Tsuen Wan Public Library
Public library in Hong Kong
Tsuen Wan Public Library (Chinese: 荃灣公共圖書館) is located in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. Opened in 1993, it is one of the major libraries of the Hong Kong Public Libraries system.
History
The original Tsuen Wan Public Library occupied the ground floor of Wing Hong House, Fuk Loi Estate, around 200 metres from the current library. This was the first public library in the New Territories. At the time, the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung area was growing rapidly under Hong Kong's new town development programme.
The current Tsuen Wan Public Library is part of a building complex that also includes the Tsuen Wan Government Offices. The HK$258-million contract to construct the complex was jointly signed by the Architectural Services Department and the contractor on 22 June 1990. The library was planned and managed by the public libraries service of the former Regional Council, and was the largest public library in Hong Kong when it opened. Originally known as the Tsuen Wan Central Library, the new facility was formally inaugurated on 23 July 1993 by Governor Chris Patten, who gave a speech calling libraries "one of the most important community services".
In 1997, the Tsuen Wan Central Library and Sha Tin Central Library were cited as the two most heavily patronised public libraries in the territory.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Tsuen Wan Public Library” as public library in Hong Kong. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as public library in Hong Kong. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7622260. Authority coordinates are 22.374, 114.115. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1993, 1990 and 1997.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tsuen Wan Public Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tsuen Wan Public Library primary sources, Tsuen Wan Public Library archive and Tsuen research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tsuen Wan Public Library”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tsuen Wan Public Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.