Lai Chi Wo
Encyclopedia
Lai Chi Wo is a Hakka
village near Sha Tau Kok
, in the northeastern New Territories
of Hong Kong
. It is described as a "walled village" by some sources. Lai Chi Wo is located within the Plover Cove Country Park
and near Yan Chau Tong Marine Park .
Around a hundred years ago, Lai Chi Wo village was once a poor village. At that time, a feng shui
master suggested building 3 feng shui walls for the village in order to get rid of the evil spirits and keep the property safe inside the village. After the setting-up of the three walls, the village regained its prosperity as before.
In the recent years, most of the younger residents have moved out for a better living in town areas like Fanling
and Tai Po
, or emigrated to overseas, leaving the village with the older residents only. The original residents will, however, go back to the village whenever there are celebrations, like the Tai Ping Qing Zhao (the Bun Festival) once every 10 years.
Lai Chi Wo is now the 16th special region inside Hong Kong. This special region is legalised in 2004 and enacted in 2005. Moreover, it has become one of the frequent Hiking sites in Hong Kong. Local tours have developed their route to Lai Chi Wo, and the hikers will start their route from Wu Kau Tang near Tai Po or Luk Keng
near Fanling. Hikers generally take Lai Chi Wo as a mid-way station.
trees. But in the 1960s and 1970s villagers found it more profitable to plant Mandarins, which could fetch good prices towards Chinese New Year (as they are seen as auspicious), and lychee trees became scarcer.
and Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. The area is situated in the North-eastern part of New Territories
, near Sha Tau Kok
.
The Latitude of Lai Chi Wo is about 10 metres. It is around 1 hectare of special region inside the area of Lai Chi Wo.
The first one is from Wu Kau Teng, and then via Kau Tam Tso
, Miu Tin and Lai Tau Shek. Green mini-bus
route 20C connects (the special route) Tai Po Market and Wu Kau Teng.
The second one is from Luk Keng
, which green mini-bus 56K and Bus route 275R (served on holidays only) connect Luk Keng with Fanling MTR station
. Hikers can walk from Luk Keng, via Tai Wan, Kuk Po
and Fan Shui Au.
Visitors who carry the Sha Tau Kok permit can travel to Lai Chi Wo through boats. They can go to Sha Tau Kok by KMB bus route 78K or green mini-bus 55K.
village. There are a total of 211 houses inside the village, including 3 ancestral halls (the Tsang
's ancestral Hall, the Wong
's ancestral Hall and the Wong's Weixing ancestral Hall). 131 of the houses are single storied buildings. Another 76 are double-storey buildings, and the remaining four are three-storey building. The village is structured in 3 rows and 9 columns.
families. Only one family still lives there and the rest have either moved overseas or to other parts of Hong Kong. The Hakka residents originate from Kaifeng
, Henan
at around 2500 years ago. Moreover, the Wongs in Lai Chi Wo are from Fujian
, via Huizhou
to Hong Kong during early Qing dynasty.
. Hence, it is commonly called “Ultraman Fruit”. Heritiera littoralis is grand, peculiar and has a thick tree-crown. It is almost tall enough to reach the chest of people. The interlaced plank buttress serves to grasp the swampy soil in the tide zone to hold the body of the tree. And the “natural swing” around the forest of Heritiera littoralis in fact is formed by the growing White-flower Derris.
What elements should a village of good fung shui composed of? Good fung shui of the village ought to be embraced by mountains and hills at the back and on both sides. This can be served as a “green barrier” for the village. Native trees and shrubs are crucial concern for the selection of the fung shui sites, and villagers would also plant vegetations of different values to be added in the forest. Following the development of the forest, a C-shaped like forest would encompass the village, forming a typical layout of fung shui setting of the village and fung shui forest.
Functions
Fung shui forest can protect and alleviate the impact of strong breeze and sun burn. During the time of heavy rainstorm, mudflow or landslide may happen. The natural barrier can help reduce the level of destructiveness by its retention capacity to stop the water and mudflow. Also, the dense broad-leaved trees are good resisters devoted to prevent hillfire from spreading. In economical terms, villagers grow the economic crops at the edge of the forest. It includes edible stuff and vegetation for medical purpose. They can be used as fuel wood or construction materials.
Natural conservation
Fung shui woods have the ability to stabilize the slopes as well as to avoid leakage of surface nutrients and organic substances after heavy downpour. Moreover, the physical landscape and natural habitat of Hong Kong can be preserved. Indeed, they act as a breeding ground for other fauna such as birds, bats, butterflies and mammals to thrive.
The Lai Chi Wo Fung Shui Wood
The fung shui forest still exists thanks to the effort of the villagers in the past to use every means to preserve it, such as limiting the number of days for fuel wood collection and imposing penalties for the damage of trees.
The 5-7 hectare fung shui forest comprises thick trees and shrubs. Most of them are 10–20 metres tall. We can see the great bio-diversity in Lai Chi Wo fung shui forest. For instance, we can find wild animals such as the Masked Palm Civet ( Paguma larvata) and Chinese Porcupine (Hystrix brachyuran). Moreover, more than 100 plants have been recorded. Ordinary fung shui wood species like the Endospermum (Endospermum Chinese), Schima (Schima superb), Lance-leaved Sterculia (Sterculia lanceolata), Incense Tree (Ardisia quinquegona) can be seen. Other less common species like the Sampson Macaranga (Macaranga sampsonii), Lankok Fig (Ficus lankokensis) and Golden-leaved Tree (Chrysophyllum lanceolatum) have also been found. It is really of great preservation value.
.
By virtue of the fact that there was no tap-water, villagers have to fulfill their needs by getting waters from rivers and wells. However, there were not enough rivers near Lai Chi Wo, villagers started to dig wells and use underground water to meet the daily demands. But nowadays wells are abandoned.
, Sam A Village, Mui Tsz Lam (梅子林), Kop Tong (蛤塘), Siu Tan (小灘) and Ngau Chi Wu (牛池湖) which are located at the coast of Northeast New Territories and facing Kat O
. In ancient time, when the ancestors of the 7 villages first settled in this place, the mountain and land were barren and arable lands were insufficient. They opened up wastelands and built up houses spareing no effort. Gradually, the families began to enlarge and became villages until Eastern Sha Tau Kok
was developed, the 7 villages associated and made up the Hing Chung Engagement. They also opened up the Seven-Village Square. After the establishment of the engagement, the life has been smooth therefore villages all believed that it was because of the blessing of Guan Di and Guan Yin. To thank the gods and pray for good fortune, they decided to hold a A ten year session (Bun Festival).
worshiping ancestors according to their positions in the family hierarchy. The eldest is located on the highest place and the younger ones are located on the lower places. Every Tomb-sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival, or some other big festivals, villagers must worship the temple. There are two main families in Lai Chi Wo: Wong
family and Tsang
family. Therefore, there are temples of this two families in Lai Chi Wo.
. There is a history of more than two hundred years. The two structures are connected. They are categorized as Grade II historic buildings. They were jointly built by the seven villages in Sha Tau Kok
, Hing Chun Yuek for drawing good fortune and expelling the evils. The village people worship Guan Di and Guan Yin. Hip Tin Temple is for Guan Di in which there is a statue of Guan Di while Hok Shan Monastery is for Guan Yin.
22°31′37.14"N 114°15′33.21"E
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
village near Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with mainland China, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using Hanyu Pinyin, across the Sham Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen of mainland...
, in the northeastern New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is described as a "walled village" by some sources. Lai Chi Wo is located within the Plover Cove Country Park
Plover Cove Country Park
Plover Cove Country Park is a country park in Hong Kong located in the Northeastern New Territories. The original country park was established in 7 April 1978, covering 4,594 hectares of natural terrain in the administrative North District and Tai Po District...
and near Yan Chau Tong Marine Park .
History
The History of Lai Chi Wo dated back to 400 years ago. It was once the largest and most prosperous Hakka walled-village in the North-Eastern part of New Territories. There were around 1,000 residents in the most prosperous period.Around a hundred years ago, Lai Chi Wo village was once a poor village. At that time, a feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
master suggested building 3 feng shui walls for the village in order to get rid of the evil spirits and keep the property safe inside the village. After the setting-up of the three walls, the village regained its prosperity as before.
In the recent years, most of the younger residents have moved out for a better living in town areas like Fanling
Fanling
Fanling , also known as Fan Ling and Fan Leng, is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the North District...
and Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
, or emigrated to overseas, leaving the village with the older residents only. The original residents will, however, go back to the village whenever there are celebrations, like the Tai Ping Qing Zhao (the Bun Festival) once every 10 years.
Lai Chi Wo is now the 16th special region inside Hong Kong. This special region is legalised in 2004 and enacted in 2005. Moreover, it has become one of the frequent Hiking sites in Hong Kong. Local tours have developed their route to Lai Chi Wo, and the hikers will start their route from Wu Kau Tang near Tai Po or Luk Keng
Luk Keng (North District)
Luk Keng is an area in North District, Hong Kong. It contains several villages, including:*Luk Keng Chan Uk*Luk Keng Lam Uk*Luk Keng Wong Uk-Location:...
near Fanling. Hikers generally take Lai Chi Wo as a mid-way station.
Name
As the name suggests, this area was once known for its lycheeLychee
The lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world...
trees. But in the 1960s and 1970s villagers found it more profitable to plant Mandarins, which could fetch good prices towards Chinese New Year (as they are seen as auspicious), and lychee trees became scarcer.
Location
Lai Chi Wo is situated inside the Plover Cove Country ParkPlover Cove Country Park
Plover Cove Country Park is a country park in Hong Kong located in the Northeastern New Territories. The original country park was established in 7 April 1978, covering 4,594 hectares of natural terrain in the administrative North District and Tai Po District...
and Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. The area is situated in the North-eastern part of New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
, near Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with mainland China, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using Hanyu Pinyin, across the Sham Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen of mainland...
.
The Latitude of Lai Chi Wo is about 10 metres. It is around 1 hectare of special region inside the area of Lai Chi Wo.
Transportation
There is no direct route to Lai Chi Wo. People can get into the village by two hiking routes.The first one is from Wu Kau Teng, and then via Kau Tam Tso
Kau Tam Tso
Kau Tam Tso is a village in the Sha Tau Kok area in Hong Kong, China....
, Miu Tin and Lai Tau Shek. Green mini-bus
Public light bus
A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....
route 20C connects (the special route) Tai Po Market and Wu Kau Teng.
The second one is from Luk Keng
Luk Keng (North District)
Luk Keng is an area in North District, Hong Kong. It contains several villages, including:*Luk Keng Chan Uk*Luk Keng Lam Uk*Luk Keng Wong Uk-Location:...
, which green mini-bus 56K and Bus route 275R (served on holidays only) connect Luk Keng with Fanling MTR station
Fanling Station
Fanling Station is a station on Hong Kong's East Rail Line. It is next to Fanling Town Centre, and is only a short walk away from Fung Ying Seen Koon, a well-known Taoist temple. The Fanling Highway was built from 1983 to 1987 directly adjacent to the station...
. Hikers can walk from Luk Keng, via Tai Wan, Kuk Po
Kuk Po
Kuk Po is situated in the north eastern New Territories of Hong Kong, to the south of the Starling Inlet , opposite the town of Shataukok.-History:...
and Fan Shui Au.
Visitors who carry the Sha Tau Kok permit can travel to Lai Chi Wo through boats. They can go to Sha Tau Kok by KMB bus route 78K or green mini-bus 55K.
The buildings
Lai Chi Wo walled-village and the houses inside adapt the structure of typical HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
village. There are a total of 211 houses inside the village, including 3 ancestral halls (the Tsang
Zeng
Zeng is a Chinese family name. In Cantonese, it is rendered as Tsang. In Taiwan, it is rendered as Tseng or Tzeng. In Malaysia, it may be rendered as Chan. In Indonesia, it may be rendered as Tjan. In Vietnam, it may be rendered as Tăng. The surname Zeng is the 32nd most common surname in Mainland...
's ancestral Hall, the Wong
Wong (surname)
Wong is the Cantonese romanization of two common Chinese surnames; Huang and Wang .The logograph for Wong / Huang consists of the radical characters for "twenty", "fires" and "fields," all representing the colour of these images combined.As a result of late 17th to 18th century colonial...
's ancestral Hall and the Wong's Weixing ancestral Hall). 131 of the houses are single storied buildings. Another 76 are double-storey buildings, and the remaining four are three-storey building. The village is structured in 3 rows and 9 columns.
The residents
Inhabitants of this village were from the Tsang and Wong HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
families. Only one family still lives there and the rest have either moved overseas or to other parts of Hong Kong. The Hakka residents originate from Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
at around 2500 years ago. Moreover, the Wongs in Lai Chi Wo are from Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, via Huizhou
Huizhou
Huizhou , historically known as Waichow, is a city located in central Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen...
to Hong Kong during early Qing dynasty.
Conservation
- Hip Tin Temple and Hok Shan Monastery are Grade II historic buildings.
- The Lai Chi Wo Special Area was designated as a Special AreaCountry parks and conservation in Hong KongAlthough Hong Kong is regarded as one of the world's great cities, out of the total 1,092 km² of land, about three-quarters is countryside. Scenically, Hong Kong has a great deal to offer - a landscape rising from sandy beaches and rocky foreshores to heights of almost 1,000 metres, woodlands...
in 2005 and covers 1 hectare. - Lai Chi Wo Beach was designated as a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest (Hong Kong)Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a special area to protect wildlife, habitats and geographic features based on scientic interest in Hong Kong. Scientic interests are special features relating to animal life, plant life, geology and/or geography...
in 1979.
Lai Chi Wo Nature Trail
The broad way inside the Nature Trail was constructed in 2003 as a viewing platform. It is 120 metres long and introduces three main features in the eastern mudflat corner of Lai Chi Wo. The trail is 1.2 km.Heritiera littoralis and White-flower Derris
The mangrove in Lai Chi Wo consists of Heritiera Littoralis and White-flower Derris. Heritiera Littoralis is one type of mangrove whose biggest forest can only be found in Lai Chi Wo. Every April and May are their blossom seasons and fruits can be harvested from June to October. The fruit is round and green at first, and then become brown when it ripens. In the middle of the fruit, you may find a carinate tuber which makes it look like the Japanese UltramanUltraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
. Hence, it is commonly called “Ultraman Fruit”. Heritiera littoralis is grand, peculiar and has a thick tree-crown. It is almost tall enough to reach the chest of people. The interlaced plank buttress serves to grasp the swampy soil in the tide zone to hold the body of the tree. And the “natural swing” around the forest of Heritiera littoralis in fact is formed by the growing White-flower Derris.
Dwarf Eel Grass (Zostera Japonica)
There are four main kinds of seaweeds in Hong Kong. They are Halophila beccarii(貝克喜鹽草), halophila ovalis（喜鹽草），ruppia maritimia (川蔓藻) and Zostera japonica(矮大葉藻) among which Zostera japonica was first found in Lai Chi Wo in 1979. Lai Chi Wo is the only place, and also the largest bed that we can find this kind of seaweed. This seaweed bed mat the shore for more than 2 hectares on the wild open mudflat. Seaweeds are precious in Hong Kong which mainly grow along the coast of northwest and northeast of New Territories. Seaweeds have great importance of eco-system because it provides shelter, food and feeding place for animals living along the coast, besides, seaweeds can prevent soil and sand from being washed away.Buttress Roots
The structures shaped like wooden slabs are named as buttress roots. Several of them can be seen inside Lai Chi Wo Nature Trail. The taller the tree, or the poorer the growing environment, the larger and stronger these buttress trees grow.Five-finger Camphor (Cinnamomum Camphora)
The Camphor measures 25 metres tall and 3 metres in diameter. It gets its name because it had five branches like five fingers, although only four of them remain today. It was said that during Japanese Occupation, when Lai Chi Wo was occupied as a military backup base for the Japanese Army, the Japanese cut down many trees for fear that their enemies will hide near the area and make sudden attacks. When the soldiers threatened to chop this five-finger Camphor, the villagers stood up to protected the tree with their lives. Therefore only one of the "fingers" has been cut.The Hollow Tree (Autumn Maple)
The Hollow Tree is a more than one-hundred-year-old maple. It reaches a 21 metre high and 1.7 metre in diameter. It is called "hollow tree" because it has a huge hole inside the tree. The hole has openings in both upper and lower section of the tree. It is once said that there was a honeycomb and villagers tried to fire the comb but finally fired the tree altogether. However, the explanations from the description board of the tree told another cause. The parenchya cells in the centre of the trunk contracted and withered as a result of infection. Small holes began to appear inside the tree. However, the nutrients and moisture transporting cells around the exterior part of the trunk continued to grow and thicken. The trunk later get thicker, and the centre hollow expanded in tandem.Fung Shui Woodland
LayoutWhat elements should a village of good fung shui composed of? Good fung shui of the village ought to be embraced by mountains and hills at the back and on both sides. This can be served as a “green barrier” for the village. Native trees and shrubs are crucial concern for the selection of the fung shui sites, and villagers would also plant vegetations of different values to be added in the forest. Following the development of the forest, a C-shaped like forest would encompass the village, forming a typical layout of fung shui setting of the village and fung shui forest.
Functions
Fung shui forest can protect and alleviate the impact of strong breeze and sun burn. During the time of heavy rainstorm, mudflow or landslide may happen. The natural barrier can help reduce the level of destructiveness by its retention capacity to stop the water and mudflow. Also, the dense broad-leaved trees are good resisters devoted to prevent hillfire from spreading. In economical terms, villagers grow the economic crops at the edge of the forest. It includes edible stuff and vegetation for medical purpose. They can be used as fuel wood or construction materials.
Natural conservation
Fung shui woods have the ability to stabilize the slopes as well as to avoid leakage of surface nutrients and organic substances after heavy downpour. Moreover, the physical landscape and natural habitat of Hong Kong can be preserved. Indeed, they act as a breeding ground for other fauna such as birds, bats, butterflies and mammals to thrive.
The Lai Chi Wo Fung Shui Wood
The fung shui forest still exists thanks to the effort of the villagers in the past to use every means to preserve it, such as limiting the number of days for fuel wood collection and imposing penalties for the damage of trees.
The 5-7 hectare fung shui forest comprises thick trees and shrubs. Most of them are 10–20 metres tall. We can see the great bio-diversity in Lai Chi Wo fung shui forest. For instance, we can find wild animals such as the Masked Palm Civet ( Paguma larvata) and Chinese Porcupine (Hystrix brachyuran). Moreover, more than 100 plants have been recorded. Ordinary fung shui wood species like the Endospermum (Endospermum Chinese), Schima (Schima superb), Lance-leaved Sterculia (Sterculia lanceolata), Incense Tree (Ardisia quinquegona) can be seen. Other less common species like the Sampson Macaranga (Macaranga sampsonii), Lankok Fig (Ficus lankokensis) and Golden-leaved Tree (Chrysophyllum lanceolatum) have also been found. It is really of great preservation value.
Siu Ying Primary School
Siu Ying Primary School has a long history. As there was no school in the other six villages, children of those seven villages went to this school to study. It closed in 1980. Then it had been left for many years. It will be converted to tourist centre in the forthcoming years. The objective of the centre is to let people know the importance of eco-awareness and preservation of environment, species, ecology, culture, learn about the natural environment, plants and animal species of Lai Chi Wo, experience the village culture in the New TerritoriesNew Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
.
Stone mills and well
Stone mills are used to peel the crust of the wheat. Each one is made up of two big cylindrical stone structure stacked together. The surface of the rocks is very rough. After you pour the wheat into the mills, you stir the rock structure, and the wheat will be peeled off into rice that villagers can eat.By virtue of the fact that there was no tap-water, villagers have to fulfill their needs by getting waters from rivers and wells. However, there were not enough rivers near Lai Chi Wo, villagers started to dig wells and use underground water to meet the daily demands. But nowadays wells are abandoned.
Hing Chun Engagement (Seven-Village Square)
There are 7 villages involved in the Hing Chun Engagement (慶春約, Hing Chun Yeuk). They are Lai Chi Wo, So Lo PunSo Lo Pun
So Lo Pun is a village in the northeastern New Territories, Hong Kong, within the Plover Cove Country Park. It is located northwest of Lai Chi Wo and northeast of Kuk Po.The village was once the home of generations of the Wong family...
, Sam A Village, Mui Tsz Lam (梅子林), Kop Tong (蛤塘), Siu Tan (小灘) and Ngau Chi Wu (牛池湖) which are located at the coast of Northeast New Territories and facing Kat O
Kat O
Kat O or Crooked Island is an island of Hong Kong located in the north-east of the territory. Administratively, it is part of North District.-Geography:...
. In ancient time, when the ancestors of the 7 villages first settled in this place, the mountain and land were barren and arable lands were insufficient. They opened up wastelands and built up houses spareing no effort. Gradually, the families began to enlarge and became villages until Eastern Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with mainland China, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using Hanyu Pinyin, across the Sham Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen of mainland...
was developed, the 7 villages associated and made up the Hing Chung Engagement. They also opened up the Seven-Village Square. After the establishment of the engagement, the life has been smooth therefore villages all believed that it was because of the blessing of Guan Di and Guan Yin. To thank the gods and pray for good fortune, they decided to hold a A ten year session (Bun Festival).
Ancestral Hall
Ancestral Hall is the representative building of a clan with a lot of spirit tabletSpirit tablet
A spirit tablet or ancestral tablet is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. With origins in traditional Chinese culture, the spirit tablet is a common sight in many East Asian countries where any form of ancestor veneration is practiced...
worshiping ancestors according to their positions in the family hierarchy. The eldest is located on the highest place and the younger ones are located on the lower places. Every Tomb-sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival, or some other big festivals, villagers must worship the temple. There are two main families in Lai Chi Wo: Wong
Wong (surname)
Wong is the Cantonese romanization of two common Chinese surnames; Huang and Wang .The logograph for Wong / Huang consists of the radical characters for "twenty", "fires" and "fields," all representing the colour of these images combined.As a result of late 17th to 18th century colonial...
family and Tsang
Zeng
Zeng is a Chinese family name. In Cantonese, it is rendered as Tsang. In Taiwan, it is rendered as Tseng or Tzeng. In Malaysia, it may be rendered as Chan. In Indonesia, it may be rendered as Tjan. In Vietnam, it may be rendered as Tăng. The surname Zeng is the 32nd most common surname in Mainland...
family. Therefore, there are temples of this two families in Lai Chi Wo.
Hip Tin Temple & Hok Shan Monastery
There are Hip Tin Temple and Hok Shan Monastery in the Square of Lai Chi Wo Village. It was built in the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. There is a history of more than two hundred years. The two structures are connected. They are categorized as Grade II historic buildings. They were jointly built by the seven villages in Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with mainland China, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using Hanyu Pinyin, across the Sham Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen of mainland...
, Hing Chun Yuek for drawing good fortune and expelling the evils. The village people worship Guan Di and Guan Yin. Hip Tin Temple is for Guan Di in which there is a statue of Guan Di while Hok Shan Monastery is for Guan Yin.
East Gate & West Gate
The East Gate and the West Gate are the entrances of the village. The East Gate is the main entrance on which there was engraved a sentence ‘The purple cloud comes from the East.’ In Chinese, purple means good fortune. The objective of the sentence is to hope to have highly-placed or high-ranking government officials and noble lords coming into the village all the time so that it makes the village prosperous and flourishing. On the other hand, there was engraved a sentence ‘The west can receive the auspicious light of luck.’ on the West Gate. It means the village people hope to get luck and peace.External links
- Lai Chi Wo Nature Trail
- Pictures of Lai Chi Wo
- More pictures of Lai Chi Wo
- Hiking in Lai Chi Wo
- Map showing Lai Chi Wo
- The Fung Shui Story of Lai Chi Wo
- Photos of Hip Tin Temple and Hok Shan Monastery: http://www.fotop.net/alannet/LaiChiWo/DSCF4856 http://www.pbase.com/mcheng/image/15122376 http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1315308384014013113tDiAEa http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/newterritories/laichiwo.htm
- Lai Chi Wo Geoheritage Centre
22°31′37.14"N 114°15′33.21"E