Ping Shan Heritage Trail
Encyclopedia
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. It passes through the villages of Hang Tau Tsuen, Hang Mei Tsuen and Sheung Cheung Wai and it includes several declared monuments
and graded buildings
.
The Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre was opened in 2007. It is housed in the Old Ping Shan Police Station.
Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (聚星樓) is Hong Kong's only ancient pagoda
.
The name in Chinese means "Pagoda of Gathering Stars". It became a declared monument
on December 2001.
The Pagoda was built by Tang Yin-tung, the seventh generation ancestor, more than 600 years ago according to the genealogy of the Tang clan of Ping Shan. Oral history indicates the pagoda was originally a seven-storey hexagonal-shaped green-brick structure, but was damaged due to strong weather. At present it is a three-storey structure and it is about thirteen metres high. On the top floor, a statue of Fui Shing (Champion Star) is worshipped.
The pagoda was built to improve fung shui of the locality so that flooding disasters were prevented to the village. It was also believed that its auspicious location, which is in alignment with Castle Peak, would ensure success for clan members in the Imperial Civil Service Examination. In fact, the Tang clan of Ping Shan has produced numerous scholars and officials.
.
It is one of the six temples in Yuen Long
dedicated to Hau Wong
. It is a Grade III historic building.
The Tang Ancestral Hall is one of the largest ancestral hall
s in the territory.
It was constructed by Tang Fung-shun, the fifth generation ancestor of Tang Clan
about 700 years ago. It is the main ancestral hall of the Tang clan of Ping Shan. It is a three-hall structure with two internal courtyards. The wooden brackets and beams of the three halls are carved with auspicious Chinese motifs. Shiwan
dragon-fish and pottery unicorns decorate the main ridges and roofs. There are ancestral tablets at the altar at the rear hall.
This ancestral hall is still used regularly for worship and celebrations of traditional festivals and ceremonies, as well as a meeting place for the Tang clan of Ping Shan.
Heritage Trails in Hong Kong
Several Heritage Trails have been designed in Hong Kong:Trails designed by the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department:* Ping Shan Heritage Trail, in Yuen Long District, opened on 12 December 1993...
located in the 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:...
area of Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District , is one of the districts of Hong Kong located in the northwest of the New Territories. It had a population of 449,070 in 2001. The district has the youngest population of Hong Kong and the lowest income in the New Territories.-Geography:...
, in 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...
. The trail was inaugurated on 12 December 1993 and was the first of its kind in Hong Kong. It passes through the villages of Hang Tau Tsuen, Hang Mei Tsuen and Sheung Cheung Wai and it includes several declared monuments
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...
and graded buildings
Heritage conservation in Hong Kong
This article details the history and status of Heritage conservation in Hong Kong, as well as the role of various stakeholders.An indication of the size of the built heritage in Hong Kong is given by a territory-wide survey conducted by the Antiquities and Monuments Office between 1996 and 2000,...
.
The Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre was opened in 2007. It is housed in the Old Ping Shan Police Station.
Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
.
The name in Chinese means "Pagoda of Gathering Stars". It became 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...
on December 2001.
The Pagoda was built by Tang Yin-tung, the seventh generation ancestor, more than 600 years ago according to the genealogy of the Tang clan of Ping Shan. Oral history indicates the pagoda was originally a seven-storey hexagonal-shaped green-brick structure, but was damaged due to strong weather. At present it is a three-storey structure and it is about thirteen metres high. On the top floor, a statue of Fui Shing (Champion Star) is worshipped.
The pagoda was built to improve fung shui of the locality so that flooding disasters were prevented to the village. It was also believed that its auspicious location, which is in alignment with Castle Peak, would ensure success for clan members in the Imperial Civil Service Examination. In fact, the Tang clan of Ping Shan has produced numerous scholars and officials.
Sheung Cheung Wai
Sheung Cheung Wai (上璋圍) is a walled villageWalled villages of Hong Kong
Once common throughout China, walled villages can still be found in southern China and Hong Kong. Most of the walled villages in Hong Kong are located in the New Territories...
.
Yeung Hau Temple
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...
dedicated to Hau Wong
Hau Wong
Hau Wong or Hou Wang is a title that can be translated as "Prince Marquis" or "Holy Marquis". It is not any one person's name. Hau Wong refers usually to Yeung Leung-jit , a loyal and courageous general...
. It is a Grade III historic building.
Old well
Tang Ancestral Hall
Ancestral hall
An ancestral hall or lineage temple is a site of ancestor worship in Chinese culture. Ancestral halls are closely linked to Confucian culture and the emphasis that it places on filial piety....
s in the territory.
It was constructed by Tang Fung-shun, the fifth generation ancestor of 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...
about 700 years ago. It is the main ancestral hall of the Tang clan of Ping Shan. It is a three-hall structure with two internal courtyards. The wooden brackets and beams of the three halls are carved with auspicious Chinese motifs. Shiwan
Shiwan
Shiwan is a town located in the southwest of the city of Foshan, with a land area of 38,0000m2 and a population of 42,700. Shiwan has a long history of ceramic sculpture, with many vivid works by generations of craftsmen. Its 5000-year-long ceramic making history has accumulated the rich and...
dragon-fish and pottery unicorns decorate the main ridges and roofs. There are ancestral tablets at the altar at the rear hall.
This ancestral hall is still used regularly for worship and celebrations of traditional festivals and ceremonies, as well as a meeting place for the Tang clan of Ping Shan.