The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall (鄧松嶺祠堂) is the main 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....

 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...

 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....

. It is one of the largest ancestral halls 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...

. It is located in between Lo Wai and Tsz Tong Tsuen (祠堂村) in Lung Yeuk Tau, 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...

, North District

North District, Hong Kong

North District is the northernmost district of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the northwestern part of the New Territories. The new town of Fanling-Sheung Shui is within this district. It had a population of 298,657 in 2001. The district has the second lowest population density.It...

, 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...

 of Hong Kong.

History

The ancestral hall was built in the early 16th century in memory of the founding ancestor, Tang Chung Ling (鄧松嶺) (1303-1387), the sixth generation descendant of the 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:...

.

Description

Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall is a three-hall building with the "dong chung" placed at the central hall.

The rear hall is divided into three chambers. The central chamber houses the soul tablets of the ancestors of the clan including the soul tablets of the Song princess and her husband Wai-Kap whose posthumous title was Fu Ma (Chinese: 附馬) Tang Wai-Kap (husband of a princess). Their soul tablets were elaborately carved with dragon head, which distinguished them from the others. The chamber to the left is dedicated to the ancestors who had made significant contributions to the clan or those who achieved high ranks in the imperial court. The chamber to the right, on the other hand, is for the righteous members of the clan, one of whom is Tang Si-meng, a brave servant who saved the life of his master. In the late 16th century, he was kidnapped with his master. Claiming to be the son of his master, he volunteered to be detained by the kidnappers in exchange for the release of his master to raise ransom. After the departure of his master, he jumped into the sea and sacrificed himself. He was awarded the posthumous title of "Loyal Servant" and worshiped in this hall.

The whole building is decorated with fine wood carvings, polychrome plaster mouldings, and murals of auspicious motifs.

Conservation

The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall was declared a 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...

in November 1997. It is located along the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail.