FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1981
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GOVERNOR VISITS CAS CAMP SITE
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THE GOVERNOR AND LADY MACLEHOSE, THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO TSUEN WAN TO VISIT THE CIVIL AID SERVICES CAMP SITE AT YUEN TUN.
THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, THE HON ROGER LOBO AND THE CAS CHIEF STAFF OFFICER, MR JOHN FORTUNE.
SIR MURRAY AND LADY MACLEHOSE FIRST TOURED THE SITE FACILITIES AND SAW ABOUT 300 CAS VOLUNTEERS AND CADETS BEING TRAINED ON FIRST AID AND OTHER CAS ACTIVITIES.
THEY THEN VISITED THE 200-YEAR-OLD YUEN TUN VILLAGE WITHIN THE CAMP SITE BEING RENOVATED AND PRESERVED AS PART OF HONG KONG'S HERITAGE.
THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, MR JOHN FORTUNE SAID THE 20-HECTARE SITE WAS GRANTED IN 1968 ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CAS WOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO CONSERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE THE OLD VILLAGE WHEN FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE.
YUEN TUN, WHICH MEANS THE ROUND MOUND+ IN CHINESE, IS LOCATED SOME 200 METRES ABOVE TSING LUNG TAU, ITS INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS, THE CHUNGS, CAME ABOUT 300 YEARS AGO FROM THE VILLAGE OF TIT LO PA NEAR CHEUNG LOCK CITY IN NG WAH DISTRICT, GUANGDONG,
IN THE EARLY 1960S, THE CHUNGS WERE RE-SITED AT TSING LUNG TAU TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAI LAM CHUNG RESERVOIR.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE 20-HECTARE SITE BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 1974 WITH THE COMPLETION OF AN ACCESS ROAD CONSTRUCTED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE BRITISH FORCES.
THE CAMP SITE, WHICH WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR IN NOVEMBER 1977, HAS A SWIMMING POOL, BASKETBALL COURTS, A SOCCER PITCH, ROPE INITIATIVE COURSES, VILLAGE PATHS, FISH PONDS, GARDENS AND CAMPS.
RENOVATION OF THE OLD VILLAGE HOUSES STARTED EARLY THIS YEAR WITH FUNDS RAISED PRIVATELY AMONG LOCAL DIGNITARIES IN TSUEN WAN. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR,
MR FORTUNE SAID THAT THE HOUSES ARE FINE EXAMPLES OF ANCIENT CHINESE RURAL ARCHITECTURE. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS A BLOCK WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED TO A DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL PATTERN IN RECTANGULAR FORM. AN ANCESTRAL HALL FORMS THE CENTRAL PART, FROM WHICH THERE IS A CORRIDOR CONNECTING ROOMS AND KITCHENS ON EACH SIDE.
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