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Historical Background

Due to its strategic location at the mouth of the Pearl
River, Tuen Mun had been used as a military base and
as a centre for foreign trades since the Tang Dynasty
(610-906 AD). Tuen Mun takes its name "Tuen" from the
formation of a military base and "Mun" from the physical
setting of the area where the channel running in between
the two major mountain ranges, the Castle Peak to the
west and the Tai Lam foothills to the east, looking like a
door.

Figure 2: Rice Fields in Castle Peak in 1932

Before 1960, people living in Tuen Mun were
mostly engaged in fishing and farming (Figure 2).
Tuen Mun San Hui was the market centre in that
period. In 1960s, Tuen Mun was identified for new
town development as part of the Government's
strategy of decentralization of urban development
from the congested urban areas (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Tuen Mun New Town in 1963

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