In 1963 when CUHK was established, the government was excavating the hill in the rear of Chung Chi College for the construction of the dam of Plover Cove Reservoir. Hence, the University applied for making the site into its permanent campus. The government approved and about 270 acres of land in the Ma Liu Shui area of the New Territories were granted for the development of the University. In 1967, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Department renamed Ma Liu Shui Station as University Station. In the early 1970s, the construction of the permanent campus was eventually completed to house the three colleges, which had scattered around Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
The University’s master development plan was formulated by the founding Vice-Chancellor Dr Choh-Ming Li and the University Architect Mr Szeto Wai, who benefitted from valuable advice of the world-renowned architect Mr I.M. Pei and took into account the urban development plan of the New Territories. In the early 1990s, the completion of Shaw Campus and Eastern Campus made the whole campus more vibrant. In 2008, the University started to formulate a new campus master plan to accommodate the new four-year undergraduate curriculum in 2012 and its vision to develop into a world-class comprehensive research university. By 2013, a number of academic buildings and campuses of the five new colleges had been completed to provide more space for students and staff.
Green and sustainable, campus development is guided by the University’s commitment to sustainability. Barren hill turns green. Over 160 buildings have been erected in the past 60 years.
