Tin Shui Wai
From Free net encyclopedia
Tin Shui Wai (Traditional Chinese: 天水圍, Simplified Chinese: 天水围; Cantonese Jyutping: tin1 seoi2 wai4; Mandarin Pinyin: Tiānshuǐwéi) is a new town located in the northwest of Yuen Long New Town, in the northwestern New Territories, Hong Kong.
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History
The area used to be a fishing pond where most of the residents were fishermen before being developed by the government. Later, because of the decline in fishing, most of the fish ponds were abandoned. The government re-developed Tin Shui Wai by land reclamation. Several public housing estates were built.
Demographics and housing
The population of Tin Shui Wai is around 150,000. Public housing estates include:
- Tin Chak Estate (天澤邨),
- Tin Heng Estate (天恆邨),
- Tin Shui Estate (天瑞邨),
- Tin Tsz Estate (天慈邨),
- Tin Wah Estate (天華邨),
- Tin Yan Estate (天恩邨),
- Tin Yat Estate (天逸邨),
- Tin Yiu Estate (天耀邨),
- Tin Yuet Estate (天悅邨).
Estates provided under the Home Ownership Scheme include Tin Oi Court, Tin Sing Court, Tin Yau Court. Kingswood Villas, one of the largest private housing estates in Hong Kong, is also located in Tin Shui Wai. There are lots of shopping malls in Tin Shui Wai.
Urban deprivation
Tin Shui Wai has the highest concentration of single-parent families receiving social security in Hong Kong. It also has the highest rate of suicide in Hong Kong. Its only library, the Tin Shui Wai Public Library, situated in the Kingswood Ginza, is temporary. The government has refused to construct a permanent library for the Tin Shui Wai residents, which has led to criticism. Also, it lacks a functional hospital - the closest hospital available is the Tuen Mun Hospital.
Sights
Parts of Tin Shui have a picturesque and tranquil environment. The Hong Kong Wetland Park, demonstrating the diversity of the Hong Kong's wetland ecosystem, is located in Tin Shui Wai.
Transportation
Tin Shui Wai is served by the West Rail and Light Rail line of the KCR. A well-developed bus network is also an important transport element in Tin Shui Wai.
The roads serving the area are Ping Ha Road, Tin Ha Road, Long Tin Road, Yuen Long Highway and Tin Wah Road (to Lau Fau Shan).
Before the 1990s, there was no bus route to serve Tin Shui Wai residents. They had to walk through a 1.5 mile muddy path to Ping Shan and take KMB Rt. 53 (Tuen Mun to Un Long, now Yuen Long (East) to Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower)) or Rt. 55 (Lau Fau Shan to Yuen Long, now K65 by KCR).