The Liu Man Shek Tong

Liu Man Shek Tong

The Liu Man Shek Tong is located between the Muk Mun Tsuen and Chung Sum Tsuen villages in Sheung Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is the largest ancestral hall of the Liu Clan in Sheung Shui. Built in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1751), it was renovated in the 17th year of the Guangxu reign. The name “Man Shek” (Ten Thousand Stones) is said to originate from the fact that Liu Gang, the distant ancestor of the Liu Clan, and his four sons all held high official positions during the Northern Song Dynasty, each receiving an annual salary of two thousand stones, totaling ten thousand stones. In their honor, the ancestral hall was named Liu Man Shek Tong.

The Liu Man Shek Tong was designated as a declared monument of Hong Kong in 1985. Situated at the head of a dragon vein, surrounded by towering stone formations and lush bamboo, the site is believed to be a concentration point of auspicious energy, which then flows outward on both sides. The Liu Clan built two branch ancestral halls, the Hin Shing Tong and Ming Tak Tong, to the east and west respectively. The Liu Man Shek Tong is a traditional three-bay, three-courtyard, two-hall structure. The three sections—front hall, middle hall, and rear hall—are situated on platforms of varying heights, with the halls separated by two courtyards.

The first section is the “Front Hall,” built on a relatively lower platform, used for receiving guests and storing miscellaneous items. The second section is the “Middle Hall,” featuring a plaque inscribed with the words “Ze Mian Wan Shek” (Virtue Extends Across Ten Thousand Stones), serving as a venue for meetings, celebrations, and banquets. The ancestral altar is located in the “Rear Hall,” which stands on the highest platform and houses the spirit tablets of ancestors. The central seat enshrines Liu Guangjing, the Song Dynasty prime minister and grand scholar; the middle seat honors the founding ancestors of Sheung Shui Village, from Liu Zhongjie to the fourth-generation ancestors, arranged according to the traditional left (Zhaio) and right (Muk) order; and the lower seat is dedicated to the deity of the central courtyard. The two side wings are the “Pui Yin Ci” (Ancestral Hall for Meritorious Officials) and the “Pui Heung Ci” (Ancestral Hall for Contributors), enshrining the spirit tablets of ancestors who achieved scholarly honors and those who contributed to the construction of the hall.

Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall

Must-visit reason: The largest ancestral hall of the Liu Clan in Sheung Shui, Hong Kong