Ng Tung Chai
Ng Tung Chai (Chinese: 梧桐寨; lit. 'Parasol Tree Village'),[1] also known as Wong Fung Chai (黃峰寨), is a village in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po District, Hong Kong.[2] It is the departure point of a trail leading to a group of waterfalls, on the northern slope of Tai Mo Shan.[1]
Recognised status
[edit]Ng Tung Chai is a recognised village under the New Territories Small House Policy.[3]
History
[edit]Ng Tung Chai was established in 1739, or possibly earlier. It was historically a Hakka village, mainly inhabited by members of the Yau (邱), Sham (沈) and Koo (古) families.[4]
At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Ng Tung Chai was 129. The number of males was 61.[5]
Built heritage
[edit]There are three ancestral halls in Ng Tung Chai, namely the Koo Ancestral Hall (古氏家祠), the Shum Ancestral Hall (沈氏家祠) and the Yau Ancestral Hall (邱氏宗祠).[4] The Yau Ancestral Hall was built around 1800.[2] It has been listed as a Grade III historic building.[6]
There were also two study halls, the Shum Study Hall (沈氏家塾), now ruined, and the Tung Hing Tong (同慶堂). The Shum Study Hall, which has a history of about 100 years, provided night school for the children and adults of the village. It closed in 1950 due to the opening of the Lam Tsuen Public School. The Tung Hing Tong was built by the trust of the village and was rebuilt in 1983.[4]
Man Tak Yuen
[edit]Man Tak Yuen (萬德苑) is a Taoist temple located to the south of Ng Tung Chai village, along the path leading to the waterfalls.[1] Man Tak Yuen was established in the mid-1970s by Man Tak Chi Sin Seh (萬德至善社). Man Tak Chi Sin Seh had been founded in 1951 in Kowloon, worshipping Lu Tsu (呂祖). Lu Tsu Hall (呂祖殿) of Man Tak Yuen was completed in 1977. Jik Dak Pavilion (積德亭; 'Good Deeds Pavilion'), built in 1981, is intended to be used to pray for rain. Several additional halls were built during the 1990s.[7]
Waterfalls
[edit]Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls form a group of four waterfalls, located south of Ng Tung Chai Village and within Tai Mo Shan Country Park. They are, in ascending order, Bottom Fall (aka. Well Falls), Middle Fall (aka. Horse-tail Falls), Main Fall (aka. Long Fall)[1] and Scatter Fall.[8] Main Fall features a drop of 35 metres and is considered as the highest waterfall in Hong Kong.[9][10]
Flora
[edit]The Ng Tung Chai ravine on the north-west of Tai Mo Shan, covering an area of 226 hectares, is floristically one of the richest places in Hong Kong. Species found there include dysoxylum hongkongense, dendrobenthamia hongkongensis, machilus, asplenium nidus, cyathea spinulosa and paris chinensis. The area was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1979.[11][12]
Aquilaria sinensis, sometimes referred to as 'Incense Tree', can also be found in Ng Tung Chai. The tree is said to usually occur in Hong Kong in natural woodland on lower hill slopes and in fung shui woods behind villages.[13]
Access
[edit]Ng Tung Chai is served by KMB Route 64K and green minibus Route 25K. Both routes have stops at Ng Tung Chai, along Lam Kam Road.[1][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Gaskell, Viola (5 April 2018). "The Mountain in the Clouds: A Visit to Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong's Tallest Peak". Zolima City Magazine.
- ^ a b Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. Yau Ancestral Hall, Ng Tung Chai
- ^ "List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy" (PDF). Lands Department. September 2009.
- ^ a b c Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. Shum Study Hall, No. 28 Ng Tung Chai
- ^ "Census of the Colony for 1911" (PDF). Papers laid before the Legislative Council of Hongkong 1911: 34. 23 November 1911.
- ^ Antiquities Advisory Board. List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings with Assessment Results
- ^ Yau, Chi On; Ngai, Ting Ming (August 2008). "Chapter 8: Buddhist and Taoist Temples in Tai Po" (PDF). In Liu, Tik-sang; Cheung, Siu-woo; Wong, Wing Ho; Siu, Susanna Lai Kuen (eds.). Traditions and Heritage in Tai Po. Tai Po District Council. pp. 169–170. ISBN 978-988-17802-2-5. Chinese version
- ^ Owen, Bernie; Shaw, Raynor (2007). Hong Kong Landscapes: Shaping the Barren Rock. Hong Kong University Press. p. 102. ISBN 9789622098473.
- ^ "Ng Tung Chai: take refreshing waterfall hike among the foothills of Hong Kong's highest peak". Hong Kong Tourism Board.
- ^ "Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls". Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
- ^ "Register of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)". Planning Department.
- ^ "Site of Special Scientific Interest - Ng Tung Chai" (PDF). Planning Department. 30 September 1992.
- ^ Iu, Kow-choy (1983). "The Cultivation of the 'Incense Tree' (Aquilaria Sinensis)" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 23: 247–249. ISSN 1991-7295.
- ^ "Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls". Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
External links
[edit]
- Delineation of area of existing village Ng Tung Chai (Tai Po) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. Pictures of Yau Ancestral Hall, Ng Tung Chai
- Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. Pictures of Shum Study Hall, No. 28 Ng Tung Chai
- Webpage about Ng Tung Chai and Lam Tsuen
- Webpage about a potential former 'Ng Tung Chai Mine'