Tiu Keng Leng

Tiu Keng Leng

Tiu Keng Leng (Cantonese pronunciation: Tiu, sometimes also pronounced as “Tiu Geng Leng”; English: Tiu Keng Leng, former name: Rennie's Mill) is located in Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong. Originally a squatter area, it is now part of the Tseung Kwan O New Town. Tiu Keng Leng is situated in the lowland area between the southwestern part of Tseung Kwan O, the southeastern side of Ngau Kwai Shan, and the northeastern side of Chiu Keng Wan Shan.

The Tiu Keng Leng community, once a camp for squatter residents, is a unique piece of land in Hong Kong, also nicknamed “Little Taiwan.” On ordinary days, the area’s pier and residential buildings often fly the flag of the Republic of China. On October 10th each year, Tiu Keng Leng is even more festively decorated with arches and hosts grand celebrations and flag-raising ceremonies. Waves of flags flutter in the wind across this hillside and coastal community, symbolizing its unique historical background. After its clearance in 1996, the community's appearance changed completely, but the sentiment of Tiu Keng Leng is definitely worth recording and also bears witness to Hong Kong’s longstanding role as a political refuge.

Origin of the Name

The earliest recorded name for Tiu Keng Leng was Chiu Keng Wan Shan (also referred to as Chiu Keng Ling), named because the bay there was round and mirror-like, calm and waveless, hence called Chiu Keng Wan (“Mirror Bay”) by the Tanka fishermen of the time, with the hill on land referred to as Chiu Keng Ling (“Mirror Hill”). Another explanation says that Hakka women who lived in the southwestern part of Tseung Kwan O (from Sam Ka Tsuen Tin Hau Ancient Temple toward Tseung Kwan O Bay) wore traditional Hakka clothing while farming in the fields, and the sun reflecting off their hats made it seem as though they could see their reflections—hence the name Chiu Keng Ling. The name Chiu Keng Ling remained until after the British lease of the New Territories, when it was changed due to the suicide of a foreign national.

In 1905, a Canadian retired civil servant named Alfred Herbert Rennie built a flour mill in the area. However, the mill went bankrupt in April 1908, and Rennie committed suicide on April 14. There were rumors that he hanged himself at the flour mill, leading to the nickname “Tyun Geng Ling” (Hanging Neck Ridge). By the 1950s, when refugees settled in the area, the Director of Relief at the Social Welfare Department of the Hong Kong government, Li Chit-nung, chose a homophonic substitute for “Tyun Geng Ling” and renamed it “Tiu Keng Leng,” which carries the meaning of “adjusting the situation.”

On the other hand, the English name of the place, “Rennie's Mill,” originated from this flour mill and was retained until the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong back to China, after which the English name was changed to the Chinese phonetic transcription Tiu Keng Leng.

Notable Residents

Rev. Dr. Lo Lung-kwong (Dean of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong), Carina Lau, Barry Lam, Maggie Cheung (lived and studied here), Lu Zhichu (former Vice President of CTS), - (12th and 13th President of the Republic of China Taiwan), Cao Fuyong (Taiwanese Peking opera actor), Brigitte Lin (Taiwanese film actress).

Transportation Guide

Location: Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung District, Hong Kong

Transportation: Take bus routes N691; Citybus E22A, E22S, N29; or New World First Bus routes 694, 792M, 796C, 796S, 796X, 798, N796.