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Sheung Shui 上水
A leisurely exploration of ancestral halls, markets, temples and walled villages in the
northern New Territories.
Shek Wu Hui, Wai Loi Tsuen, Tai Yuen Tsuen, Hak Ka Wai, Tsung Pak Long & Ho Sheung Heung.
石湖墟, 圍內村, 大元村, 客家圍, 松柏塱 及 河上鄉
There is much more to Sheung Shui than being the last station before the China border.
Although much of Sheung Shui's rural charm has been lost due to the construction of
modern buildings, it is still more peaceful than other old villages closer to the beaten
path.
Shek Wu Hui used to be the marketplace of Sheung Shui, before the development of the
new town. Bounded by Lung Sum Avenue, San Fung Avenue and Jockey Club Road, it
has been the main market in Sheung Shui since the 1930s. Today some private
residences can be found towering over the old flats in the hui (market), but most of the
buildings you see today were erected in the 1950s.
Wai Loi Tsuen in Sheung Shui Heung was established in 1646 by the Liu clan and is one
of the very few rural settlements having retained its original moat. This walled village is
the core of the Liu (廖) clan whose ancestors originally migrated from Fujian and settled
in the plains of the Sheung Yue River during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). By the 18th
century, the Lius had become very prosperous which is well demonstrated by their main
ancestral hall, the Liu Man Shek Tong, built in 1751. This typical three-hall two-courtyard
building is richly embellished with plaster mouldings, wood carvings and murals of
auspicious motifs and pictures.
On the western side of the tracks of the old Kowloon-Canton Railway lies the villages of
Hak Ka Wai and Tsung Pak Long. The former is home to Hong Kong’s best preserved
traditional walled village. However, as the entire village is private property, we might
have to settle for merely a peek through the main gate. Tsung Pak Long next door is
more welcoming and the 5 perfectly aligned ancestral halls are quite cute.
Leaving Tsung Pak Lap we follow the dikes along the Shek Sheung and Sheung Yue
Rivers to the remote hamlet of Ho Sheung Heung. Arriving through the “back door” we
miss out on the scrap and container yards and are treated instead to infinitely more rural
vistas (though we do also get a glimpse of Shenzhen).
The main excuse for the 30-minute walk to Ho Sheung Heung, however, is that we are
able to visit the Qing dynasty Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall and Hung Shing Temple.
We finish the outing by catching the frequent minibus back to Sheung Shui.
A leisurely exploration of ancestral halls, markets, temples and walled villages in the
northern New Territories.
Shek Wu Hui, Wai Loi Tsuen, Tai Yuen Tsuen, Hak Ka Wai, Tsung Pak Long & Ho Sheung Heung.
石湖墟, 圍內村, 大元村, 客家圍, 松柏塱 及 河上鄉
There is much more to Sheung Shui than being the last station before the China border.
Although much of Sheung Shui's rural charm has been lost due to the construction of
modern buildings, it is still more peaceful than other old villages closer to the beaten
path.
Shek Wu Hui used to be the marketplace of Sheung Shui, before the development of the
new town. Bounded by Lung Sum Avenue, San Fung Avenue and Jockey Club Road, it
has been the main market in Sheung Shui since the 1930s. Today some private
residences can be found towering over the old flats in the hui (market), but most of the
buildings you see today were erected in the 1950s.
Wai Loi Tsuen in Sheung Shui Heung was established in 1646 by the Liu clan and is one
of the very few rural settlements having retained its original moat. This walled village is
the core of the Liu (廖) clan whose ancestors originally migrated from Fujian and settled
in the plains of the Sheung Yue River during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). By the 18th
century, the Lius had become very prosperous which is well demonstrated by their main
ancestral hall, the Liu Man Shek Tong, built in 1751. This typical three-hall two-courtyard
building is richly embellished with plaster mouldings, wood carvings and murals of
auspicious motifs and pictures.
On the western side of the tracks of the old Kowloon-Canton Railway lies the villages of
Hak Ka Wai and Tsung Pak Long. The former is home to Hong Kong’s best preserved
traditional walled village. However, as the entire village is private property, we might
have to settle for merely a peek through the main gate. Tsung Pak Long next door is
more welcoming and the 5 perfectly aligned ancestral halls are quite cute.
Leaving Tsung Pak Lap we follow the dikes along the Shek Sheung and Sheung Yue
Rivers to the remote hamlet of Ho Sheung Heung. Arriving through the “back door” we
miss out on the scrap and container yards and are treated instead to infinitely more rural
vistas (though we do also get a glimpse of Shenzhen).
The main excuse for the 30-minute walk to Ho Sheung Heung, however, is that we are
able to visit the Qing dynasty Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall and Hung Shing Temple.
We finish the outing by catching the frequent minibus back to Sheung Shui.
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