G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
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Developments since 1950
Industry
4.
In the 1950s, urban and industrial expansion began in Tsuen Wan, stimulated principally by refugee industrialists from Shanghai. The conurbation of Tsuen Wan/Kwai Chung/Tsing Yi is now a very important industrial centre.
Farming
5.
Immigrant tenant farmers moved into the New Territories, renting paddy land from indigenous landowners. Market gardening, pig and poultry farming expanded: rice farming declined. Many of the tenant farmers were recent immigrants from China, others came from Kowloon.
Urban Development
6.
Deliberate development of Tsuen Wan, as a satellite town, started in 1957 when the population was less than 50,000: it is now over 500,000. Two other new towns, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun, have been added since. These are now expanding rapidly as integral parts of the housing programme with emphasis on balanced development. The market towns such as Yuen Long, Tai Po, Fanling and Sheung Shui have also developed in the past few years: with some small scale but widespread local industry, much of it of a squatter type. Their development will now accelerate with implementation of development programmes to improve facilities and provide public housing.
Population
7.
These developments have led to great influx of outsiders into the New Territories and generally the indigenous inhabitants are no longer in the majority; in Tsuen Wan they are a very small minority of the total population. The total population of the New Territories is now 951,520.
Land Clearance
Urban development and the construction of a number of large reservoirs, principally to serve the rest of Hong Kong, has meant compulsory acquisition and clearance of many hundreds of acres of land owned by indigenous villagers, as well as removal and reprovisioning of many villages.
Remote Areas
So
Depopulation of the less accessible areas has also taken place. Farming in these parts is no longer economic or attractive. Many inhabitants have moved out and often emigrated to Europe or elsewhere to work, principally in restaurants.
CONFIDENTIAL
/Recreation
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