{{more citations needed|date=March 2026}} {{Short description|Hong Kong district council}} {{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox legislature | name = Tai Po District Council | native_name = {{noitalics|{{nobold|大埔區議會}}}} | transcription_name = | legislature = | coa_pic = Tai Po District Council.svg | coa_res = 180px | coa-pic = | coa-res = | house_type = Hong Kong District Council | body = Tai Po District | foundation = {{Start date|1981|4|1|df=y}} (District Board)<br />{{Start date|1997|7|1|df=y}} (Provisional)<br />{{Start date|2000|1|1|df=y}} (District Council) | houses = | leader1_type = Chair | leader1 = Eunice Chan Hau-man | party1 = [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] | election1 = | leader2_type = Vice-Chair | leader2 = ''Vacant'' | party2 = | election2 = | leader3_type = | leader3 = | party3 = | election3 = | members = '''22 councillors'''<br />consisting of<br />4 elected members<br />8 district committee members<br />8 appointed members<br />2 ex officio members | house1 = | house2 = | structure1 = | structure1_res = | structure2 = | structure2_res = | political_groups1 = | political_groups2 = | seats1_title = [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong|DAB]] | seats1 = {{Composition bar|6|22|hex={{party color|DABHK}}}} | seats2_title = [[Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong|BPA]] | seats2 = {{Composition bar|3|22|hex={{party color|Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong}}}} | seats3_title = [[Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions|FTU]] | seats3 = {{Composition bar|1|22|hex={{party color|HKFTU}}}} | seats5_title = [[New People's Party (Hong Kong)|NPP]] | seats5 = {{Composition bar|1|22|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | seats6_title = [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] | seats6 = {{Composition bar|11|22|hex={{party color|Independent politician}}}} | committees1 = | committees2 = | joint_committees = | voting_system1 = [[Plurality voting system|First past the post]] | voting_system2 = | last_election1 = [[2023 Hong Kong local elections|10 December 2023]] | last_election2 = | session_room = File:Tai Po Complex.jpg | session_res = | meeting_place = 4/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui Street, [[Tai Po]], [[New Territories]] | website = {{url|http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/}} | footnotes = }} The '''Tai Po District Council''' ({{zh|t=大埔區議會}}; noted as '''TP''') is the [[district council of Hong Kong|district council]] for the [[Tai Po District]] in [[Hong Kong]]. It is one of 18 such councils. The Tai Po District Council currently consists of 22 members, of which the district is divided into two constituencies, electing a total of 4 members, 8 district committee members, 8 appointed members, and 2 ex officio members who are the [[Tai Po]] and [[Sai Kung North]] [[rural committee]] chairmen.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tai Po District Council - Information of DC Members |url=https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/english/members/info/dc_member_list.php |website=www.districtcouncils.gov.hk |access-date=18 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615073413/https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/english/members/info/dc_member_list.php |archive-date=15 June 2024 |language=English}}</ref> The latest election was held on [[2023 Hong Kong local elections|10 December 2023]].

==History== [[File:Tai Po District Board Emblem.svg|Emblem of Tai Po District Board (1982–1997)|150px|thumb|left]] The Tai Po District Council was established on 1 April 1981 under the name of the Tai Po District Board as the result of the colonial [[Governor of Hong Kong|Governor]] [[Murray MacLehose]]'s District Administration Scheme reform. The District Board was partly elected with the ''ex-officio'' [[Regional Council (Hong Kong)|Regional Council]] members and chairmen of two Rural Committees, Tai Po and Sai Kung North, as well as members appointed by the Governor until 1994 when last Governor [[Chris Patten]] refrained from appointing any member.{{cn|date=March 2026}}

The Tai Po District Board became Tai Po Provisional District Board after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was established in 1997 with the appointment system being reintroduced by [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]] [[Tung Chee-hwa]]. The current Tai Po District Council was established on 1 January 2000 after the [[1999 Hong Kong local elections|first District Council election]] in 1999. The appointed seats were abolished in 2015 after the [[2010 Hong Kong electoral reform|modified constitutional reform proposal]] was passed by the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] in 2010.{{cn|date=March 2026}}

The Tai Po District Board was a stronghold of the conservative [[Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong]] (LDF) and its successor [[Hong Kong Progressive Alliance]] (HKPA) in the 1990s and early 2000s. The pro-business [[Liberal Party (Hong Kong)|Liberal Party]] also established its presence in the district in the 1990s surrounding its chairman [[Allen Lee]] who was elected through the district in the [[1995 Hong Kong legislative election|1995]].{{cn|date=March 2026}}

The pro-Beijing [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) and the pro-democracy [[Democratic Party (Hong Kong)|Democratic Party]] became the two dominant forces in the district after the handover. For the DAB, its vice-chairman [[Cheung Hok-ming]] who is also the chairman of the Tai Po Rural Committee has been the chairman of the council from 1994 to 2003 and again from 2008. For the Democratic Party, it was the base of the reformist "Young Turks" faction in the party represented by Legislative Councillor [[Andrew Cheng]], until they broke away from the Democrats over the disagreement on the [[2010 Hong Kong electoral reform|constitutional reform proposal]] in 2010 and formed the [[Neo Democrats]].{{cn|date=March 2026}}

In the [[2019 Hong Kong local elections|2019 election]], the pro-democrats formed a coalition called [[Tai Po Democratic Alliance]] (TPDA) running in 17 constituencies against the pro-Beijing candidates. The pro-democrats achieved a historic landslide victory by sweeping all the elected seats in the council amid the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests|massive pro-democracy protests]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Needham |first1=Kirsty |title=Hong Kong citizens have their say with landslide district election result |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/hong-kong-voters-deliver-pro-democracy-message-in-de-facto-referendum-20191125-p53dod.html |access-date=18 March 2026 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=24 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260204142855/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/hong-kong-voters-deliver-pro-democracy-message-in-de-facto-referendum-20191125-p53dod.html |archive-date=4 February 2026 |language=en}}</ref> The pro-Beijing camp was completely wiped out except for the two ''ex-officio'' members who were also the Rural Committee chairmen.

In the 2023 District Council election, 4 of the 22 seats on the Tai Po District Council are elected by elected members, 8 are elected by district committees, 8 are appointed members, and 2 ex-officio members make up the current Tai Po District Council. In the District Council, 11 of the 22 members are independent members, 6 are from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, 1 from the Federation of Trade Unions, 3 from the BPA, and 1 from the New People Party. 22 of the 22 members are from the pro-establishment camp.{{cn|date=March 2026}}

==Political control== Since 1982 political control of the council has been held by the following parties: {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" ! Camp in control !! Largest party !! Years !! Composition |- ! style="background-color: #DDDDDD" | No Overall Control || None || 1982 - 1985 || |- ! style="background-color: LightBlue" | Pro-government || Reform Club || 1985 - 1988 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 16 |party1 = 2 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 5 |partycolor2 = Blue |party3 = 9 |partycolor3 = MidnightBlue }} |- ! style="background-color: LightBlue" | Pro-government || Meeting Point || 1988 - 1991 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 20 |party1 = 1 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 9 |partycolor2 = Blue |party3 = 10 |partycolor3 = MidnightBlue }} |- ! style="background-color: LightBlue" | Pro-government || LDF || 1991 - 1994 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 22 |party1 = 1 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 11 |partycolor2 = Blue |party3 = 10 |partycolor3 = MidnightBlue }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || Liberal || 1994 - 1997 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 19 |party1 = 4 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 13 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 2 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || Liberal || 1997 - 1999 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 24 |party1 = 4 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 13 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 7 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || Democratic || 2000 - 2003 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 26 |party1 = 6 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 13 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 7 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || Democratic || 2004 - 2007 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 26 |party1 = 9 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 10 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 7 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || DAB || 2008 - 2011 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 26 |party1 = 4 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 15 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 7 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || DAB || 2012 - 2015 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 24 |party1 = 3 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 16 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 5 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || DAB || 2016 - 2019 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 21 |party1 = 6 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 13 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 2 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: LightGreen" | Pro-democracy || Neo Democrats || 2020 - 2023 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 21 |party1 = 19 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 0 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 2 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |- ! style="background-color: Pink" | Pro-Beijing || DAB || 2024 - 2027 | {{Composition_bar/advanced |divisionname = |boxwidth = 100 |total = 22 |party1 = 0 |partycolor1 = Green |party2 = 20 |partycolor2 = Red |party3 = 2 |partycolor3 = FireBrick }} |}

==Political makeup== [[File:Current Map of Tai Po District Council.svg|500px|right]] [[District Councils of Hong Kong#Elections|Elections]] are held every four years. {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ! rowspan="2" | Political party ! colspan="7" | Council members ! colspan="23" rowspan="2" | Current<br>members |- ! [[1994 Tai Po District Board election|1994]] ! [[1999 Tai Po District Council election|1999]] ! [[2003 Tai Po District Council election|2003]] ! [[2007 Tai Po District Council election|2007]] ! [[2011 Tai Po District Council election|2011]] ! [[2015 Tai Po District Council election|2015]] ! [[2019 Tai Po District Council election|2019]] |- | bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}} | &nbsp; | [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] | style="text-align: right" | ''3'' | style="text-align: right" | ''8'' | style="text-align: right" | ''5'' | style="text-align: right" | ''8'' | style="text-align: right" | ''8'' | style="text-align: right" | ''8'' | style="text-align: right" | '''6''' | {{Infobox political party/seats|11|21|hex={{party color|Independent (politician)}}}} |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Community Alliance}}"| &nbsp; | [[Community Alliance|CA]] | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | '''4''' | {{Infobox political party/seats|4|21|hex={{party color|Community Alliance}}}} |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Tai Po Democratic Alliance}}"| &nbsp; | [[Tai Po Democratic Alliance|TPDA]] | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | '''4''' | {{Infobox political party/seats|1|21|hex={{party color|Tai Po Democratic Alliance}}}} |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Civic Passion}}"| &nbsp; | [[Civic Passion]] | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | ''-'' | style="text-align: right" | '''1''' | {{Infobox political party/seats|1|21|hex={{party color|Civic Passion}}}} |- |} {{-}}

==District result maps== <gallery> File:1994DBelectionmapp.svg|'''1994''' File:1999DCelectionmapp.svg|'''1999''' File:2003DCelectionmapp.svg|'''2003''' File:2007DCelectionmapp.svg|'''2007''' File:2011DCelectionmapp.svg|'''2011''' File:Tai Po District Council 2015.svg|'''2015''' File:Tai Po District Council (2019).svg|'''2019''' </gallery>

==Members represented== {{#section-h:7th District Councils of Hong Kong|Tai Po}}

==Leadership==

===Chairs=== Since 1985, the chairman is elected by all the members of the board: {| class="wikitable" |- !colspan=2| Chairman !! Years !! Political Affiliation |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Nonpartisan}}"| || Nicky Lo Kar-chun || 1981–1983 || ''District Officer'' |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Nonpartisan}}"| || Thomas Chan Chun-yuen || 1983–1985 || ''District Officer'' |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Heung Yee Kuk}}"| || Ho Yung-sang || 1985–1994 || [[Heung Yee Kuk]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || [[Cheung Hok-ming]] || 1994–2003 || [[DABHK|DAB]]/[[Heung Yee Kuk]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || Cheng Chun-ping || 2004–2007 || [[DABHK|DAB]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || [[Cheung Hok-ming]] || 2008–2019 || [[DABHK|DAB]]/[[Heung Yee Kuk]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || Wong Pik-kiu || 2019 || [[DABHK|DAB]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Neo Democrats}}"| || Kwan Wing-yip || 2020–2021 || [[Neo Democrats]]→[[Independent politician|Independent]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Tai Po Democratic Alliance}}"| || Patrick Mo Ka-chun || 2021–2023 ||[[Tai Po Democratic Alliance|TPDA]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Nonpartisan}}"| || Eunice Chan Hau-man || 2024–present || ''District Officer'' |}

===Vice Chairs=== {| class="wikitable" |- !colspan=2| Vice Chairman !! Years !! Political Affiliation |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || Cheng Chun-ping || 2000–2003 || [[DABHK|DAB]] |- | style="color:inherit;background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}"| || Wan Kwok-lim || 2004–2007 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Heung Yee Kuk}}"| || Man Chen-fai || 2008–2011|| [[Heung Yee Kuk]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || [[Peggy Wong|Peggy Wong Pik-kiu]] || 2012–2019 || [[DABHK|DAB]] |- |style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|DABHK}}"| || Cheng Chun-ping || 2019|| [[DABHK|DAB]] |- | style="color:inherit;background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}"| || Lau Yung-wai || 2020–2023 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] |- |}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}} {{coord|22.4461|114.1666|display=title}} {{Tai Po District}} {{Tai Po District Council elections}} {{Hong Kong topic |suffix=Council|title=[[District Councils of Hong Kong]]}} [[Category:Tai Po District Council| ]] [[Category:Districts of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Tai Po District]]