A journey back in history :¡uPing Shan
Heritage Trail¡v
The first of its kind in Hong
Kong, the Ping Shan Heritage Trail was inaugurated on 12
December 1993. Stretching about 1.6 km in length, the Trail
meanders through Hang Mei Tsuen, Hang Tau Tsuen and Sheung
Cheung Wai. It links up a number of traditional Chinese
buildings within easy walking distance of each other to pro
vide visitors with an opportunity to learn more about
traditional life in the New Territories in a convenient half
day excursion.
Transportation Information:
MTR West Rail Line - Tin Shui Wai
Station |
| ¡uPing Shan Heritage Trail¡v(Map
Picture source: Antiquities and Monuments Office) |
| Take the MTR "West Rail Line" and
exit at "Tin Shui Wai Station" Exit E3. |
| After exiting the station,
you can see the stairs on the opposite side of the road. Go
down the stairs and you will see the "Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda". |
| Situated to the north of
Sheung Cheung Wai, the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda(Pagoda of
Gathering Stars) is the only ancient pagoda in Hong Kong.
According to the genealogy of the Tang Clan in Ping Shan,
the pagoda was built more than 600 years ago. According to
the Tang Clan, the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda was originally
situated at the mouth of a river facing Deep Bay and was
intended as a feng shui structure designed to ward off evil
spirits from the north and to preven t fooding. Its
auspicious location, in alignment with Castle Peak, would
ensure success for clan members in the imperial civil
service examinations. The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda was declared
a monument in December 2001. |
| Back on the road, follow the map
and walk to the right to The Tat Tak Communal Hall. |
| The Tat Tak Communal Hall is
the only surviving purpose built communal hall in Hong Kong
which served as both an assembly cum worshipping place for a
joint village alliance, and a management of fi ce of a
market place. The establishment of the communal hall was
initia ted by Tang Fan yau, a member of the local gentry.
The building was completed in the 7th year of the Xianfeng
reign (1857) of the Qing dynasty as an assembly cum
worshipping place for the members of the Tat Tak Alliance,
as well as the management of ce of Ping Shan Market. It is
believed to be one of the meeting places at which the armed
resistant against the British takeover of the New
Territories in 1899 was organised. The Tat Tak Communal Hall
was declared a monument in December 2013. |
| As a venue for meeting, the
Tat Tak Communal Hall was built with simple but functional
design. The communal hall was originally a two hall and
three bay structure. The Hall of Lonesome Consolation was
added on the left side and the Hall of Bravery on the right
side in the 5th year of the Tongzhi reign (1866). The
building is mainly constructed of grey bricks with pitched
roofs and gr anite blocks as lower course. Modern
architectural elements in the communal hall, such as
reinforced concrete structures on top of the grey brick
walls, are believed to have been added during later
renovations carried out in the 20th century. |
| Go back to the
road and go in the opposite direction of The Tat Tak
Communal Hall. |
| Not far west of Sheung Cheung
Wai lies a shrine dedicated to To Tei Kung (the Earth God),
who is known to the villagers as She Kung (also known as Pak
Kung and Fuk Tak Kung). Altars such as this one are commonly
found in traditional Chinese villages, as Sh e Kung is
believed to be the protector of villagers. They are usually
simple brick structures on which stones are placed to
symbolise the presence of the god. Those with higher status
may have gable walls with a ¡§wok yee¡¨ (¡¨the handles of a
Chinese cooking pan¡¨) design. |
| Stones as the
god statue. |
| Sheung Cheung Wai, situated west of
Hang Tau Tsuen, was built about 200 years ago by a line of
the Tang Clan that branched out from Hang Tau Tsuen. It is
the only walled village along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail.
(Outlook of Sheung Cheung Wai) |
| Sheung Cheung Wai is a typical
local walled village. The symmetrical layout of the village
features rows of houses enclosed by a gray brick wall, with
the gatehouse and shrine lying on the central axis. The wall
of the village was once surrounded by a moat with the only
entrance situated in the middle of the southern wall.
Although the moat has been _lled in, and the gatehouse and
the shrine have been re constructed, part of the enclosing
walls and old houses inside st ill remain to provide a
general impression of the original setting, layout and
characteristics of a traditional Chinese walled village. |
| On the trail between the Yeung Hau
Temple and Sheung Cheung Wai lies an old well that,
according to the Tang villagers, was built by the residents
of Hang Tau Tsuen more than 200 years ago, before the
establishment of Sheung Cheung Wai, although the exact date
of its construction cann ot be determined. The well was once
the main source of drinking water for both villages. |
| There are also koi in the old well. |
| Located in Hang Tau Tsuen,
the Yeung Hau Temple is one of the six temples in Yuen Long
dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong. The exact date that the
temple was constructed has proved impossible to trace, but
it is believed to have a history that dates back s everal
hundred years. Inscriptions on the boards inside the temple
indicate that the building underwent major renovations in
1963 and 1991. A restoration project was also conducted in
2002. |
| The Yeung Hau Temple is a simple
structure divided into three bays housing the statues of Hau
Wong, To Tei (the Earth God) and Kam Fa (patron saint of
expectant mothers) |
| The identity of Hau Wong is the
subject of several different stories, but the villagers in
Ping Shan believe that he was the Marquis Yang Liangjie, a
Song dynasty general who gave up his life to protect the
last two Song emperors and who is thus worshipped for his
loyalty and bravery. The Hau Wong Festival is held annually
on the 16th day of the sixth lunar month. |
| Situated between Hang Tau Tsuen and
Hang Mei Tsuen, the Tang Ancestral Hall is the main
ancestral hall of the Tang Clan that has resided in the area
all these years. The ancestral hall was constructed about
700 years ago. As in the past, the ancestral hall is still
used regularly as a venue for worship, festivals an d
ceremonies, and clan meetings. The Tang Ancestral Hall was
declared a monument in December 2001. |
| Looking at this arrangement, there
should be a wedding ceremony held here today. |
| The Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall is
situated south of the Tang Ancestral Hall. It was
constructed in the early 16th century by two 11th generation
brothers of the Tang Clan: Tang Sai yin (alias Yu sing) and
Tang Sai chiu (alias Kiu lum). In addition to serving as an
ancestral hall, the building housed the Tat Tak School from
1931 to 1961. The last maj or renovation of the building
probably took place during the Guangxu reign (1875 1908) of
the Qing dynasty, as indicated by the engraved characters on
the stone tablet above the main entrance. The original
structure and features of the building, however, r emain
unaffected. Several repairs were undertaken to the Yu Kiu
Ancestral Hall and a major renovation was completed in 1995.
The Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall was declared a monument in
December 2001. |
| Comprising three halls with two
courtyards, the layout and design of the Yu Kiu Ancestral
Hall is similar to that of the Tang Ancestral Hall next
door. |
| Embroidered Silk Birthday
Hanging (Replica). It is the embroidered silk birthday
hanging dated the 11th year of Tongzhi reign of the Qing
dynasty (1872) to celebrate the 60th birthday of a lady of
the Tang clan. The painted dedicatory inscription was
prepared by Mr.Tang Yung kang, an offcial of the Hanlin Yuan
(The Royal Academy). It records the life of the lady and her
virtue. |
| Sir Henry Blake, the Govrnor of
Hong Kong, went to meet the gentry and elders at Ping Shan
in 1899. The birthday hanging was displayed on the wall of
Ancestral Hall in the photo of this occasion. The Tang clan
has generously donated the embroidered silk birthda y
hanging to the Hong Kong Museum of History. |
| Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu
Ancestral Hall are side by side. |
| The Yan Tun Kong Study Hall, also
known as Yin Yik Tong, is situated in Hang Tau Tsuen. The
exact year of its construction cannot be ascertained, but
according to the indigenous villagers it was built by the
descendants of the Tang Clan of Ping Shan. In addition to
its use as a venue for teaching, it also served as an
ancestral hall, and it still hosts clan gatherings and
festivities, such as the Spring and Autumn rites. The Yan
Tun Kong Study Hall was declare d a monument in October
2009. |
Situated in Hang Mei Tsuen,
the Kun Ting Study Hall was built in 1870 by Tang Heung
chuen of the 22nd generation of the Tang Clan in
commemoration of his father Tang Kun ting. The study hall
provided facilities for both ancestral worship and
education. When the British occupied the New Territories in
1899, the study hall was once used as the police station and
land office. Despite the abolition of imperial civil service
examinations in the early 20th c entury, the study hall
continued to provide educational facilities for the clan¡¦s
younger generations in
Hang Mei Tsuen and the
surrounding areas until the early post Second World War
period. The study hall was restored to its original
splendour in 1991 th anks to a donation from the Hong Kong
Jockey Club. |
Adjoining the Kun Ting Study
Hall and constructed shortly after its completion, Ching Shu
Hin served as a guesthouse for prominent visitors and
scholars. It originally had no particular name, with Ching
Shu Hin in fact referring to a chamber on the ground floor.
The restoration of Ching Shu Hin was completed in late 1993
thanks to a donation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.Ching
Shu Hin is a L shaped, two storey building. It is linked to
the Kun Ting Study Hall by a very sma ll overhead foot
bridge on the first floor. Apart from chambers and a lobby,
the building includes bathrooms
and kitchen. In line with its use as a guesthouse, Ching Shu
Hin was richly embellished. The whole building was decorated
with carved panels, mural s, plaster mouldings, patterned
grilles
and carved brackets to
demonstrate the grandeur and elegance expected of residences
of the local gentry. |
| Shut Hing Study Hall is inside the
residential house. |
| Outlook of the study hall |
Situated at Tong Fong Tsuen,
the Shut Hing Study Hall was built by the Tang Clan in the
13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874) of the Qing dynasty to
commemorate the 21st generation of its ancestor Tang Shut
hing (1810 1856). It was used for teaching and pr eparing
clansmen for examinations and gaining appointments to
positions in government. The
lintel of the entrance is engraved with four Chinese
characters depicting ¡§Shut Hing Study Hall¡¨. The study hall
was left in disrepair after the Second World War. Th e rear
hall was demolished in 1977 to avert a dangerous collapse,
leaving only the entrance hall. The interior has become
residential buildings. This is private property and is not
open to the public. |
| Situated in Hang Mei Tsuen, the
Hung Shing Temple is thought to have been built by the Tang
Clan in Dinghai(1767) during the Qianlong rei gn of the Qing
dynasty (1644 1911), which is the year inscribed on the
board inside the temple. The existing structure was rebuilt
in the 5th year of the Tongzhi reign (1866) of the Qing
dynasty. Substantial renovation work was carried out in
1963. Hung Sh ing is widely worshipped, particularly by
_shermen and people whose livelihoods depend largely on the
sea. The Hung Shing Festival is held annually on the 13th
day of the second lunar month. |
The itinerary of the Ping
Shan Heritage Trail can take about 2 hours if you visit in
detail. You can eat at the shopping mall near Tin Shui Wai
Station at noon. If you have time in the afternoon, you can
go to the nearby Tin Shui Wai Park, which is suitable for
parent child fun.
CCT-MAX
05/01/2021
Part of the information comes
from the Internet and Antiquities and Monuments Office. |
|
