Wangtou Village Residential House

Wangtou Village Residential House

The Wangtou Village Residential House is situated in the old Wangtou Village, southeast of Yueng Chau Kok in Sha Tin District, New Territories, Hong Kong. The village was founded over 200 years ago during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong period by a couple surnamed Wang from Xingning, Guangdong. The current residence was constructed circa 1911 by Wang Qinghe, the 19th-generation member of the Wang clan. In 1984, the Hong Kong government acquired the Wangtou Residence and subsequently built Wangtou Garden nearby. On December 22, 1989, the Wangtou Residence was declared a declared monument of Hong Kong.

This century-old house is a two-story structure, a typical traditional Hakka residence. It follows a two-courtyard, one-atrium, three-bay layout, mainly built with granite and blue bricks. The walls are supported by wooden beams and rafters, topped with tiled, gable roofs. The wall foundations were constructed with relatively expensive granite at the time. The main entrance features finely carved granite door frames, along with a wooden “tanglung” (sliding lattice door) for security. The front courtyard is enclosed by a low granite wall.

The interior flooring is paved with diamond-patterned Guangdong clay bricks. Both inside and outside, there are exquisite murals and traditional decorations. The front wall showcases delicate plaster reliefs, murals, and skillfully carved eaves boards, while the gable walls are adorned with grass-tail plaster reliefs. 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 both the front and rear courtyards feature walls painted with auspicious-patterned murals, and the connecting beams are carved with lucky phrases such as “May you have a hundred sons and a thousand grandchildren” and “Longevity, wealth, and prosperity.”

Old House,Wong Uk Village

Must-visit reason: One of the most exquisitely built residences in Hong Kong’s New Territories