Local Characteristics of Yuen Long District

Area : 14,430 hectares including Tin Shui Wai new town, which occupies 488 hectares.

Population: About 534,000.

Yuen Long is situated in the northwest of the New Territories in a large alluvial plain surrounded by hills on three sides. The district covers Ping Shan Heung, Ha Tsuen Heung, Kam Tin Heung, Pat Heung, San Tin Heung, Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long Town and Tin Shui Wai (pictured above).

The earliest significant settlements in Yuen Long can be traced back to the Sung Dynasty (960 - 1279 A.D.). The TANG and MAN clans are the earliest known settlers in the district.

The district is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and abundance of antiquities and monuments. Many traditional ceremonies and rituals are still observed by the people in Yuen Long, in spite of the coming of modernity of Yuen Long. Examples are Tin Hau Festival, Tai P'ing Ch'ing Ch'iao and basin meal.

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