Walled villages of Hong Kong - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Once common throughout China, walled village

Walled village

A walled village is a type of large traditional multi-family communal living structure found in China, that is designed to be easily defensible. It is completely surrounded by thick defensive walls, protecting the residents from the attack of wild animals and enemies. Usually, people living in the...

s can still be found in southern China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

and 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...

. Most of the walled villages in Hong Kong are located in the 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...

. In Punti Cantonese, Wai (圍, Walled) and Tsuen (村, Village) were once synonym

Synonym

Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...

s, hence most place names which include the word 'wai', were at some point in time a walled village.

History

During the Ming

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

and Qing

Qing 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....

Dynasties, the shore of Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

suffered from pirates. The area of Hong Kong was particular vulnerable to pirates' attacks. Winding shores, hilly lands and islands and far from administrative centres made Hong Kong an excellent hideout for pirates. Villages, both Punti

Punti

The Punti, a rough transliteration of the Cantonese term for "original locality," refers to the Cantonese-speaking populations of Guangdong province in southern China...

and Hakka

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....

, built walls against pirates. Some villages even protected themselves by cannon guns.

Kat Hing Wai

Kat Hing Wai (吉慶圍) is a famous Punti

Punti

The Punti, a rough transliteration of the Cantonese term for "original locality," refers to the Cantonese-speaking populations of Guangdong province in southern China...

walled village in Yuen Long District

Yuen Long

Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...

of Hong Kong. It often mistakenly believed to be Hakka

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....

, whose people have similar traditions. However the Punti people were from Southern China and the first to settle in Hong Kong. Kat Hing Wai's residents speak Cantonese, rather than Hakka. Popularly known as Kam Tin
Kam Tin
Kam Tin , or Kam Tin Heung , is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It is north of Tai Mo Shan and east of Yuen Long. It was formerly known as Sham Tin...

, from the name of the area, it is home to about 400 descendants of the Tang Clan

Tang Clan

The Tang Clan is one of the Great Five Clans of Hong Kong. The others are Man , Hau , Pang and Liu . The Tangs originated from Jishui of Jiangxi province and are considered to be native Hong Kong people, as they were the first immigrants to settle in what is now Hong Kong from what is now...

, who built the village back in the 17th century.

Kat Hing Wai is a rectangular (100 m x 90 m) walled village. As a family stronghold, Kat Hing Wai has served the Tangs well through the centuries, protecting the residents against bandits, rival clan

Clan

A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...

s, and wild tigers. In the Qing Dynasty

Qing 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....

, a five-metre high blue brick wall and four cannon towers were added to defend against bandits. Today, the village is still completely surrounded by 18-inch-thick walls, outside which are the remains of a moat. However, most houses within the walls have been rebuilt in recent years. There is only one narrow entrance, with a pair of iron gates.

Tsang Tai Uk

Tsang Tai Uk (曾大屋), also known as Shan Ha Wai, is another well-known Hakka walled village in Hong Kong, and one of the best preserved. It is located close to the south of the Pok Hong Estate, not far from the Lion Rock Tunnel

Lion Rock Tunnel

The Lion Rock Tunnel, being the first tunnel in Hong Kong, is a twin-bored toll tunnel, connecting Sha Tin in the New Territories and New Kowloon near Kowloon Tong. It has two lanes in each direction, with toll booths located at the Sha Tin end. It is a vital component of Route 1.The Lion Rock...

Road.
Built in the 1840s, it was constructed in 1848 as a stronghold for the Tsang Clan. It is a preserved Hakka fortified village in Sha Tin

Sha Tin

Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...

. It is said to have taken 20 years to build the village. The village is built with granite, grey bricks and solid timber.

Sheung Shui Wai

Sheung Shui Wai (上水圍), also known as Sheung Shui Heung (上水鄉), is one of the very few rural settlements having retained its original moat which was built in 1646. Characterized by its magnificent moat and landscape setting, the walled village is the core of the Liu clan, of which ancestors came originally 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...

during the Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...

(1271–1368). The village is located in Sheung Shui

Sheung Shui

Sheung Shui is an area in New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast.-History:...

Fanling Wai

Fanling Wai (粉嶺圍) is a walled village in 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...

built by the Pang

Peng (surname)

Peng is a common Chinese family name, ranking 35th most common in 2006. Alternate Romanizations include Pang , Phang and Bành ....

(彭) Clan

Chinese clan

A Chinese clan is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home.-Description:...

. It is recognisable with the distinctive pond and layout including features such as cannons and watchtowers. All these elements were crafted to form an integral part of the village setting. Fanling Wai is the centre of the Pang Clan who arrived in Hong Kong late in the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen

Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen (衙前圍村) is a walled village in Wong Tai Sin

Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong

Wong Tai Sin is an area in Wong Tai Sin District, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area was named after the Wong Tai Sin Temple.Wong Tai Sin is surrounded by northeast Tsz Wan Shan, east Diamond Hill, south San Po Kong, south west Tung Tau and west Wang Tai Hom...

, New Kowloon

New Kowloon

New Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...

. It is the only walled village left in the urban built-up areas of Hong Kong. On 18 July 2007, the government announced its plans to redevelop Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen.

List of walled villages

A village name ending in "Wai" usually indicates a walled village, but in some cases the walls have been partly or totally demolished. Remaining fully or partially walled villages in Hong Kong include:

North District

Fanling Wai
Fanling Wai
Fanling Wai is a village in Fanling, North District, Hong Kong, built by the Pang Clan. It is composed of a walled village and its extensions: Pak Wai , Ching Wai or Chung Wai - the walled village, and Nam Wai .-History:Fanling Wai is the centre of the Pang Clan who arrived in Hong Kong late in...

(see above)
Muk Wu Wai (木湖圍), in Ta Kwu Ling
Ta Kwu Ling
Ta Kwu Ling is an area in the North District, New Territories, Hong Kong, located northeast of Sheung Shui, close to the border with mainland China....
Ping Kong (丙崗)
Sheung Shui Wai
Sheung Shui Wai
Sheung Shui Wai , also known as Sheung Shui Heung is an area in Sheung Shui, in the northern part of the New Territories of Hong Kong...

(see above)
Hakka Wai (客家圍), in Tsung Pak Long Tsuen (松柏塱村), Sheung Shui
Sheung Shui
Sheung Shui is an area in New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast.-History:...
The "Five Wais" of Lung Yeuk Tau
Lung Yeuk Tau
Lung Yeuk Tau , commonly known as Lung Ku Tau and also called Lung Ling is an area located northeast of Luen Wo Hui in Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong....

:
- Lo Wai (老圍)
- Ma Wat Wai (麻笏圍)
- Wing Ning Wai (永寧圍)
- Tung Kok Wai (東閣圍, also known as Ling Kok Wai)
- San Wai (新圍, also called Kun Lung Wai 覲龍圍)

Sha Tin District

Tsang Tai Uk
Tsang Tai Uk
Tsang Tai Uk , also known as Shan Ha Wai , is a Hakka walled village in Hong Kong, and one of the best preserved...

(see also above)
Chik Chuen Wai
Tai Wai
Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin New Town and the Lion Rock. It is the largest part of the Sha Tin District....

(積存圍), commonly known as "Tai Wai" (大圍), and located in Tai Wai
Tai Wai
Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin New Town and the Lion Rock. It is the largest part of the Sha Tin District....
Tin Sam Wai (田心圍), in Tai Wai

Tai Po District

Chung Sum Wai (中心圍), Tai Hang
Tai Hang (Tai Po)
Tai Hang is an area in Tai Po, Hong Kong.The area counts several villages, including two walled villages: Chung Sum Wai and Fui Sha Wai ....
Pan Chung (泮涌), 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...
Fui Sha Wai (灰沙圍), Tai Hang
Tai Hang (Tai Po)
Tai Hang is an area in Tai Po, Hong Kong.The area counts several villages, including two walled villages: Chung Sum Wai and Fui Sha Wai ....

Tsuen Wan District

Sam Tung Uk (三棟屋), a former Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR...

, which has been converted into the Sam Tung Uk Museum
Sam Tung Uk Museum
The Sam Tung Uk Museum is a museum restored from Sam Tung Uk , a Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.-History:...

, and is now a declared monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...

.

Tuen Mun District

Nai Wai (泥圍) (屯門), in Lam Tei
Lam Tei
Lam Tei is an area in the Tuen Mun District, New Territories, Hong Kong. The region lies at the north end of Tuen Mun city. It is highly rural, with Miu Fat Monastery being a landmark of the region. The Sherwood and Botania Villa are two residential estate in Lam Tei.-Transportation:Lam Tei is...
Sun Fung Wai (順風圍), in Lam Tei
Tsing Chuen Wai
Tsing Chuen Wai
Tsing Chuen Wai is a walled village located in the Lam Tei area, in the northern part of Tuen Mun District, in Hong Kong.-History:Tsing Chuen Wai, formerly known as Mak Yuen Wai , was established by the To Clan about 300 years ago...

(青磚圍), or Mak Yuen Wai (麥園圍), in Lam Tei

Yuen Long District

The "Three Wais" of Ping Shan
Ping Shan
Ping Shan is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located west of Yuen Long Town and Shui Pin Wai, and south of Tin Shui Wai. Administratively, it is part of Yuen Long District.-Geography:...

:
- Sheung Cheung Wai (上璋圍), part of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail
  Ping Shan Heritage Trail
  Ping Shan Heritage Trail is a heritage trail located in the Ping Shan area of Yuen Long District, in Hong Kong. The trail was inaugurated on 12 December 1993 and was the first of its kind in Hong Kong...
- Kiu Tau Wai (橋頭圍)
- Fui Sha Wai (灰沙圍)
Shan Ha Tsuen (山下村), in Ping Shan
In Ha Tsuen
Ha Tsuen
Ha Tsuen , or Ha Tsuen Heung is an area at the west of Yuen Long Town in Hong Kong. Administratively, it belongs to Yuen Long District.-History:...

area:
- Sha Kong Wai (沙江圍)
- Sik Kong Wai (錫降圍)
- Shek Po Wai (石步圍), in Shek Po Tsuen (石步村)
In Kam Tin
Kam Tin
Kam Tin , or Kam Tin Heung , is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It is north of Tai Mo Shan and east of Yuen Long. It was formerly known as Sham Tin...

area:
- Kat Hing Wai
  Kat Hing Wai
  Kat Hing Wai is a famous Punti walled village in Yuen Long District of Hong Kong. It often mistakenly believed to be Hakka, whose people have similar traditions. However the Punti people were from Southern China and the first to settle in Hong Kong. Kat Hing Wai's residents speak the Cantonese...
  
  (see above)
- Tai Hong Wai (泰康圍)
- Kam Hing Wai (錦慶圍)
- Wing Lung Wai
  Wing Lung Wai
  Wing Lung Wai is a walled village located in the Kam Tin area of Yuen Long District, in Hong Kong. Three other walled villages, Kat Hing Wai, Tai Hong Wai , and Kam Hing Wai are located nearby and were built around the same time.-History:The village was founded was founded by Tang Siu-kui and...
  
  (永隆圍)
In Shap Pat Heung
Shap Pat Heung
Shap Pat Heung is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Located south of Yuen Long and northwest of Tai Tong, the area occupied the plain north of hills of Tai Lam. Cantonese name Shap Pat Heung means eighteen villages at its beginning. It is later expanded to thirty villages...

:
- Ma Tin Tsuen (馬田村)
- Pak Sha Tsuen (白沙村)
In Yuen Long Kau Hui
Yuen Long Kau Hui
Yuen Long Kau Hui is an area in Yuen Long, Yuen Long District, in the western New Territories of Hong Kong.-Geography:Yuen Long Kau Hui is located in the north-east of the present Yuen Long Town. It is sited south of a small hill and directly north of Yuen Long MTR Station. It comprises several...

area: (the area is part of Shap Pat Heung)
- Nam Pin Wai (南邊圍)
- Sai Pin Wai (西邊圍)
- Tai Wai Tsuen (大圍村)
- Ying Lung Wai (英龍圍)
In Pat Heung
Pat Heung
Pat Heung is an area in the middle of New Territories, Hong Kong. Located at the east of Kam Tin and north of Shek Kong, it is the exit to Sheung Shui and Fanling...

area:
- Wang Toi Shan Wing Ning Lei (橫台山永寧里)

External links

The Transformation of the Spatial Structure and its Ritual Axis in Hong Kong's Walled Villages

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.