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Villages
in the River Basin
Yuen Long Plain is the alluvial
plain of Shan Pui River. The rich soil, plentiful
water and convenient waterways attracted people settle
here from at least the Yuan dynasty.
All villages were established on the gentle and
open alluvial Yuen Long Plain, below 40 metres above
sea level. Today, the Shan Pui River basin is within
Shap Pat Heung and Ping Shan Heung; around 50 villages
have relatively long histories.
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Villages around Wang Chau area |
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The
Ebb and Flow of Agriculture
Before Yuen Long New Town was developed,
agriculture thrived in the area. In the 1950s, Yuen
Long and Tuen Mun constituted the largest agriculture
area in Hong Kong. The open and fertile Yuen Long Plain,
with easily accessible water for irrigation, was ideal
for rice cultivation. 90% of the farmland to the south
of Castle Peak Road in Yuen Long was paddies. Along
Castle Peak Road, where there was convenient transportation,
some farmers switched to growing vegetables that could
be sold at higher prices. In the 1960s and 70s, livestock
farming boomed on the Yuen Long Plain, due to improved
transportation and the abundant land and water.
In the 1970s, many paddies in Yuen
Long were converted to vegetable farms or fishponds.
Until the 1990s, agriculture of the Yuen Long Plain
was dominated by fishponds, orchards and garden plants,
with some leisure farms cultivating fruits for visitors
to pick. |
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An irrigation weir. (Photo taken at Nam
Hang Pei) |

Vegetable farmlands at Pak Sha Tsuen. |
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Markets
and Navigation
Back in the Jiajing Reign of the
Ming Dynasty, the section of Shan Pui River near today’s
Tai Shu Ha Tin Hau Temple at Tai Kei Leng was deep enough
for navigation by ships. A local market, called Tai
Kiu Tun Hui and later Yuen Long Hui, was also established.
The blooming market in turn attracted people to cultivate
the nearby land, and eventually Shap Pat Heung took
shape. But the market was abandoned during the coastal
evacuation. After the evacuation was lifted, large ships
could no longer navigate the channel as it was silted
up. In the eighth year of the Kangxi Reign, the market
was relocated to the north of Yuen Long Chung (also
named Shui Mun Tau), which is today’s Yuen Long Kau
Hui (Old Market).
In the beginning of the 20th century,
land transport gradually replaced navigation by river
channel, as Castle Peak Road was connected to the south
of Yuen Long Kau Hui, and Yuen Long Chung became increasingly
shallow. In 1915, Sun Hui (New Market) was established
on the opposite side of Yuen Long Chung. By the 1930s,
this became the largest market in the New Territories.
Today, there is basically no waterways travel, for either
goods or passengers. The new market was demolished in
the 1980s. The old market remains, but is no longer
active.
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Tai Shu Ha Tin Hau Temple is relic of
Tai Kiu Tun Hui. |

Yuen Long Kau Hui (Old Market). |
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Fishery
The estuary is a rich fishery ground.
Apart from using fishing boats, fishermen would set
up stake nets on the mudflat of Shan Pui River estuary
to catch fish. However, the most important activity
of Deep Bay was fishpond culture. Near the end of
the 1950s, many paddy fields were converted to gei
wais and fishponds. In the 1960s, more gei wais became
fishponds, transforming Yuen Long into the largest
fishpond area in Hong Kong.
Gei wais are connected to the river
in various ways. But when gei wais are turned into
fishponds, they are disconnected from the river. In
summer, when evaporation rates are high and water
levels of fishponds falls, fishermen would pump river
water into the fishponds. After the 1970s, however,
Shan Pui River was contaminated, and the water could
no longer be used to rear fish in fishponds.
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Fishponds reclaimed from mangroves and
marsh. (Photo taken at Fung Lok Wai) |

Grey Mullet is the specialty product
of Yuen Long fishponds. |
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Leisure
and Tourism
The Deep Bay mangroves and wetlands in the lower
course of Shan Pui River attract large flocks of birds,
particularly resident and migratory waterbirds. In
the 1970s, there was active hunting of ducks and waders.
Today, hunting is banned by law.
In the past, besides the waterway connecting Yuen
Long and other places via Shan Pui River and Deep
Bay, there were several major land routes for transporting
goods and firewood. After the establishment of country
parks, these ancient trails become hiking trails.
After the Second World War, during the 1950s and
1960s, fuels were in short supply in Hong Kong. There
was extensive felling of local forests for firewood.
Later, the government began plantations. In 1979,
the region around the upper course of Shan Pui River
was delineated as Tai Lam Country Park, to offer the
public a place for leisure, education, conservation
and research. The Agriculture, Fishery and Conservation
Department established Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail and
Tai Lam Education Trail, enabling people to explore
the upstream landscape and ecology. Streams in the
area also attract many hikers. In addition, a volunteer
group has established holiday village for visitors.
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A shrine at mountain pass on Tsuen Yuen
Ancient Trail. |

Wong Tong Stream attracts many hikers. |
 
A stream beside Tsuen Yuen Ancient Trail. |
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New
Town Development
Since the 1960s, Hong Kong’s population
has boomed, and the foundation for urbanising Yuen
Long was laid, as flood control works and roads along
the river connecting the market and various villages
of Shan Pui River basin were in place. In 1973, the
government implemented the new town development scheme,
to disperse the urban population. In 1978, Yuen Long
became a new town, and its population increased to
87,000. Farmland was turned into high rises and streets.
Wang Chau Industrial Estate (since renamed Wang Chau
Industrial Park), the second largest industrial estate
in Hong Kong, was established to the north of Yuen
Long New Town.
Due to the dense population in Yuen
Long New Town, and flourishing industrial and commercial
activities, water in the lower course is basically
wastewater, and cannot be used for drinking or irrigation.
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Wang Chau Industrial Estate |
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