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1 = #$%&'()* #$%&'()* = #$%& #$%&'()*+,-,+ # #$%#&' #$%&'()*+,-./0 #$%&'()*+, #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+(),- #$% #$ #$%&'(')'*'+, #$%&'(&)*+, #$%&%'( #$%&' #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()#*+,$- #$%&&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,#-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,&-. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./0 #$%&'()*+ #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'%(&) # News report, Wah Kiu Yat Po, 1957 NQN

2 Chapter 2 Section 2 Yuen Long #$%&'()*+,-./01'() The Au Tau Substation in Yuen Long in 1959 was the most important of its kind in the western part of the New Territories I n order to accommodate city development in the New Territories, the supply of water and electricity has been greatly improved. Fluorescent lamps have been installed from Yuen Long to Ping Shan Road. There is now sufficient water for domestic and industrial use in the Castle Peak area. This newspaper heading from the newspaper Wah Kiu Yat Po, dated 29 December 1957, demonstrates that Yuen Long was in the forefront of the Rural Electrification Scheme in the New Territories. Yuen Long received electricity as early as In the beginning, electricity came from Au Tau to Yuen Long Market, though it could only reach the major markets. Mr. Tai Kuen of Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee tells how in the past, when there was no electricity, the shops had to be illuminated by kerosene lamps. There were still no refrigerators, and so, in order to preserve meat, people had to put it in bamboo baskets and hang them from the ceiling, or else they would use salt to preserve it. Before the war, CLP had a power station in today s Castle Peak Road (near the present Kentucky Fried Chicken [KFC] Restaurant). The ground floor was the power station and the upper floors were residences. Mr. Tai still remembers that when electricity supply came to his house, the whole family was so happy. However, his mother did not want to pay too much for it. In order to limit the use of electricity, the bulbs his family used were only 10-15W. NQO

3 #$%$%&' #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*%+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&' #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./0 #$%&'()*+,#-. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,,- #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-.$ #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+,- #$% ========= # $ %& ' ( # $ % & ' ( ) * + # $ % & ' ( # $ % & ' ( ) * + # $ % & ' ( ) # $ % & ' ( ) * + # $ % & ' ( ) * + #$%&'()*+,- Lau Fau Shan is famous for its seafood cuisine in Hong Kong NQP

4 Local philanthropists founded Pok Oi Hospital in 1919 and it began to offer Western medical services in Mr. Tsang Yuen Hung of the Hospital believes that this was a landmark in the development of the region. In the past only Chinese medicine was practised. Nowadays the medical services combine both Western and Chinese methods and are free of charge. As for the new services, the electricity supply obviously played an important role. Section 2 Chapter 2 #$%&'()*+ Parade at Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, 1979 For the food and drink industry and for commercial activities, Yuen Long has been famous for its three treasures : rice, goby mullet and oysters. These three things attracted many tourists to Yuen Long from the urban areas on holidays. As already mentioned, when electricity reached Lau Fau Shan in the early 1960s, business was very good and the shops were illuminated every night. Mr. Tang Chi Cheung of Ha Tsuen Rural Committee still remembers how there was no air-conditioning in the famous Yue Wo Tong at the beginning. They had to remove some electric fans from an old ship and install them in Yue Wo Tong. These old fans still functioned and were very useful at that time. #$%&'()*+ Advertisement of Yue Wo Tong, 1965 NQQ

5 #$%&'()* #$%& #$%&'()* #$%&'()&*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-$. #$%&'()*+, - #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,*- #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+, #$%&'(&)*+, #$#%&'()*+,' #$%&'()*+,-./ #$% &'()*&+,- #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'() #$%&'(# =E F #$%&'( #$%&'() #$%&' #$%&'() #$%& #$ #$%&'() Hang Heung Restaurant, Yuen Long, 1950 NQR

6 Another famous product of Yuen Long is the wife cakes of Hang Heung Cake Shop. Mr. Cheng Hung Kit remembers when the shop was opened in 1926, it was originally a restaurant. In those days a restaurant had to serve meals, tea, and also make cakes. Cakes were made for weddings and for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Usually the dim-sum cooks made the cakes. Since the elderly owner was rather thrifty, the restaurant hired very few workers. When many people came for meals, they had to wait a long time. When they began to get hungry, the restaurant provided them with some wife cakes. People found the cakes so tasty and hence the fame of these cakes was established. Section 2 Chapter 2 In the early times the cakes were made in a brick oven, heated by burning wood. The amount of cakes made depended on the number of orders. When his father passed away, Mr. Cheng decided to use electric ovens. At first, they used 4-cable electricity with only 25A. But this supply of electricity was not sufficient for installing airconditioners. Later, technicians helped upgrade the current to 100A to fit the needs. The electric ovens also evolved from drawer ovens to tunnel ovens. This not only improved the efficiency, but also met with hygiene standards. #$%&'( Celebrities of Yuen Long, 1940 NQS

7 #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%$&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*&+,-. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&' ()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()* #$%&'()*+,-./ #$% &'#()*+,- #$%$&'()*+,-. #$% &'( #$%& '()*+ #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'%()*+, #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+, #$%&'()*+,- #$%&' #$%&'()*+,-./0123,4 Mobile cash collection office in Yuen Long, early 1970s NQT

8 Electricity brought new products, and improvements to local products. Apart from the food and drink industry, the entertainment business also benefited from having a sufficient supply of electricity. According to newspaper reports in the late 1950s, Ping Shan, the then centre for new farms in the New Territories, had a population of over 20,000. Ordinary farmers were busy in the daytime and they could only have leisure time at night to go to movies in Yuen Long, to dine at restaurants, or to find other means of entertainment. But the bus service stopped at 10 pm and they had to go by bicycle or on foot. This was very inconvenient, since there were no street lamps along the road. Then CLP installed new fluorescent lamps, thus linking Yuen Long and Ping Shan, and made people s lives more agreeable. Section 2 Chapter 2 In the early 1960s a large entertainment place named Tung Lok Theatre was built at Nam Pin Wai. This illustrates how people s cultural lives were also enriched. The development of Yuen Long really went ahead very rapidly. #$%&'()*+, -. Yuen Long Highway helped the development of Yuen Long and Ping Shan NQU

9 #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'( #$%&'()*+,#- #$%&'()*+, #$%&'( #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'() *+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-*. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+ NQV #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-. #$%& '()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-$. #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ # #$% Yeung Uk Tsuen at Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long =========== # # # # # # $ $ $ $ $ # %& $ %& %& %& %& %& $ ' ' ' ' %& () ' '( () ( () () ' * ) * ( +, * *+ *+ )* +, +, -,, + -

10 In Yuen Long the process of rural electrification had many stories attached to it. Mr. Tang Shing Shi of Ping Shan remembers, in the time before electricity how wealthy people used electric torches at night, while the poor would encounter snakes when going out at night without any kind of light. This was really dangerous. After the installation of electric lamps, people s habit of going to bed early also changed. When they started going to bed later, an interesting thing began to happen: the electric lamps attracted many osmanthus cicada. (nicknamed wo mei lung, a kind of flying insect). These tiny creatures would fly around the lamps and then fall down or fly off to another lamp. People saw this and would wait every night to collect them and then eat them deepfried. They were so delicious that people would even wait up until 11 pm or midnight. Because of this kind of activities, drivers had to be careful, since quite a few people would wait under the lamp posts on the road sides at night. At first the rural people were conservative about the use of electricity. Mr. Man Ping Nam of San Tin Rural Committee remembers how at the beginning CLP sent officers to enter the village and introduce the use of electricity. The poor would come to see the electric lamps installed in rich people s houses before they decided to install their own. In 1963 Mr. Man came back to Hong Kong from Britain. Starting from that time, his home had installed a German black and white television set. Neighbours all came to watch television. At that time people s favourite programme was wrestling. This showed how the relationships among rural people were very good. Section 2 Chapter 2 #$%&'()*+,-. The development of Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was helped by an expanded electricity supply NRM

11 #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'()* #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'$()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-.% #$%&'()*+,-./0 #$%&'()*+,-./ # #$%&'()*+,-./0 #$%&'()(*+,-. #$%&'()*$+, #$%&'()*+,-./%0 #$%&'()*+(,-. #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'() #$%&'()% #$%&'() Yuen Long Soccer Team won the FA cup, Sir David Akers- Jones congratulating the team members, 1979 #$ # #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,- #$%&'()*+,-./ #$%&'()*+,-. #$%&'()*+,%-. #$%&'()*+ #$%&'() NRN #$%&' #$%&=E F A 1988 football match held by Yuen Long District Sports Association

12 This spirit of mutual aid was also evident when power supply reached the place. The family of Mr. Tang Kwan Shing of Ha Tsuen Rural Committee was the first to apply for electricity in his village. After that the other residents of the village followed. Since the Tang family had paid for the pole fee when it was constructed, the neighbours had no need to pay more and could apply for their own electricity supply. At first the Tangs were reluctant to accept this because they had paid a great deal for the construction fee. However, based on the rural sense of sharing, the Tangs decided not to make it an issue. Section 2 Chapter 2 #$%&'()*+,-./$0123 Shui Tau Village at Kam Tin received its power supply in the 1960s During the course of their planning and erection, there was considerable argument over the placing of the huge towers in various parts of the countryside. Villagers wanted their pound of flesh when these substantial steel structures had to be erected on private instead of crown land, and there were further concerns among environmentalists about siting them in prominent positions in country parks. The Heung Yee Kuk, representing the villagers, was closely involved in the negotiations. Sir David Akers-Jones The villagers called the poles tung. Mr. Tsang Ma Ming of Yuen Long Sports Association recalls the scene when CLP distributed electricity to his village: At the beginning CLP wanted to erect posts in farmland. The rural people worried that they would damage the feng-shui of the village and disagreed with this. But later they agreed to let CLP do so after negotiations among villagers. In the rural areas, these poles provided a place for children to play. One of the children s games was to climb up the poles. Electricity not only brought convenience to the villagers, it also brought new interests. NRO