Sheung Shui Wai

Entrance gate of Wai Loi Tsuen.

Sheung Shui Wai (Chinese: 上水圍), also known as Sheung Shui Heung (上水鄉) is an area in Sheung Shui, in the northern part of the New Territories of Hong Kong. Its population is around 6,000 people.[1]

Villages

The moat of Wai Loi Tsuen.

Sheung Shui Heung consists of the following villages:

History

Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall in Mun Hau Tsuen.

The area is the core of the Liu (廖) clan, of which ancestors came originally from Fujian during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). It is widely believed that the Liu clan began to settle in this part of the New Territories at the end of the 16th century.[2]

Wai Loi Tsuen is the area's original settlement,[1] with its construction completed around 1584.[3] In 1688, the size of the clan was approximately 500. As the population grew, other settlements were added: Po Sheung Tsuen, Chung Sum Tsuen and Mun Hau Tsuen were founded between 1819 and 1898. The villages are collectively named "Sheung Shui Heung".[4]

Sights

Wai Loi Tsuen

Liu Ming Tak Tong Ancestral Hall.

Wai Loi Tsuen is a walled village. It is the area's original settlement,[1] with its construction completed around 1584.[3] It is one of the very few rural settlements having retained its original moat.[2] The wall and the moat around Wai Loi Tsuen were constructed between 1646 and 1647.[4] The village contains a Tin Hau and a Hung Shing temples. Both have been renovated to modern structures.[5]

Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall

Liu Ying Lung Study Hall.

The Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall (廖萬石堂) in Mun Hau Tsuen was built in 1751. The three-hall two-courtyard building is the main ancestral hall of the Liu of the area. It is a declared monument[6] since January 18, 1985.[7]

Liu Ming Tak Tong Ancestral Hall

Liu Ming Tak Tong Ancestral Hall, located in Po Sheung Tsuen,[8] was first built in 1828.[9] The building was demolished in 1972 and reconstructed in 1973, with only a granite door frame remaining from the original hall.[10]

Liu Ying Lung Study Hall

The Liu Ying Lung Study Hall (應龍廖公家塾), located at Po Sheung Tsuen, was built in 1838. It is a traditional two-hall study hall with an open courtyard in between.[11] It is a Grade II Historic Building.[12] A restoration project was conducted ahead of the once-in-60-year dajiao festival held in 2006.[13] The project won an Honourable Mention in the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.[11][14][15]

Old Sheung Shui Police Station

The Old Sheung Shui Police Station houses a Junior Police Corps (JPC) Club House.

The Old Sheung Shui Police Station (舊上水警署), located in Po Sheung Tsuen, was built in 1902. When the new Sheung Shui Police Station opened in 1979, the old station became a police reporting centre, and later housed a Junior Police Corps (JPC) Club House.[16] It is a Grade III historic building.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Christopher DeWolf, "At the end of the line: Sheung Shui Village", CNN GO, 5 May, 2010
  2. 1 2 Planning Department: Fanling & Sheung Shui - Historical Background
  3. 1 2 Antiquities and Monuments Offices: Ha Pak Tsuen - History
  4. 1 2 Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall: The establishment of Sheung Shui Heung
  5. ↑ East Rail Extension Project: Test Pits Results and Cross-Section Drawings. Items #219, 220, 221 on map:
  6. ↑ Liu Man Chek Tong Ancestral Hall on AMO website
  7. ↑ Environment Protection Department - List of Declared Monuments as on 1 January 1999
  8. ↑ Antiquities and Monuments Offices: Liu Ming Tak Tong Ancestral Hall - General Info
  9. ↑ Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall (part 2/4)
  10. ↑ Antiquities and Monuments Offices: Liu Ming Tak Tong Ancestral Hall - History
  11. 1 2 Press release - Liu "Ying Lung Study Hall restoration project wins UNESCO Heritage Award"
  12. 1 2 List of Graded Historic Buildings in Hong Kong (as at 6 November 2009)
  13. ↑ Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items. Item #169
  14. ↑ The Standard: "UN honors Liu clan for saving hall", December 05, 2006
  15. ↑ 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award Winners
  16. ↑ Brief Information on Proposed Grade II Items. Item #424
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Coordinates: 22°30′34″N 114°07′29″E / 22.509346°N 114.124772°E / 22.509346; 114.124772

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