Tsang Tai Uk — Attraction in Hong Kong

A historic walled village nested in Shatin with housing estates nearby. Close walk from train station and public parking at nearby estates. A long history below:

Tsang Tai Uk (Chinese: 曾大屋 or "Big House of the Tsangs"), also known as Shan Ha Wai ("Walled Village at the Mountain's Foot"), is a Hakka walled village in Hong Kong, and one of the best preserved. The complex is located in Sha Tin close to the south of Pok Hong Estate, near Lion Rock Tunnel Road.

The construction of Shan Ha Wai was begun in 1847 by the wealthy granite merchant and stonemason Tsang Koon-Man as a stronghold for the Tsang clan, and took around 20 years to complete. The original granite, bricks and solid timber are still preserved today. The complex is rectangular and consists of three rows of houses enclosed by grey brick walls. The four corners each feature a three-story guard tower with openings in the wall through which guns could be fired back in the early days of the complex's role as a defensive fortification.[1] All the houses are interlinked by passages and small courtyards. In the innermost row of houses is an ancestral hall where meetings and ceremonies took place. There are three arched entrances in the northern wall. The main or ceremonial entrance is in the middle and leads to the ancestral hall. In front of the main building is a massive courtyard, where villagers traditionally winnowed and dried their harvest. It also contained a study hall where the Tsang children were tutored before schools existed.

Shan Ha Wai gained its current name Tsang Tai Uk from locals when it housed displaced families after the Second World War.

During the 1970s development of the Sha Tin New Town, the surrounding area was developed significantly. During the course of new town development in Hong Kong, sometimes villages were relocated. However, Tsang Tai Uk was preserved due to its historical significance.

In 1979 the village had about 700 residents, of whom about 300 belonged to the Tsang clan.[3] Prince Charles, a former archaeology and history student, visited Tsang Tai Uk on 4 March 1979 during...

The history behind the traditional Hakka fortified village and the fact that it still remains and is used by local residents to this day is impressive. However, it doesn't seem there is much interest in making the Tsang Tai Uk village tourist friendly at this point in time.

There are plenty of signs pointing you to the fortified village from the Che Kung MTR area but once you get there, you are basically on your own to explore the entrance of the fortress. There is no information posted anywhere other than a much faded old sign that is difficult to read. At the fortress entrance, which you can enter, you immediately notice that locals still live here and are going about their daily business, it is as if you are walking into their homes. There is very little to see with the exception of a small worship area in the middle which we were able to pop into for a few moments. The outside walls of the fortified village were interesting, we did enjoy walking around them a bit, this was the best part of this place.

Tsang Tai Uk is a strange place. It seems to have real potential to become an interesting tourist attraction in the Sha Tin area. However, at present, it is very underwhelming and lacks the proper management to be considered a decent tourist attraction. Because of the great number of things to do and see in Hong Kong, it is not worth spending your time here unless you are particularly interested in Hakka culture and history and are planning to visit the...

The founder of the village, Tsang Koon Man, built this walled village in 1847 with the typical village layout of his own Hakka hometown in mind. He came from Ng Wah.

Proper historic accounts tell the story of Tsang Koon Man, a mason in trade, who had a quarry in Sai Wan Ho and a masonry in Shau Kei Wan. He founded the Sam Li Masonry. He prospered greatly from his businesses. With enormous wealth, he decided to contribute to the good of his clan by constructing a village.

The construction of the walled village began in 1847 and it took some twenty years to complete. During WWII, the Tsang clan provided refuge to the people that were seeking refuge in Hong Kong from the war in the mainland. As such, people gave it the respectable name of Tsang Tai Uk, meaning the Big House of...