Yuen Long [1669- ]

Submitted by philk on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 19:51
Current condition
Unknown
Date completed

I've added a completion date of 1669 for David's housekeeping, however, this is only the date of when Yuen Long market was moved to where the current MTR now sits.

1669 is post coastal clearance. I have no idea how long Yuen Liong was established prior to that particular Imperial edict.

Photos that show this Place

1954
1960s
????

Comments

From the Nan Han Dynasty onwards, it was settled government policy in these parts to encourage soldiers of each garrison to take up grants of land and to settle there after completion of their military service. The land they occupied was known as tuen-tin and was charged land tax at a lower rate than normal. Taxation at this favourable rate continued up to the last edition of the San On Yuen Chi. The favourable rate was the same as the special rate for monasteries.

It is pretty clear from local tradition and from the location of the pieces of land which paid tax at the preferential rate that the reclamation of mangrove swamp in and around the present Yuen Long was done by these soldiers and their early descendants. The Man clan now settled at San Tin have been winning land in this fashion for 500 years on their present location, to which they moved from their first settlement at Lo Fu Hang about half way down what was then a creek. The latter lies between the original Tuen Mun fort and the present shore of Castle Peak Bay

Source: Hong Kong before the Chinese K. M. A Barnett RASHK Vol 4 (1964) p. 46