SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 1979
3
PRINCE CHARLES TOURS SHA TIN
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HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES BEGAN HIS SECOND DAY'S BUSY SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS IN HONG KONG THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING WHEN HE TOURED SHA TIN NEW TOWN TO SEE ITS LATEST DEVELOPMENT.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, PRINCE CHARLES ARRIVED AT SIU LEK YUEN AT 10.10 A.M. OVERLOOKING THE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY AT SHA TIN, ON HAND TO GREET HIM WAS THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR. JOHN DON- SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. GERRY HIGGINSON, AND SHA TIN PROJECT MANAGER, MR. FONG CHUN-NAM..
PRINCE CHARLES WAS TOLD THAT THE FOCAL POINT OF SHA TIN DEVELOPMENT WAS THE TOWN CENTRE OCCUPYING A SITE OF 22 HECTARES BORDERED BY RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND RIVERSIDE PARK. THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP WILL BE A SELF-CONTAINED ONE AND WILL EVENTUALLY ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE BY THE MID-EIGHTIES. SHA TIN'S PRESENT POPULATION IS NEARLY 50,000.
HE ALSO LEARNED THAT THERE WILL BE 41 GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, 45 GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS, TWO SWIMMING POOL COMPLEXES,
A 1,400-BED TEACHING HOSPITAL AND COMMUNTIY CENTRE AND HALLS.
FOLLOWING THE SHA TIN VISIT, PRINCE CHARLES TOURED ONE OF THE OLDEST SIGHTS OF SHA TIN TSANG TAI UK.
TSANG TAI UK IS A 130-YEAR-OLD, TRADITIONAL WALLED VILLAGE FOUNDED BY A MASON NAMED TSANG SAM LEE.
AT THE VILLAGE, NOW INHABITED BY ABOUT 700 PEOPLE, MR. AKERS- JONES PRESENTED THE CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE SHA TIN
RURAL COMMITTEE, SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF THE SHA TIN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, VILLAGE ELDERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
WHILE THE VILLAGE ELDERS WERE BEING INTRODUCED TO THE PRINCE, MANY CHILDREN DASHED OUT AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY JOSTLED WITH EACH OTHER FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT PRINCE CHARLES, THE FIRST ROYALTY TO VISIT THEM.
SOME VILLAGERS ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE THE MEMORABLE OCCASION WITH THEIR CAMERAS.
AFTER THE TOUR OF THE VILLAGE, PRINCE CHARLES PROCEEDED TO LEK YUEN AND WO CHE ESTATES WHERE HE SAW AT FIRST HAND THE PUBLIC HOUSING IN HONG KONG AND ITS FACILITIES.
/PRINCE CHARLES