POPULATION
39
in the Sai Kung district is the truly indigenous population still in the majority. Most of these newcomers have been Cantonese, Hakka, Tanka or Hoklo, and they are now going through the process of absorption and integration. There are, however, some groups for which this process of assimilation has been much slower. These include immigrants from Shanghai and, in smaller numbers, from the East River area and the Swatow district. Almost the only group which has successfully resisted assimilation is the well- organized community of miners from northern China at the foot of Ma On Shan.
Besides the indigenous population and the more recent im- migrants, increasing numbers of people of all nationalities have moved out to the New Territories from the crowded city areas, either as a result of the rapid spread of industry, commerce and public services in the New Territories, or because they prefer a country life. The result of all these trends is reflected in the 1961 census figures for language, in which, out of each one thousand people in the New Territories, 664 gave Cantonese (including Tanka and Sze Yap) as their usual language, 234 Hakka, 46 Hoklo, 26 Shanghai, 13 English, nine Kuoyu and nine all other languages. On census day the total population of the New Territories, ex- cluding New Kowloon, was 456,404 including 46,459 boat-people. The principal centres of population were Tsuen Wan (61,106 plus 3,950 boat-dwellers), Yuen Long (33,421), Tai Po (16,957 plus 7,412 boat-dwellers), Cheung Chau (15,166 plus 4,105 boat- dwellers), Shek Wu Hui (14,286), Castle Peak (including Old Town, New Town and Sam Shing Hui, 10,745 plus 7,528 boat-dwellers), Luen Wo (8,372) and Tai O (5,516 plus 2,252 boat-dwellers).