WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1977
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LADY MACLEHOSE SEES DEVELOPMENT IN TUEN MUN NEW TOWN
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LADY MACLEHOSE, WIFE OF THE GOVERNOR, TODAY TOURED THE 1,500-YEAR-OLD TSING SHAN BUDDHIST MONASTERY DURING A MORNING VISIT OF THE TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.
THE MONASTERY, BUILT IN THE 5TH CENTURY, A.D. WOULD BE PRESERVED UNDER THE NEW TOWN'S DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
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THE MONASTERY IS ON THE LOWER SLOPE OF THE CASTLE PEAK LEGEND HAS IT THAT A BUDDHIST SAINT NAMED PUI TO JOURNEYED ACROSS THE SEA ON A MAGICAL BEGGING BOWL TO SETTLE THERE.
LADY MACLEHOSE WAS ACCOMPANIED ON HER VISIT BY THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. PETER NG.
SHE BEGAN HER VISIT WITH A TOUR TO ONE OF THE NEW TOWN'S FACTORIES, SUBLIPRINT FAR EAST LIMITED, WHICH PRODUCES HEAT TRANSFER PAPERS FOR TEXTILE PRINTING A TECHNOLOGY REGARDED AS NEW IN HONG KONG.
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UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR TUEN MUN, A TOTAL OF 317 HECTARES OF LAND ARE TO BE RESERVED FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT - ABOUT 177 HECTARES FOR SPECIAL INDUSTRY, 130 HECTARES FOR LIGHT INDUSTRY, AND THE REMAINDER FOR SERVICE INDUSTRIES.
LADY MACLEHOSE THEN WENT UP TO A LOOK-OUT POINT WHERE SHE VIEWED THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE NEW TOWN, WHICH NOW HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 60,000 PEOPLE.
GOVERNMENT PLANS FOR TUEN MUN WILL PROVIDE AN IMPROVED URBAN ENVIRONMENT, WITH ADEQUATE COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR ABOUT 528,000 PEOPLE BY MID 1980'S, OF WHICH ABOUT 70 PER CENT WILL BE HOUSED IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
FOLLOWING THE TOUR OF THE TSING SHAN MONASTERY, LADY MACLEHOSE VISITED A NEARBY PLAY CENTRE.
THE CENTRE IS OPERATED BY ST. SIMON'S HOME FOR FISHERMEN AND WORKMEN'S CHILDREN, AN ORGANISATION RUN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH. IT HAS A CAPACITY FOR 200 CHILDREN AND IS SUBVENTED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
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