Sha Tin Wong Uk Tsuen Village House

Sha Tin Wong Uk Tsuen Village House

The Wong Uk Tsuen Village House is located in the old Wong Uk Village, southeast of Yuen Chau Kok in Sha Tin District, New Territories, Hong Kong. The Wong Uk Village was established over 200 years ago during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty by a couple surnamed Wang from Xingning, Guangdong. The existing village house was built around 1911 by Wang Ching-wo, the 19th-generation descendant of the Wang family. The Hong Kong government took over the Wong Uk Village House in 1984, built Wong Uk Garden nearby, and designated the Wong Uk Village House as a declared monument of Hong Kong on December 22, 1989.

History

In the 19th century, due to its geographical location, Yuen Chau Kok served as a transportation hub for travelers and goods between Guangdong and Kowloon. Wong Uk Village gradually became a bustling trade post frequented by merchants, and the Wang family even operated an “Yi Lee Inn” next to their residence.

However, the good times did not last. In the early 20th century, after the completion of land-based transport links connecting the New Territories and Kowloon, the importance of Yuen Chau Kok declined and the area began to wane. Land reclamation projects in Yuen Chau Kok and along the coastline commenced in the 1970s to develop the Sha Tin New Town. The rapid filling-in of Sha Tin Hoi transformed the island-like appearance of Yuen Chau Kok into part of the Shing Mun River bank. During this period, the government progressively acquired farmlands and fish ponds in Yuen Chau Kok and Sha Tin Wai, and many historic buildings in the area were abandoned or demolished amid urbanization. Today, only this remaining village house stands as the sole relic of Yuen Chau Kok’s history. It was once sold to outsiders for residential and factory use but now serves as the only surviving imprint of Yuen Chau Kok’s past.

Structure

This century-old house is a two-storey structure, a typical traditional Hakka residence. It follows a two-courtyard, one-atrium, three-bay layout, mainly constructed with granite and blue bricks. The walls are supported by wooden beams and rafters, topped with clay tiles forming a gable roof. The house’s wall base is built with relatively expensive granite of the time, and the main entrance features finely carved granite door frames along with a wooden “tang lung” (barred sliding door). The front courtyard is enclosed by a low granite wall. The interior flooring is paved with diamond-patterned Guangdong clay bricks, and both inside and outside are adorned with exquisite murals and traditional decorations. The front wall features delicate stucco mouldings, murals, and exquisitely carved eaves boards, while the gable walls are decorated with grass-tail stucco motifs. Passing through the front entrance hall leads to the atrium, with the bathroom on the right and the kitchen on the left, which includes a brick chimney connected to a stove. The side rooms of the two courtyards serve as bedrooms, built with wooden structures. The central rooms of the front and rear courtyards are painted with murals featuring auspicious patterns, and the purlins are carved with auspicious phrases such as “May you have numerous descendants and boundless wealth” and “Longevity and prosperity.”

Transportation Guide

Location: Yuen Chau Kok, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong

How to get there: Take Bus 182; KMB Routes 284, 299, 49X, 74A, 81C; NWFB Light Bus Routes 65A, 67A, 67K, 803, 804