Sheung Wo Hang Explained

T:上禾坑
Y:Seuhng wòh hāang
J:Soeng6 wo5 haang1
L:Upper Wo Hang, with Wo Hang meaning "valley of rice"

Sheung Wo Hang[1] is a Hakka village in Wo Hang, Sha Tau Kok, in the North District of Hong Kong. It is occupied by members of Hakka Li (李) Clan. Until the 18th century, the village was known as Wo Hang .

Administration

Sheung Wo Hang is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.[2] It is one of the villages represented within the Sha Tau Kok District Rural Committee. For electoral purposes, Sheung Wo Hang is part of the Sha Ta constituency, which is currently represented by Ko Wai-kei.[3] [4]

History

Before the arrival of the Lis, Wo Hang was occupied by the Hos, the Tsangs and the Tangs . Lee Tak-wah, a member of the Lis, moved to Wo Hang in 1698, shortly after the end of the Great Clearance. Kuen-lam, son of Tak-wah, built an Ancestral Hall in the village. The feng shui of the hall was considered harmful to the Hos, the Tsangs and the Tangs and they left the village.[5] Members of the Li Clan later branched out to found the two nearby villages of Ha Wo Hang ("lower Wo Hang") and Wo Hang Tai Long, in around 1730 and 1750 respectively. Wo Hang was subsequently renamed Sheung Wo Hang.[6]

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Sheung Wo Hang was 443. The number of males was 175.[7]

Since the 1950s many inhabitants of the village have moved to urban areas in Hong Kong and abroad.[1]

Built heritage

The Kang Yung Study Hall was built in the early Qing Dynasty by the Li Clan.[8] The study hall was later converted into a public school, which closed in 1986.[1] It is now a declared monument.

Other historical buildings include:

See also

Further reading

External links

22.5237°N 114.1952°W

Notes and References

  1. [Antiquities and Monuments Office]
  2. Web site: List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy . September 2009 . .
  3. Web site: Recommended District Council Constituency Areas (North District). Electoral Affairs Commission. 19 October 2021.
  4. Web site: North District Council - North DC Members. District Council. 19 October 2021.
  5. Historic Building Appraisal: Lee Sze Sai Kui, Entrance Gate, Nos. 86-88 Sheung Wo Hang
  6. Historic Building Appraisal: Wing Kat Tong, No. 18A Sheung Wo Hang
  7. Hase. Patrick . Patrick Hase. Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 36. 77. 1996. 1991-7295.
  8. Web site: Kang Yung Study Hall, Sha Tau Kok. 15 October 2013. Antiquities and Monuments Office. Government of Hong Kong.
  9. http://www.aab.gov.hk/form/AAB-SM-chi.pdf List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings in Building Assessment