My experience in the Ping Shan Heritage Trail (Part 2)

Last time, I just introduced a heritage building in Ping Shan Trail. Now I want to introduce some buildings to all of you that I think these are worth to visit in there.

Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre






The Former Ping Shan Police Station was established to maintain public security in 1898 and located at the top of Ping Shan. It stopped operating until the Yuen Long Police Station establishment in 1965. In 2002, it was passed to Leisure and Culture Services Department redevelopment and revitalization of the ruins to a Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery as well as Heritage Trail Visitors Centre. The Centre is converted from the Old Ping Shan Police Station built in 1899 and the main building is a two-storey structure with an embracing arched verandah that comprises three galleries. Moreover, the other heritage like Tang Ancestral Hall was made by wood. In 2004, plenty of termites eroded the hall. As a result, the pillars and crossbeam were damaged. Thus, the government has renovated to avoid termites erosion. Now, it is a place to hold different exhibition which cooperated with variety of schools to show the history or culture to the visitors. The theme also will be changed by the students irregularly to exhibits various historical or cultural stories in Hong Kong for the visitors.



Yeung Hau Temple & Hung Shing Temple

These two temples have long history with Chinese tradition. The structures of buildings were designed by “Fung Shui” theory. The Chinese were very superstitious even nowadays. The guides will explain some the meaning of Fung Shui for the buildings. Now, I am going to brief about the background of these temples.







The Yeung Hau Temple is one of the six temples in Yuen Long dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong. It is a simple structure, divided into three bays housing the statues of Hau Wong, To Tei (God of the Earth) and Kam Fa (Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers) respectively. The exact date of construction of the Temple could not be traced although it is believed to have a history of several hundred years. Inscriptions on the boards inside the Temple indicate that the building underwent two major renovations in 1963, 1991 and 2002 respectively. In the past, the villagers in Ping Shan believed that Yeung Hau was Marquis Yang Liang-jie, a Song dynasty general who gave up his life to protect the last two emperors of Song dynasty. He was worshipped for his loyalty and bravery.






The Hung Shing Temple is a simple building with two halls separated by an open courtyard. It is thought to have been built by the Tang clan in 1767 during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty which is the year inscribed on the board inside the temple. The existing structure was rebuilt in the 5th year of the Tongzhi reign which is in the Qing dynasty - 1866. The substantial renovation work was carried out in 1963. The legend is about the Hung Shing was originally a governor of Kwong Lee during the Tang dynasty who was known by the name Hung Hei. After his death, the reigning emperor awarded him the posthumous title of "Kwong Lee Hung Shing Tai Wong". He is widely worshipped, particularly by fishermen and people whose livelihood depend largely on the sea.

Waterworks Heritage Trail

Hong Kong to many people, visitors and residents, means crowded streets and shops; bustling markets; busy bars and restaurants and traffic jams. Hong Kong is all of this......but more. Much more.

Just a short ride from the heart of the city lies the beautiful, scenic Tai Tam Country Park - one of the many of the territory's country parks which comprise some 43% of the total land area. This Country Park is home to one of the newest and most unusual of the city's heritage trails - the Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail.

When the British came to Hong Kong in the mid 19th century the authorities soon found that the existing water supply, consisting of wells and streams, was insufficient for the needs of the rapidly developing city. The Government then embarked upon an ambitious civil engineering programme of reservoir construction.

One of the most extraordinary construction projects undertaken by the authorities was the building of the Tai Tam reservoir complex, in what is now the country park of that name, between 1883 and 1918. In September 2009 this complex of dams, pumping houses and other buildings were designated historic monuments and the Heritage Trail was created. The trail is approximately 6 kilometres in length and winds its' way through the park.

Walking distance 6 kms
Facilities: Toilets en route

Heritage of Central district

The future meets the past in Hong Kong and nowhere can you see this more clearly than in the Central district. We see among historic buildings that are nestled amid stunning skyscrapers, where the ancient art of feng shui influences modern architecture, along streets whose very names evoke the colourful history of this amazing territory.


The heart of Hong Kong city, the Central district, has been developing since inception of British rule in 1841. Western-style buildings sprang up as the city grew prosperously and the early 20th century saw Hong Kong develop into a metropolis. Extensive reclamations extending the waterfront and development projects were carried out during different periods and although the outlook of the city is ever changing, many historical buildings and structures still survive as standing testimony to the history of the Central district.

Statue Square - over which a seated bronze statue of Queen Victoria once reigned. Within the square stands the elegant and modern HSBC – the fourth HSBC building to occupy the site over a period of 150 years. Built in the early 1980s by Lord Norman Foster, it is a fascinating example of how feng shui and modern environmental features have been merged in present-day Hong Kong.

The Legislative Council - one of Hong Kong’s last remaining colonial buildings. Built from Kowloon granite in the neoclassical style, this elegant and historic building once served as the Supreme Court and is situated on reclaimed land.

The Court of Final Appeal - a building of historic importance in Hong Kong. The present three-storey building was built in 1917 on the foundation of a previous structure and is constructed of granite and red bricks. The first Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Henry Pottinger, resided there from 1843 to 1846. The building then had several owners (including an American trading house and the Russian consulate), and was acquired by the French Mission in 1915 - a name by which it is still commonly referred today.

St John’s Anglican Cathedral - this beautiful Cathedral, built in the shape of a cross, is a survivor of the earliest buildings of the British era, built on the only freehold lease in Hong Kong, and is unchanged since it early days. It is the oldest surviving Western ecclesiastical building in Hong Kong, and the oldest Anglican church in the Far East, with construction completed in 1849. It was declared a monument in 1996.

Hong Kong Railway Museum

Hong Kong Railway Museum is an open-air railway museum opened in 1985,which located in Shung Tak Stree ,Tai Po. It is a branch museum of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department.. It is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) opened in 1910 and Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913 , was one of the stops in the New Territories. At that time, it acted as a centre of administration and trade which indirectly boosted Tai Wo Market's economy by bringing traders there. As the KCRC introduction the electric trains in 1980s ,the new Tai Po Market Railway Station opened in 1983 (to the north (Tai Wo) and south (Tai Po Market)), so the old Tai Po Market Railway Station was close in the same year of April 6.In 1984 KCRC given the old Tai Po Market Railway Station(he buildings and relevant exhibits) to government for the construction of the Museum and opened at 1985.With the long history of this station , it is vaulable for tourist to visit and know about the old Hong Kong.

Inside the museum, it includes the distinctive station building , a narrow-gauge steam locomotive was added the museum in1997, a diesel electric engine named “Sir Alexander” locomotive No. 51 which introduced in Hong Kong in 1955 and added into the museum in2004, also there are six historical coaches that the people are willing to go inside the train to sit and touch it ,so it can increase the experiential values of this station . Other than that there is a red-brick office building too .In the museum there was displaying a lot of the tools used, the train model, signal systems, picture of history and have two exhibition room that show the train tickets and train models ( not only KCR trains but also Japanese Shinkansen and Eurostar)and introduce the history and the development of the train and train station. So it have a high cultural value on it.


About the old station building ,it is architecture different from the other stations along architecture that commonly found in existing old southern Chinese temples, the ridge and gables of the building are adorned with auspicious Chinese motifs ,such as red bats ,peonies and magpies ,which are characteristic decorations on traditional Chinese residences and welcomed by the public at that time.



檢視較大的地圖

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum is located in the Kom Tong Hall. Dr Sun had not set foot at Kom Tong Hall throughout his life, but he was related to Ho Kom Tong, the original owner of the premises. They were both born in 1866 and were the graduates of the Central School, the present Queen's College, in 1886. Ho's elder brother, Sir Robert Ho Tung, even rendered support towards Dr Sun's revolutionary activities. Given the close relations between Ho's family and Dr Sun, Kom Tong Hall is the most suitable venues for the setting up of a Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum.








Kom Tong Hall was built by in 1914. At this three-storey building, the facade of the top two floors is supported by the Greek-style granite columns surrounding the curved balconies. Inside are two flights of staircases. Being a typical Edwardian classical building, Kom Tong Hall is majestic and magnificent, and is among the very few surviving structures in Hong Kong. The stained-glass windows, veranda wall tiles and staircase railings are all preserved intact.

There are now totally two permanent exhibition in the museum. They are“Dr Sun Yat-sen and Modern China”and “Hong Kong in Dr Sun Yat-sen's Time”. “Dr Sun Yat-sen and Modern China” aims at explaining how Dr Sun was transformed from an aspiring medical student into a renowned revolutionary leader. A scene setting and an array of historical photographs are provided, in order to help reconstruct the legendary life of this great Chinese statesman. Visitors will get a thorough understanding on his studies and revolutionary campaign, and understand how Dr Sun got his revolutionary ideas in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong in Dr Sun Yat-sen's Time” is themed with the inseparability between this great Chinese statesman and Hong Kong. After going through his activities in Hong Kong, visitors will be motivated to think about why and how did Hong Kong in the late 19th century nurture someone like Dr Sun Yat-sen who possessed such progressive revolutionary ideas. With the display of invaluable artifacts, this exhibition will illustrate explicitly the role of Hong Kong as a revolutionary pivot in the late Qing era.

Opening hour:

• Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Sunday and Public Holidays: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Closed at 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year's Eve
• Closed on Thursday (except Public Holidays, the anniversaries of Dr Sun's birth (12 November) and death (12 March)) and on the first two days of Lunar New Year

檢視較大的地圖

My experience in the Ping Shan Heritage Trail(Part 1)

Have you travel heritage trail before?
If no, I think Ping Shan Heritage Trail is worth to introduce to all of you!
Although I think it should have some improvements, there are combinations of heritage, culture and histiry of Tang Clan which is the one of the “Five Great Clans” in the New Territories.
First of all, I want to introduce Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda because it has a story.
It was built to avoid evil spirits from the north, prevent floods and help the Tangs win a title in the imperial examination.
However, there are 7 floors at the begining.
It is reduced to 3 floors only because of erosion.
According to Fung Shui, the Tang Clan believed that it determined which scholars were to pass examinations and receive titles in the pass.
Now I stop here and I will start my second post soon!=)

Everything happens for a reason

When talking about petroglyphs, people will asked that “Who made it?” or “How did they do?”, but I just want to know “Why did they make it”. In this post, I am going to show you the rock carving on Po Toi Island.

There had long been a local legend among the fisher folk of the existence of several rock carvings on Po Toi Island. Finally, groups of carvings were found at the southern part of Po Toi in the 1960's. They are of different motifs and separated by a rock fracture 70cm wide. One group on the left consists of lines resembling stylized animal and fish patterns, while the other on the right is composed of spirals in an inter-locking arrangement.

In fact, not only Po Toi Island but also we found it everywhere in Hong Kong, most rock carvings are situated on a headland embracing the beautiful bay. There is some evidence that early inhabitants who created these carvings depended on the sea for their livelihood. The carvings might have been intended to propitiate the power of the sea and to protect its sea-faring population. But Actually, there is no one knows the reason at all. And I think the rock carvings maybe represent some meaning in their mind.

For visitors going to Po Toi Island, you may take the privately-owned ferry in Aberdeen. The ferry service is operated only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Enquiries on ferry schedule can be acquired at 2272 2022.


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Sources:
http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/index.htm
http://www.english.cciv.cityu.edu.hk/blog/
http://www.amo.gov.hk/b5/index.php