Getting Your Bearings
Yuen Long Kau Hui sits in the north-east of present-day Yuen Long Town, in the western New Territories. It is sited south of a small hill and directly north of Yuen Long MTR station, and it takes in a cluster of villages — several of them walled — including Sai Pin Wai, Nam Pin Wai, Tung Tau Tsuen, Tsoi Uk Tsuen, Ying Lung Wai, Tai Wai Tsuen and Wong Uk Tsuen, plus Shan Pui Tsuen to the north of the hill and Tai Kiu Tsuen to the west, across the river and directly south of Long Ping MTR station.
This is the site of the original Yuen Long market, moved here in the 17th century and once a commercial and cultural centre with shop houses, inns and temples clustered along its streets. Its historic core is compact and best explored on foot, but the wider town around it is served by a dense public transport network.
How Visitors Get Around Hong Kong
Hong Kong's public transport is varied and well integrated. The main modes a visitor will encounter are the MTR (the metro), the Light Rail, buses, minibuses, ferries, taxis, and — for reaching the airport — the Airport Express. The MTR is the backbone for longer journeys across the territory, while buses, minibuses and the Light Rail fill in the local and rural connections. Ferries serve outlying islands and some river crossings, and there is also a cable car and a funicular among the territory's transit options.
For payment, the Octopus card is the standard stored-value card accepted across the MTR, Light Rail, buses and ferries, and it can be topped up at stations and convenience stores. Single-journey tickets are available from machines at MTR stations, and buses generally accept exact fare in cash as well as Octopus. If you are staying a few days and using transport frequently, a stored-value card is the simplest option.
Rail and Metro
Yuen Long Kau Hui is served by Yuen Long MTR station, which lies directly south of the area and is roughly an eight-minute walk from the Yuen Long Kau Hui Road vicinity. The station is on the Tuen Ma Line, with services running towards Wu Kai Sha. Long Ping MTR station, also on the Tuen Ma Line, sits directly north of Tai Kiu Tsuen on the western side of the area.
Train service hours are long: the Tuen Ma Line's first trains run in the early morning and the last trains run past midnight, so late-evening returns to the city are generally feasible.
Light Rail
The Light Rail is a distinctive feature of this part of the New Territories and is useful for short hops around Yuen Long and towards Tin Shui Wai. Routes 610 and 615 serve the area, and the nearest Light Rail stop is Tai Tong Road, about a five-minute walk away; the Yuen Long Light Rail stop is a longer walk of around ten minutes. Light Rail services run from early morning until well after midnight.
Light Rail stops are open platforms rather than gated stations, so you tap your Octopus card on the reader at the platform before boarding and again on leaving.
Buses and Minibuses
Buses are the workhorse for local and rural journeys around Yuen Long Kau Hui. Several stops lie within a short walk of the area, including stops on Shan Pui Road near The Parcville and Shan Pui Hung Tin Tsuen, a stop on Yuen Long Kau Hui Road near Chung Sing School, and the larger interchanges at Yuen Long Station and Yuen Long Station (North) Public Transport Interchange, both around an eight-minute walk.
Routes serving the area cover a wide range of destinations, including:
- Local and estate routes such as 611, 611A, 611B, 611P and 611S, and NR914 serving Palm Springs.
- Rural and cross-boundary routes including 71, 72, 79S (towards Lok Ma Chau Control Point) and 608.
- K74, a circular route linking Tin Shui Wai Town Centre and Au Tau.
- Routes 36, 36A, 37, 38, 75 and 76 from Yuen Long Fook Hong Street to various rural destinations.
- Routes 601, 601C and 602 from Yuen Long Fung Cheung Road towards Pak Wai Tsuen, Kam Sheung Road Station and Tai Kong Po.
- Other routes cited as stopping nearby include B9 and E36A, plus a route running between Yuen Long (Shui Che Kwun Street) and Sheung Shui (San Fat Street).
Bus service spans the clock: the earliest nearby departures are in the small hours and the last night buses run in the early hours of the morning. Fares are paid with Octopus or exact cash.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a convenient option for short trips where you would rather not wait, and they can be flagged on the street or picked up at taxi stands near the MTR stations and major interchanges. In Hong Kong, taxis are colour-coded by operating area, so it is worth confirming with the driver that your destination is within their territory before setting off. Ride-hailing apps also operate in Hong Kong and can be a useful fallback late at night or when heading somewhere off the main bus corridors.
Walkability
The historic heart of Yuen Long Kau Hui is genuinely walkable. The old market streets — Cheung Shing Street, Lee Yick Street and Wine Street — form a compact centre that separates the walled villages of Nam Pin Wai and Sai Pin Wai, and the temples, former pawnshop, old inn and shophouses are all clustered within a short radius of one another. Nam Mun Hau, the built-up area beside the former southern gate, is likewise close at hand.
Beyond the core, walking remains practical for reaching the surrounding villages and the MTR stations, though the distances grow: Yuen Long station is around an eight-minute walk, Tai Tong Road Light Rail stop around five minutes, and the Shan Pui ferry stop around seven minutes. Shan Pui Tsuen, north of the hill, is reached by a small boat near the village entrance that serves as a ferry across the Shan Pui River towards Nam Sang Wai; the Nam Sang Wai River Ferry operates from around 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Getting In From the Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is connected to the city by the Airport Express, the dedicated rail link into the urban area, which is the fastest and most straightforward option for arriving visitors. From the Airport Express terminus you can transfer onto the MTR network to reach Yuen Long; the Tuen Ma Line serves Yuen Long station directly, putting you within a short walk of Yuen Long Kau Hui.
As an alternative, airport buses serve various parts of the territory, and the E-prefixed routes among the buses stopping near Yuen Long Kau Hui are the airport-linked services for this area. Taxis are also available at the airport for a direct door-to-door transfer, which may suit travellers with heavy luggage or arriving late. Whichever option you choose, an Octopus card bought or topped up at the airport will cover the onward MTR, Light Rail and bus legs of your journey.