Tsuen Wan was once called Chen Wan (Shallow Bay), and renamed Chuen Wan (Full Bay) about 100 years ago. It is a district largely created by reclamation, which has seen rapid development through the years. Today, Tsuen Wan is one of Hong Kong's most important industrial new towns.

Not too many people know that a gold rush hit Hong Kong in the early 1950s. Many people came to Lin Fa Shan (Lotus Flower Hill), which lies between Tsuen Wan and Kam Tin, to make their fortunes. In this case, though, it was "black gold" that drew the fortune-seekers. What they were digging for was a type of tungsten.

Lin Fa Shan is a relatively low range. The name comes from its rolling slopes which resemble the petals of a lotus. When news of the discovery broke out, it was quickly nicknamed Black Gold Hill and swamped with fortune-makers. With amateur tools, they opened up pits in an upland area of about one square kilometre. At the height of the rush, there were more than 1,000 such pits in Lin Fa Shan. As it takes five or six people to dredge one pit, it is estimated that over 6,000 people lived on the hillside at the time. The denuded peak was dotted with dark pits, looking rather like a giant beehive.

Tsuen Wan has many famous historic monuments, of which Sam Tung Uk (The Three Houses) is one of the best known. Built more than two centuries ago by the Chan family, who came originally from neighbouring Guangdong Province, it is the best preserved Hakka walled village in the area. Providing a sharp contrast of ancient and modern, Sam Tung Uk now has Tsuen Wan MTR station as its neighbour. In the 1970s, many residents of the ancient village moved out to make way for the MTR construction. In 1981, the village was officially declared a historic monument. It became a museum in 1987 and three years later, the proud winner of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's "Best Historic Monument" Award.

Interesting Stories of 18 Districts
Central & Western	Eastern
Islands	Kowloon City
Kwai Tsing	Kwun Tong
North	Sai Kung
Sham Shui Po	Sha Tin
Southern	Tai Po
Tsuen Wan	Tuen Mun
Wan Chai	Wong Tai Sin
Yau Ma Tei Tsim Sha Tsui Mong Kok   Others	Yuen Long

Sam Tung Uk has a unique architectural flair. Laid out like a chess board, it boasts a symmetrical design. On the central axis are three halls - the front hall, middle hall and ancestral hall - which give the village its name. On the two sides are four detached living rooms, while the terrace houses on the left and right and at the back enclose the village.

On display in the Sam Tung Uk Museum is a wide selection of old farming tools and household items. One of the main attractions is "The Way We Were" exhibition hall, where you can touch the exhibits and appreciate the rural lifestyle of old villagers. There is also another hall where theme exhibitions are held.