The Sam Tung Uk of Tsuen Wan
The Sam Tung Uk in Tsuen Wan is formerly the Hakka Wai Village (Hakka walled village) of the Chan’s. In Chinese, “tung” means the upper beams of the houses, which support the roof. Because this village had three main halls, the name Sam Tung Uk means “three beamed house.”
The Story of the Chan’s
The Chan’s of Fujian came to Hong Kong during the 18th century. They settled in Tsuen Wan, farmed for a living and thrived. The 14th generation descendant Chan Yam-shing was the head of the family. He was much looked-up to in the community as a respectable person. As his family grew, he wanted to build a village.
The site where Sam Tung Uk is was very much favored in terms of Feng-shui. It was a “Reclining Fairy” in accordance with Feng-shui reading. However, then landlord of the site refused to sell. Even when Chan Yam-shing passed away, the family was not able to acquire this land. It was not until Cham Yam-shing’s first son, Chan Kin-sheung, grew up as the head of the family did the Chan’s manage to acquire this plot with a very high price. In the 51st year of the Qianlong Reign (1786) the Chan’s moved in to this newly-constructed walled village. It is one of the oldest walled villages in Hong Kong.
The Layout of the Village and the Exhibitions
The village is walled in the shape of a rectangle. At the central axis there are three covered main halls. The first entrance is into the main hall, then secondly the Assembly Hall, and finally the Ancestral Hall.
This end gate at the Assembly Hall serves to ward off the evil forces. It protects the village from disasters. As such, the gate remains closed for usual days except for very special occasions. Above the gate is set a plaque of honor that the Qing Court gifted to Chan Kin-Sheung. It recognizes his significant contribution to charity and the community. The words mean “Greatly-Respected Patriarch.” Currently on display is a replica of the 1980s. The original was long ago beyond repairs.
Besides the three main halls and the living quarters of the four sons of Cham Yam-shing, the museum also houses a few other exhibitions. They aim to show the village lifestyle of 18th and 19th century Hong Kong. Perhaps of some significance is the acquisition of the exhibits. Apparently, even the indigenous villagers of the Chan clan had not retained any of the original tools, furniture and utensils by the time the Hong Kong Government decided to restore Sam Tung Uk in the 1980s. As such, the Museum had to source the restoration material of the structures and the exhibits from China. Museum officials found the Hakka Walled Villages of the Lai’s and the Luo’s in Longgang. The villagers still farmed with traditional tools. Therefore, the museum discussed with the village elders and acquired these items for display in this museum.
Actually of the exhibition there I found this point to be perhaps the most interesting. Clearly, by now there is probably very little chance to be able to acquire such items even from the villages of China.
There are other exhibitions on the side halls on traditional paper crafts and festivals. I found those to be mildly interesting.
How to get there:
It takes about one hour to tour the Sam Tung Uk and its exhibitions.
At the Tsuen Wan MTR Station, take Exit C, go through the mall, from that point about a five minutes walk.
Sources:
Descriptions on-site at Sam Tung Uk.