The name means the origin of small river in Chinese. It is so named because the area situated originally between two rivers.[1]
Geography
Siu Lek Yuen lies at a hill that locates at the east side of Shing Mun River. Therefore, unlike most of the Sha Tin New Town, the land does not come from reclamation.
History
Siu Lek Yuen was originally a ford of Tide Cove (沙田海), which was reclaimed for the development of Sha Tin New Town. At a result, only Siu Lek Yuen Nullah (小瀝源渠), a small nullah of the Shing Mun River remained. As part of the New Town, Siu Lek Yuen also underwent a vast change in the years. Originally it was one of the nine districts of Sha Tin (沙田九約), namely, Siu Lek Yuen District (小瀝源約), where 14 Hakka villages were there. After the development of Sha Tin New Town, public and private housing estates and factories were built here.
Siu Lek Yuen Village is a recognized village under the New TerritoriesSmall House Policy.[2] At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Siu Lek Yuen Village was 174. The number of males was 73.[3]
Housing
Kwong Yuen Estate (廣源邨), a large public housing estate, is at the centre of Siu Lek Yuen. It comprises 6 blocks. Kwong Lam Court (廣林苑) and Hong Lam Court (康林苑) are the Home Ownership Scheme courts within Kwong Yuen Estate. Two blocks of Hong Lam Court are used as Government Quarters (政府宿舍). Castello (帝堡城) is a private housing estate at the north side of Kwong Yuen Estate.
Public Housing Estates
Kwong Yuen Estate
Home Ownership Scheme
Kwong Lam Court
Hong Lam Court (Two blocks are Government Quarters)
Siu Lek Yuen is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 91. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money); no government schools are in this net.[4]
The north entrance of Tate's Cairn Tunnel (大老山隧道) lies at the southern side of Siu Lek Yuen, making the transportation between Siu Lek Yuen to the East Kowloon much easier.
There are two bus termini in the area: Kwong Yuen Bus Terminus (廣源巴士總站) and Wong Nai Tau Public Transport Interchange (黃泥頭公共運輸交匯處).
Owing to the decreased demand of industrial lands in Hong Kong, the government plans to re-develop the Siu Lek Yuen Industrial Area. There are plans to convert the factories into office.[6] Hotels are also being built on former industrial area.[7][8]