Before the 1980s, the New Territories were made up of peaceful countryside, with duck farms, fields, and old villages. No longer. A vast 1,008-sq.-km (389-sq.-mile) region that stretches from Kowloon to the border of mainland China, the New Territories are Hong Kong's answer to its growing population and the refugee crunch. Huge government housing projects have mushroomed throughout the New Territories, especially in towns along the railway and subway lines. Once-sleepy villages have become concrete jungles.

The vector map is from http://www.vectormap.com/eng/english.htm. 

Close to one-half of Hong Kong's population--about 3.3 million people--live in the New Territories, mostly in subsidized housing. The New Territories, therefore, are vitally important to the SAR, its well-being, and its future. For visitors to ignore the area completely would be shortsighted; many find the housing projects, in some suburbs stretching as far as the eye can see, nothing short of astounding. If, on the other hand, it's peace and quiet you're searching for, don't despair. The New Territories are so large and so mountainous that not all the land has been turned into housing, and the area still makes an interesting side trip--it's so different from the city itself that it's almost like visiting an entirely different country.

Additional information and photos have been arranged by the following towns, as well as hiking trails I have documented:

•  Fanling
•  Sha Tin
•  Tai Po
•  Tuen Mun
•  Yuen Long
•  Rural Areas
•  NT Hiking Trails

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Copyright notice
Please note that all photographs and text appearing on this site are the exclusive intellectual property of Sam Stearman. No images are within the Public Domain, and no image use is permitted without the written prior authorization of the copyright owner.  If you see any pictures you would like to buy, all the thousands of pictures on this site are available in high resolution digital format, suitable for framing, use in magazines or advertising.  Email me if you would like to know more.