Tai Po as a populated place, could be traced back to the Stone Age. Archaeological site in Yuen Chau Tsai, had discovered stone axe and pottery which was believed to be made in Neolithic era. The indigenous inhabitants of Tai Po lived by clamming and pearl farming in Tai Po Hoi (literally "Tai Po Sea"; Tolo Harbour) since at least AD 963. The pearl making business reached its peak during the Song Dynasty and started to decline gradually in the midst of the Ming Dynasty. Tai Po had been developed as a fishing port around the late Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. While a village that belong to the modern day Tai Po area, Wun Yiu (), had developed into a center of porcelain industry in the Ming dynasty.