# Tai Po Tau

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**Tai Po Tau** (traditional Chinese: 大埔頭; historically traditional Chinese: 大步頭) is an area in [Tai Po District](/source/Tai_Po_District), Hong Kong. It was named after a village of the same name. However, the village is now known as **Tai Po Tau Tsuen** (Tai Po Tau village; traditional Chinese: 大埔頭村). The village itself is named after [Tai Po](/source/Tai_Po).

In the past, Tai Po Tau Tsuen and [Tai Po Tau Shui Wai](/source/Tai_Po_Tau_Shui_Wai) (also known as just 'Shui Wai') was one village. However, the village was divided by the [Kowloon–Canton Railway](/source/Kowloon%E2%80%93Canton_Railway) British section (now known as [East Rail line](/source/East_Rail_line)) in the 1910s.[1]: 54

## Administration

Tai Po Tau is a recognized village under the [New Territories](/source/New_Territories) [Small House Policy](/source/Small_House_Policy).[2] It is one of the villages represented within the Tai Po Rural Committee. For electoral purposes, Tai Po Tau is part of the [Old Market & Serenity](/source/Old_Market_%26_Serenity_(constituency)) constituency, which is currently represented by Lau Yung-wai.[3][4]

## History

Tai Po Tau Tsuen was founded by the [Tang clan](/source/Tang_clan) of [Lung Yeuk Tau](/source/Lung_Yeuk_Tau).[1]: 14 Tangs of Tai Po Tau and Lung Yeuk Tau co-founded [Tai Po Hui](/source/Tai_Po_Hui) which firstly located in modern-day area [Tai Po Old Market](/source/Tai_Po_Old_Market), near Tai Po Tau.[5]

When the ban on human settlement of coastal areas of the [Great Clearance](/source/Great_Clearance) was lifted in 1668, the coastal defense was reinforced. Twenty-one fortified [mounds](/source/Mound), each manned with an army unit, were created along the border of [Xin'an County](/source/Bao'an_County), and at least five of them were located in present-day Hong Kong. 1) The [Tuen Mun](/source/Tuen_Mun) Mound, believed to have been built on [Castle Peak](/source/Castle_Peak_(Hong_Kong)) or [Kau Keng Shan](/source/Kau_Keng_Shan), was manned by 50 soldiers. 2) The [Kowloon](/source/Kowloon) Mound on [Lion Rock](/source/Lion_Rock) and 3) the Tai Po Tau Mound northwest of [Tai Po Old Market](/source/Tai_Po_Old_Market) had each 30 soldiers. 4) The [Ma Tseuk Leng](/source/Ma_Tseuk_Leng) Mound stood between present-day Sha Tau Kok and [Fan Ling](/source/Fan_Ling) and was manned by 50 men. 5) The fifth one at [Fat Tong Mun](/source/Fat_Tong_Mun), probably on today's [Tin Ha Shan](/source/Tin_Ha_Shan) Peninsula, was an observation post manned by 10 soldiers. In 1682, these forces were re-organized and manned by detachments from the [Green Standard Army](/source/Green_Standard_Army) with reduced strength.[6][7]

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Tai Po Tau was 112. The number of males was 50.[8]

## See also

- [King Law Ka Shuk](/source/King_Law_Ka_Shuk)
- [Tai Po Market](/source/Tai_Po_Market)

## References

1. 蕭國健 (2007). [*zh:大埔風物志*](https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/english/links/files/TaiPo_Book1.pdf) (in zh-hk). revised ed. Tai Po District Council.

1. ["List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy"](https://www.landsd.gov.hk/doc/en/small-house/rv0909.pdf). [Lands Department](/source/Lands_Department). September 2009.

1. ["Recommended District Council Constituency Areas (Tai Po District)"](https://www.eac.hk/pdf/distco/2019dc/final/en/P_descriptions(Eng).pdf). *[Electoral Affairs Commission](/source/Electoral_Affairs_Commission)*. Retrieved 14 October 2021.

1. ["Tai Po District Council - Tai Po DC Members"](https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/english/members/info/dc_member_list_detail.php?member_id=2101). *District Council*. Retrieved 14 October 2021.

1. 陳天權 (16 January 2018). ["zh:大埔墟和太和市的變遷"](https://www.master-insight.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9F%94%E5%A2%9F%E5%92%8C%E5%A4%AA%E5%92%8C%E5%B8%82%E7%9A%84%E8%AE%8A%E9%81%B7/) (in zh-hk). *master-insight.com*. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

1. Liu, Shuyong (1997). *An Outline History of Hong Kong*. [Foreign Languages Press](/source/Foreign_Languages_Press). p. 18. ISBN 9787119019468.

1. Faure, David; Hayes, James; Birch, Alan. *From Village to City: Studies In the Traditional Roots of Hong Kong Society*. Centre of Asian Studies, [University of Hong Kong](/source/University_of_Hong_Kong). p. 5. [OCLC 13122940](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/13122940). ASIN B0000EE67M.

1. Hase, Patrick (1996). ["Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses"](https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/ecc123316b3526a31a101b3c4cf08a12.pdf). *Journal of the [Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch](/source/Royal_Asiatic_Society_Hong_Kong_Branch)*. **36**: 79. [ISSN 1991-7295](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1991-7295)

## Further reading

- Choi, C.C. (1990). ["Studies on Hong Kong Jiao Festivals"](https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/6961e3917fbbd2702e62721f4604d7d8.pdf). *Journal of the [Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch](/source/Royal_Asiatic_Society_Hong_Kong_Branch)*. **30**: 26-43. [ISSN 1991-7295](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1991-7295)

## External links

- [Delineation of area of existing village Tai Po Tau (Tai Po) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)](https://www.had.gov.hk/rre/images/village_map1922/P/p-tp-72.pdf)
- [Antiquities and Monuments Office](/source/Antiquities_and_Monuments_Office). Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Architectural Information System. [Tai Po Tau Tsuen](https://hktais.amo.gov.hk/hktais/PblVilSearchAction.do?vilName=TAI1)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tai Po Tau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Po_Tau) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Po_Tau?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.