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For the district in Hong Kong, see Tai Po District.

For the new town in Hong Kong, see Tai Po New Town.

Junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Wan Tau Street, Tai Po

Tai Po (大埔) (sometimes written as Taipo) refers to the area of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui (大埔舊墟) (originally Tai Po Market or Tai Po Town) and the Tai Wo Town (Tai Wo Market) on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway British Section, within the Tai Po District.

Both market towns have become part of the Tai Po New Town in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In present-day, Tai Po may refer to the area around the original market towns (i.e. Tai Po proper), the new town, or the entire Tai Po District.

There is a story that Tai Po was originally called Tai Po (大步), lit. big step. Once upon a time the area was a big forest. When people wanted to pass through the forest, they would walk faster with big steps for their fear of the forest. Some say there were tigers around, so people walked with big steps to avoid being eaten.

Starting from the Hang Dynasty in AD 963, the indigenous habitant in Taipo lived by clamming and making pearls. The pearl making business reached its peak in Sung Dynasty and started to decline gradually in the midst of Ming Dynasty. Taipo had been developed as a fishing port around the late Ming Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty.

Thanks to battles and political struggles in modern history, a lot of people migrated to Hong Kong from China; one of the destinations for them is Taipo. People first began to settle around the riversides of Lam Tsuen River and finally Taipo Old Market and Tai Wo Town were developed.

In the seventh decade of the 20th century, the British government has implemented to develop satellite cities--- the first industrial estate in Hong Kong was built in Taipo in 1974; Taipo was named as “new town” in 1979; the first public housing estate in Taipo--- Tai Yuen Estate was established in 1981. Population has soared to 320, 000 and Taipo began to prosper following the completion of the Tolo Harbour Highway.

While being a new town, Tai Po is populated with a lot of people with Hakka origin. Before the 70's, immigrants from Canton Province in China migrated to Hong Kong. Many of the Hakka people moved to Tai Po, Fanling and Sheng Shui. In Tai Po, you will notice a large population of Hakka people in Tai Po Market (大埔墟), especially around the area of "Little Park" (公園仔).

1. Tai Po District Council: http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/chinese/welcome.htm
2. 大埔超級城: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9F%94%E8%B6%85%E7%B4%9A%E5%9F%8E#.E6.AD.B7.E5.8F.B2

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