Friday, January 19, 1973

NEW TOWN TO BE KNOWN AS TUEN MUN

Housing And Other Facilities To Be Provided There

As part of Government's plan to provide more and better housing,

with its full complement of services, industry and amenities, a new town is

being developed in that part of the New Territories commonly known as "Castle

Peak" in English and "Tsing Shan" in Chinese.

Both these names are of recent origin. It is not however widely

known that the low lying district at the foot of the mountain is known locally

as **Tuen Mun" The name "Castle Peak" and the Chinese name "Tsing Shan" are

properly confined to the mountain overlooking the area.

The name "Tuen Mun" is believed by some historians to originate from

early Sung times when it is thought that a garrison was stationed in the

vicinity.

This garrison was needed to portect merchant sailing vessels from

the pirates who were active along this coast at that time. The word "tuen"

means a garrison and the word "mun" in this case means a channel, probably the

one between the mainland and Lantau Island.

Having three names for one and the same place has in the past caused

some confusion. On the initiative of the Tuen Mun Rural Committee it has been

decided that the New Town at present known as the Castle Peak New Town will

now be called Tuen Mun New Town.

It is not proposed to change the popularly known English and Chinese

names of the mountain, the well known hospital or Castle Peak Town Lots

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/However,

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