| Shung Ching San Tsuen, Shun Tak Kui 崇正新村, 慎德居 |
| Hansen's Events 38 D, Tower 2, Sham Wan Towers 3, Ap Lei Chau Drive Ap Lei Chau Hong Kong Tel: (+852) 9552 0987 E-mail : info@hansens-hikes.com |
Shun Tak Kui was built in 1936 by four Indonesian Overseas Chinese, originally from Mei-Xiang in Guangdong province.
However, only one of them, Leung Koon-Sun, actually lived in the house for a short period. Leung Koon-Sun’s grandson, Leung
Kwong-Tak, currently lives elsewhere but visits the house from time to time.
The building served as a residence and also as a school to provide education for local village children from 1957 until 1960
when the Shung Ching San Tsuen Primary School (崇正新村小學) was established. Furthermore, the house was also used as a
venue for village meetings as well as family ceremonies and celebrations.
Shun Tak Kui is a 2-house type 2-storey rectangular residential building built with a central open courtyard and single storey
additions forming wings to the main building on each side. Stout load bearing structural walls and columns support the two
main pitched roofs of Chinese tiles on China fir rafters. The side additions have flat roofs with parapet walls formed in
traditional pattern screen block balustraded panels. The building is situated in rural surroundings with a vegetable garden on
the south side and a large paved drying or threshing area on the north side. There is latrine block in the back garden and two
wells to provide water supply. A fungshui pond used to exist in front of the house but has been filled in.
The main front entrance bay, situated in the centre of the north elevation which is the main façade, comprises a porch or
portico with two pairs of columns on either side of the doorway supporting the entablature and 4-columned balcony above at
first floor level. Fenestration, that is the arrangement of windows, to the main façade consists of eight well proportioned
windows regularly spaced on either side of the central bay showing western influence.
Western influence is also apparent in the design of the single storey wings at either end of the building which have matching
entrance porches with columns supporting bow-shaped pediments at the flat roof parapet level. The rear elevation facing
south is similar in overall appearance to the front elevation but with four additional windows instead of a central portico. In
addition to the main portico, noteworthy external architectural features are the unusually shaped gables characteristic of Hakka
village houses, curved “fish-tail” ends to the ridges of the main pitched roofs, the ornamental balustrading to the balconies
and flat roofs, column bases and capitals, shaped friezes to the porch entablatures, the moulded cornice at eaves level, and
curved label or drip mouldings for weather protection over the heads of the ground floor windows. Circular ventilator grilles in
the pattern of old Chinese coins are built into gable end walls and over doorways. Decorative panels of calligraphy and
delicately painted botanical subjects surround the entrance doors also the first floor balcony door. Photographic evidence
shows that the external walls were originally painted white, but natural weathering has exposed the grey cement walls
underneath the paint layers.
Internally, the main architectural feature is the central open courtyard overlooked by an ornate balustraded galley at first floor
level supported on columns. The building is divided into 32 rooms by internal cross walls and partitions to form living
accommodation with the kitchens confined to the two side additions or wings. Smaller courtyards are incorporated into the
layout of the side wings. Decorative wall panels or murals are delicately painted with botanical subjects such as potted plants,
tree branches, sprays of foliage, flowers and fruit, and landscape scenes. Other decorations include Chinese characters in
geometric pattern roundels set within a cartouche, and painted representations of structural roof elements on panels to
spandrel spaces.
The building is of interest for the skillful blending of local traditional and western architectural features and displays
characteristics common to both Chinese and Western classical styles/ characters of symmetry, balance, formality, functional
simplicity, and special effect.
Except for one of the side additions built in 1956, the building does not appear to have been radically altered since its
construction. Although in need of repair and redecoration, and eradication of termites in the roof timbers, Shun Tak Kui is
basically in a structurally sound physical condition and worth of preservation for the future.
However, only one of them, Leung Koon-Sun, actually lived in the house for a short period. Leung Koon-Sun’s grandson, Leung
Kwong-Tak, currently lives elsewhere but visits the house from time to time.
The building served as a residence and also as a school to provide education for local village children from 1957 until 1960
when the Shung Ching San Tsuen Primary School (崇正新村小學) was established. Furthermore, the house was also used as a
venue for village meetings as well as family ceremonies and celebrations.
Shun Tak Kui is a 2-house type 2-storey rectangular residential building built with a central open courtyard and single storey
additions forming wings to the main building on each side. Stout load bearing structural walls and columns support the two
main pitched roofs of Chinese tiles on China fir rafters. The side additions have flat roofs with parapet walls formed in
traditional pattern screen block balustraded panels. The building is situated in rural surroundings with a vegetable garden on
the south side and a large paved drying or threshing area on the north side. There is latrine block in the back garden and two
wells to provide water supply. A fungshui pond used to exist in front of the house but has been filled in.
The main front entrance bay, situated in the centre of the north elevation which is the main façade, comprises a porch or
portico with two pairs of columns on either side of the doorway supporting the entablature and 4-columned balcony above at
first floor level. Fenestration, that is the arrangement of windows, to the main façade consists of eight well proportioned
windows regularly spaced on either side of the central bay showing western influence.
Western influence is also apparent in the design of the single storey wings at either end of the building which have matching
entrance porches with columns supporting bow-shaped pediments at the flat roof parapet level. The rear elevation facing
south is similar in overall appearance to the front elevation but with four additional windows instead of a central portico. In
addition to the main portico, noteworthy external architectural features are the unusually shaped gables characteristic of Hakka
village houses, curved “fish-tail” ends to the ridges of the main pitched roofs, the ornamental balustrading to the balconies
and flat roofs, column bases and capitals, shaped friezes to the porch entablatures, the moulded cornice at eaves level, and
curved label or drip mouldings for weather protection over the heads of the ground floor windows. Circular ventilator grilles in
the pattern of old Chinese coins are built into gable end walls and over doorways. Decorative panels of calligraphy and
delicately painted botanical subjects surround the entrance doors also the first floor balcony door. Photographic evidence
shows that the external walls were originally painted white, but natural weathering has exposed the grey cement walls
underneath the paint layers.
Internally, the main architectural feature is the central open courtyard overlooked by an ornate balustraded galley at first floor
level supported on columns. The building is divided into 32 rooms by internal cross walls and partitions to form living
accommodation with the kitchens confined to the two side additions or wings. Smaller courtyards are incorporated into the
layout of the side wings. Decorative wall panels or murals are delicately painted with botanical subjects such as potted plants,
tree branches, sprays of foliage, flowers and fruit, and landscape scenes. Other decorations include Chinese characters in
geometric pattern roundels set within a cartouche, and painted representations of structural roof elements on panels to
spandrel spaces.
The building is of interest for the skillful blending of local traditional and western architectural features and displays
characteristics common to both Chinese and Western classical styles/ characters of symmetry, balance, formality, functional
simplicity, and special effect.
Except for one of the side additions built in 1956, the building does not appear to have been radically altered since its
construction. Although in need of repair and redecoration, and eradication of termites in the roof timbers, Shun Tak Kui is
basically in a structurally sound physical condition and worth of preservation for the future.
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| No. 171 Shung Ching San Tsuen, Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong |
| if you would like us to arrange an outing to Shung Ching San Tsuen and other heritage locations in the northwestern New Territories. |
