLehose Trail run across the hills near Tai Wai.

Food

Some sources mention Tai Wai as being famous for its chicken porridges and roast baby pigeon.

Schools

Tai Wai is in Primary One Admission School Net 88. Within the school net are multiple aided schools and Shatin Government Primary School.
Tai Wai has multiple primary and secondary schools, mostly public, some with religious background. They include:

Temples

  • Che Kung Temple: Hundreds of thousands flock to the Taoist Che Kung Temple on the second day of each Chinese New Year to worship Che Kung - a general of the Song dynasty, and queue up to turn the wheel which symbolizes both the cosmic movement in the turning of the year and the hope of each wheel spinner for a good turn of fortune in the forthcoming year.
  • Chi Hong Ching Yuen, also Tze Hong Monastery. Located next to Che Kung Temple. It is a Buddhist nunnery established in the early 20th century.
  • Koon Ngam Ching Yuen, also Ku Ngam Ching Yuen or Ku Au Tseng Yuen or "Wat Tai Wai" near Lei Uk Tsuen. It is a Chinese Thai temple established in the early 1990s.
  • A Hau Wong Temple is located within Tai Wai walled village. Originally sited outside the walled village, it was moved inside during the reign of Xianfeng. The current temple has replaced an earlier temple, probably built in 1884 and demolished in 1982.
  • Puguangming Temple, near Pak Tin Village and directly north of Mei Chung Court. Contains a controversial private columbarium.
  • Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon, near Pak Tin Village and directly west of Mei Chung Court. It also houses a private colombarium.

    Christian institutions

  • Tao Fung Shan:
  • * Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre
  • * Tao Fong Shan Christ Temple
  • * Lutheran Theological Seminary
  • * ELCHK Living Spirit Lutheran Church
  • ELCHK Salvation Lutheran Church
  • High Rock Centre. Built in 1924 as Shatin Police Station, it became High Rock Christian Camp in 1980.
  • St. Alfred's Church
  • Shatin Assembly of God Church

    Other structures and facilities

Other historic or otherwise notable buildings and structures in Tai Wai include:

MTR

is on the East Rail line and the Tuen Ma line of the MTR. The northward termini of the East Rail line, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations, located at the border with Shenzhen, are about 30 minutes away. The station was opened in 1983 and its expansion for the Ma On Shan line was completed in September 2004.
Che Kung Temple station of the Tuen Ma line is also located in the Tai Wai area. It opened in 2004.
In 2002, KCRC won the bid to plan, build and operate the Sha Tin to Central Link, and in 2004 it submitted the Draft Final Proposal to the Government. The March 2008 MTR-KCR revised proposal includes the extension of East Rail line across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island and the extension of Ma On Shan line to West Rail line via East Kowloon. The Tai Wai to Hung Hom section was fully completed in 2021 and the Cross Harbour section was completed in 2022. As part of this project, a new station was built in the Tai Wai area, Hin Keng station, which opened in February 2020.

Road connections

Tai Wai is the main gateway of tunnels and roads connecting the New Territories to Kowloon as well as Tsuen Wan due to its convenient location. In the early 20th century and until the Lion Rock Tunnel, the first road tunnel in Hong Kong, was built in 1967, Tai Po Road was the main road connecting Tai Wai and the New Territories to Kowloon. Tai Po Road to this day remains as the only toll-free road connecting the two areas.
The tunnels are: Lion Rock Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel. Sha Tin Heights Tunnel opened in March 2008 to lessen the traffic of the Kowloon Tunnels and Tai Po Road. It is part of Route 8 that connects Tai Wai to the airport over the Stonecutters Bridge and through the Nam Wan Tunnel.

Bus

A large percentage of the bus routes that go past Tai Wai are circular routes which both start and terminate in Sha Tin. There are also long-distance routes that go past famous Hong Kong landmarks and attractions. They include 170, which goes to Ocean Park; E42 goes to the airport and R42 to Disneyland.
There are 5 major bus termini in Tai Wai:
Many green minibus routes that pass Tai Wai go around all parts of Sha Tin to provide feeder services for major public transport operators such as the MTR. Routes such as 481B go to the Tsuen Wan area via Shing Mun Tunnel offering a fast but cheap alternative to buses and the MTR. Residents' buses also operate at Tai Wai station. Union Hospital's free shuttle bus also operates from there at 10-minute frequencies.