New Territories

New Territories History

The New Territories is the largest of Hong Kong’s three regions, covering 86.2 % of the territory. It contains 53.7 % of Hong Kong’s population, amounting to 3,984,077 residents in 2021.

Britain secured the New Territories through the Second Convention of Peking in 1898, leasing the area from Qing China for 99 years. The lease, signed on 9 June 1898 and effective 1 July, added an estimated 365 square miles (950 km²) to the colony, expanding the frontier to the Sham Chun River. Formal transfer occurred on 17 April 1899, with Tai Po designated as the administrative centre.

Initially the region comprised mainland north of Boundary Street, south of the Sham Chun River, and more than 200 outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau. Subsequent urban growth absorbed the corridor between Boundary Street and the Kowloon Ranges into Kowloon, yet New Kowloon remains statutorily part of the New Territories.

Rural character persisted until the late 1970s, when a series of new towns were constructed to accommodate rapid population growth from Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Today these towns host over three million people, while large tracts of the region are preserved as parkland.New Territories

New Territories – Frequently Asked Questions

The New Territories is a region of Hong Kong that covers the majority of the SAR’s land area. It accounts for 86.2 % of Hong Kong’s territory and contains roughly 53.7 % of its 3,984,077 residents as of 2021.

Location and size

The region occupies 952 km² (368 sq mi) on the mainland north of Boundary Street and incorporates more than 200 outlying islands, including Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau.

Historical background

The New Territories was leased from Qing China to the United Kingdom in 1898 for 99 years and was transferred back to the People’s Republic of China together with Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in 1997.

Administrative status

It is not a capital but forms part of Hong Kong’s special administrative region, uses the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), and follows the Asia/Hong_Kong time zone.

Languages and culture

Official and widely spoken languages are Cantonese (zh‑HK, yue), Mandarin (zh) and English.

For additional information see New Territories.

The New Territories is the largest of Hong Kong’s three regions. It occupies 86.2 % of Hong Kong’s territory and contains 53.7 % of the population, about 3,984,077 people as of 2021.

The area lies at latitude 22.42441 and longitude 114.11095 in the Asia/Hong_Kong time zone, uses the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) and is served by Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Because elevation data are not recorded, travelers should assume typical coastal terrain unless local topographic maps indicate otherwise.

Static safety entries can describe enduring geographic facts but cannot convey present‑day crime trends, healthcare capacity, or emergency‑response times. Those details change rapidly and are omitted from permanent editorial content.

For up‑to‑date risk information, users should consult the live safety calculator layered on the atlas, which incorporates recent alerts from official sources. Recommended verification points include the Hong Kong Police Force’s annual crime statistics, the Hospital Authority’s service directories, and the Census and Statistics Department’s demographic releases.

If specific local evidence is unavailable in this static record, the safest approach is to treat the information as a baseline orientation and seek the latest government publications before travel.

Reference: New Territories.

Geographic composition of New Territories neighborhoods

The New Territories is the largest of Hong Kong’s three principal regions, covering 86.2% of the SAR’s land area. It contains 53.7% of Hong Kong’s population, amounting to 3,984,077 residents as of 2021.

Spanning 952 square kilometres, the area stretches from the mainland north of Boundary Street to the Sham Chun River, and embraces more than 200 outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau, and Peng Chau. The varied topography includes coastal plains, hilly interiors, and reclaimed land that supports dense suburban districts.

Administratively, the New Territories is divided into nine districts, each with distinct neighbourhood clusters:

• New Territories East
• North District
• Sai Kung District
• Sha Tin District
• Tai Po District
• New Territories West
• Islands District
• Kwai Tsing District (Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island)
• Tsuen Wan District
• Tuen Mun District
• Yuen Long District

These districts host a mix of traditional villages, new towns, and industrial zones, reflecting the region’s evolution from a leased frontier to a major residential and economic hub within Hong Kong.

The New Territories is the largest of Hong Kong’s three regions, covering 86.2% of the territory. It holds 53.7% of Hong Kong’s population, about 3,984,077 people as of 2021.

Stretching over 952 square kilometres, the area includes a mosaic of rural villages, outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau, and extensive parkland reserved by the government. This varied geography nurtures a distinctive artistic scene that blends traditional folk practices with contemporary expression. Village temples on the hills host seasonal festivals where incense, lion dances and calligraphy performances echo centuries‑old customs, while the coastal waters inspire marine‑themed sculpture gardens on islands like Lantau.

Since the late 1970s, the development of new towns to accommodate rapid population growth has introduced modern cultural facilities, including community art centres that showcase works reflecting the tension between dense urban blocks and surrounding green belts. Artists frequently draw on the contrast between the region’s historic farms and the high‑rise estates that now dominate its skyline, producing installations that comment on Hong Kong’s evolving identity.

For a detailed overview, see the New Territories entry.

New Territories is a city in Hong Kong.

It is situated at latitude 22.42441 and longitude 114.11095 within the Asia/Hong_Kong time zone.

Geographic scope

The region occupies 952 square kilometres (368 sq mi), accounting for 86.2 % of Hong Kong’s total land area. It includes the mainland north of Boundary Street, the area south of the Sham Chun River (the present border with mainland China), and more than 200 outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau.

Population distribution

As of the 2021 census, New Territories is home to 3,984,077 residents, representing 53.7 % of Hong Kong’s overall population. The majority speak Cantonese, while English, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects are also used. The population is overwhelmingly of Chinese descent, with notable minority communities of Filipinos, Indonesians, South Asians, mixed‑heritage individuals and whites.

Historical boundaries

The area was leased from Qing China to the United Kingdom in 1898 for 99 years, extending the colony beyond the earlier cessions of Hong Kong Island (1842) and Kowloon (1860). The lease expired in 1997, when sovereignty transferred to the People’s Republic of China. Originally defined by the Second Convention of Peking, the territory comprised the mainland north of Boundary Street and the extensive island group. Subsequent urban expansion absorbed the strip between Boundary Street and the Kowloon Ranges into Kowloon, yet the statutory designation of New Kowloon remains part of New Territories.

Administrative context

Although not a capital, New Territories functions under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, using the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) and official languages zh‑HK, yue, zh and en. Its governance aligns with the broader administrative framework of Hong Kong, while large tracts are preserved as parkland amid ongoing new‑town development.

For further details, see the Wikipedia entry and the GeoNames record.