Tin Shui Wai New Town

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Tin Shui Wai (North) as seen from Hong Kong Wetland Park

Tin Shui Wai New Town (Traditional Chinese: 天水圍新市鎮; Simplified Chinese: 天水围新市镇; Cantonese Jyutping: tin1 seoi2 wai4; Mandarin Pinyin: Tiānshuǐwéi) is located in northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. It is a part of the Yuen Long District, and is the second new town in Yuen Long. It is situated 25 kilometres As the crow flies North-West of Central, Hong Kong on land reclaimed from low lying areas south of Deep Bay. As of 2007, the New Town has a population of 268,800^[1].

1 Environment
2 Housing
3 Sights
4 Transport
5 See also
6 Notes and references
7 External links

[edit] Environment

Tin Shui Wai consists of both public and private housing estates. Tin Wah Road separates the south and the north development zones of Tin Shui Wai. The south development zone first started in the late 1980s, and has since become a unique community. Since Tin Shui Wai was planned and developed from scratch, locals enjoy wider walkways and larger open areas when compared to other urban developments in Hong Kong.

Following the completion of the north development zone, the government planned to build 85,000 units and apartments annually in Hong Kong. As such, the north development zone has residential apartment buildings that are generally taller and denser than those in the south zone. The population of Tin Shui Wai rose rapidly over the last part of the century, but has since stabalised. The government has been criticised for not maintaining a sufficient level of services and facilities to meet the rapid population growth in Tin Shui Wai.

In recent years, quite a number of serious family and social issues took place in Tin Shui Wai. These incidents attracted extensive reports from the local media. The image of Tin Shui Wai is thus negative in the mind of many Hong Kong citizens, although much of this is based on misunderstanding; family tension and domestic violence issues are not limited to Tin Shui Wai.

In July 2006, the Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Carrie Lam, labelled Tin Shui Wai as a "City of Sadness". Local media criticised Lam's comment because it was a misleading comment and it did not do any good with regard to the social problem within the region^[2]

[edit] Housing

[edit] Public housing estates

Tin Chak Estate (天澤邨)
Tin Heng Estate (天恆邨)
Tin Shui Estate (天瑞邨)
Tin Tsz Estate (天慈邨)
Tin Wah Estate (天華邨)
Tin Yan Estate (天恩邨)
Tin Yat Estate (天逸邨)
Tin Yiu Estate (天耀邨)
Tin Yuet Estate (天悅邨)
Grandeur Terrace (俊宏軒)

[edit] Home Ownership Scheme estates

Tin Chung Court (天頌苑)
Tin Fu Court (天富苑)
Tin Oi Court (天愛苑)
Tin Sing Court (天盛苑)
Tin Yau Court (天祐苑)

[edit] Private housing estates

Kingswood Villas (嘉湖山莊) – one of the largest private housing estates in Hong Kong
- Chestwood Court
- Kenswood Court
- Maywood Court
- Lynwood Court
- Sherwood Court
- Locwood Court

[edit] Sights

Parts of Tin Shui Wai have a picturesque and tranquil environment. The Hong Kong Wetland Park, demonstrating the diversity of the Hong Kong's wetland ecosystem, is located in north Tin Shui Wai.

[edit] Transport

Tin Shui Wai has a KCR station on the KCR West Rail line. It is located near Ping Shan and adjacent to Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shing Court and Tin Yau Court. The station is elevated over the junction of Ping Ha Road and Tin Fuk Road. Several bus stops serve the station. Three footbridges are constructed along Tin Fuk Road and Ping Ha Road to connect the station to the highly populated urban area that the station is built in.

The district is also served by the KCR Light Rail, Tin Shui Wai West Rail station serving as the main interchange point for the local branch of this network, which runs in a circle around Tin Shui Wai proper. The light rail network, in conjunction with the West Rail line, connects the townships of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long.

A well-developed bus network is also an important transport element in Tin Shui Wai, with busses running to most major destinations in Hong Kong.

Main roads connecting the township to surrounding areas are Ping Ha Road, Tin Ha Road, Long Tin Road, Yuen Long Highway and Tin Wah Road (to Lau Fau Shan).