Law Uk Folk Museum

Law Uk Folk Museum

The Law Uk Folk Museum is located in Chai Wan, Hong Kong. Built during the Qing Dynasty, it is an ancient village house with a history of over 200 years. It is one of the five branch museums of the Hong Kong Museum of History and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. On November 10, 1989, Law Uk was declared a declared monument of Hong Kong. The Law Uk Folk Museum officially opened on January 19, 1990. The interior displays furniture, farming tools, daily necessities, and other exhibits to recreate the appearance of the traditional village house.

Law Uk is a medium-sized, commonly seen Hakka ancestral hall house, covering an area of about 120 square meters. It has a width of three bays, a tiled roof, and a simple flat ridge on the roof. This is a typical example of a traditional Chinese "three-bay, two-hall" residential structure. The central main hall is a single room that serves as the core of the house, where the ancestral altar is placed. Together with the side rooms (ear rooms) built on both sides, it forms the layout of a "three-bay passage" with left-right symmetry and a clear central axis. The rooms function as workspaces and bedrooms, while the ear rooms are used for storage and as sleeping quarters for children. To prevent burglary, the house has few windows. Between the main hall and the front gate is a light well used for lighting and ventilation. On either side of the light well are covered "corridors" used as kitchens and storage rooms.

The main gate is the only entrance and exit of the house. It features a recessed entrance door with a door frame made of granite. Behind the wooden panel door is a vertical wooden lattice for added security, and there is an overhanging roof to shield against wind and rain. Outside the house is an open space used for drying grain, hanging clothes, and hosting guests, known as the "drying shed" or "threshing floor."

Law Uk Folk Museum

Must-visit reason: The only remaining ancient village house in the Chai Wan area of Hong Kong