Shau Kei Wan — Temples and Shipyard
On my way to the Museum of Coastal Defence, I passed by some heritage sites in Shau Kei Wan. Here are the gems that I found in this neighborhood.
A Brief Word on Shau Kei Wan
Even as early as the 18th century, Shau Kei Wan was known to the fishermen to be a good storm shelter. There was a large fishing population there, as well as the quarries run by the Hakka people. The population boomed and by the end of World War II, the area has become a fish trading market. As can be seen below, Shau Kei Wan’s development was shaped by the fishermen and the quarrymen that found their homes here centuries ago.
Shau Kei Wan today is a large residential area especially known for its good food. The Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Market is still operating today, where people can buy fresh sea catch from the fishermen.
The Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan
The original Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1873. It is believed that the temple was constructed due to the initiatives of a quarry owner and the fishermen of Shau Kei Wan. The quarry owner, whose quarry lied close by in A Kung Ngam, worshipped Tin Hau, the Sea Goddess. He asked for the protection of his stone transportation fleet to sail wide and far safely. For the fishermen, Tin Hau was always the deity that protected them at sea.
The original Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan was destroyed by a typhoon. Although this temple was destroyed, Shau Kei Wan as a whole suffered much less damage from this typhoon than other districts. The people wanted to thank Tin Hau for this protection, and rebuilt the temple in 1873 at the same site. Thereafter, this Tin Hau Temple underwent restoration in 1876, 1902, 1920, 1948 and 2005.
Standard architectural features are present in this Tin Hau Temple. It adopts the format of two-halls and three-bays. The resident deities at this Tin Hau Temple are Tin Hau, Lu Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals), and Kwun Yam (the Goddess of Mercy).
The Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan is a Grade 2 Historic Building.
The A Kung Ngam Shipyard of Shau Kei Wan
On the way to the Museum of Coastal Defence, I stopped by the A Kung Ngam Shipyard of Shau Kei Wan. I found the scene there to be very photogenic and took a few photographs there. Here is the story I learned about the shipyard there.
The Wong Pui Kee Ship Company (Pui Kee, Perfect Shipyard) was established by the family of the Wong’s around the 1940s or so, during the Sino-Japanese War. Its owner Mr. Wong Kwai Chuen’s father came to Hong Kong from Guangzhou.
At first, Perfect Shipyard was in the business of ship making only. In those days, Shau Kei Wan’s shelter was full of boats, like thousands of them. Those were the heyday of Mr. Wong’s business. The famous Keying II, commissioned by shipping tycoon Y.K. Pao, was made in Mr. Wong’s shipyard.
As the industry and the economy progressed, the shipyard shifted its business to offer ship repair. The rise of marine tourism in Sai Kung was one factor that kept the business booming. In fact, Mr. Wong’s shipyard is still operating today, and it had actually benefitted from the COVID pandemic as well because the ships could not be repaired in China.
The A Kung Ngam Shipyard remains ever so photogenic today, a scene of industry that once thrived in Hong Kong’s past life. May its spirit of perseverance live on, here and there.
The Tam Kung Temple of Shau Kei Wan
In this area of Shau Kei Wan, also known as A Kung Ngam, the name A Kung, meaning “maternal grandfather,” comes from Tam Kung. Tam Kung is the god of the sea as worshipped by the quarrymen of Shau Kei Wan. In his place of origin, Huizhou, he was known, at a young age, to have the powers of prophecies (especially in predicting the weather) and healing. As such he was very relevant to both the quarrymen and the fishermen of Shau Kei Wan.The people from Huizhou settled down in Shau Kei Wan and brought their belief in Tam Kung with them.
The Tam Kung Temple of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1905. It is a Grade 3 Historic Building.
The Tam Kung Temple of Shau Kei Wan is one of the few Tam Kung temples in Hong Kong. There are Tam Kung temples in Happy Valley, Tung Ping Chau and Shek Pai Wan. The Tam Kung birthday is still being celebrated now. Festivities include a parade and traditional Chinese shows on stage.
The personal histories and industries of the people of Shau Kei Wan were themselves the face of Shau Kei Wan, a community with humble roots going back to centuries of hard work and survival.
Sources
Chinese Temples Committees website, Tam Kung Temple, Shau Kei Wan.
The Wikipedia on Shau Kei Wan.
etnet.com, Shau Kei Wan’s Old Shipyard Stands Tall for 70 Years (Chin).