The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum is a small exhibition of an excavated ancient tomb dated to the Han Dynasty. It stands as testament to the presence of China’s ancient civilization in Hong Kong. Indeed, it was rather surprising for me to learn that quite a number of Han Dynasty artifacts were discovered in different locations all over Hong Kong. My previous study on pre-colonial Hong Kong was mostly concerned the Chinese settlers coming from the Song Dynasty onwards, who would eventually acquire the indigenous inhabitant status under Hong Kong law when the British took over the New Territories. This museum has shown me a chapter of Hong Kong history that I had not known.
The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
Workers of the Lei Cheng Uk Estate, which was originally a resettlement area, unearthed the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in 1955 when they were levelling the ground for the public housing estate.
The Han Tomb lies on the slope of a small hill in that area, and the original Lei Uk and Cheng Uk, which were Hakka villages, were at the foothill. It has meant to face the sea, at only about 500 metres from the former natural seashore, which has since extended far beyond due to reclamation.
The layout of the tomb suggests that it belongs to the Eastern Han period. Its domed roof and barrel vaults are typical characteristics for the tombs of this time, and also popular in Southern China.
Interesting Artifacts
The government called upon Professor F.S. Drake, head of the Chinese Department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to lead the excavation and dating of the artefacts in the tomb. The team unearthed a total of 58 pottery and bronze objects from the tomb.
Photo: (Left) A three-leg “fu” is a pottery piece serving as wine container or cooking vessel;
(Middle) A pottery model of a well; (Right) A pottery model of a granary.
I was particularly intrigued by the clay models of houses, granaries and wells. One stove model, two house models, two granary models and two well models were amongst the funerary objects at the tomb. The house models have wonderful details that show thoughtfulness and craftsmanship. I loved the figurines in the models. One is holding a child, and the other one is pounding rice.
Finally, the excavation team has found no skeletal remains inside the tomb.
A Look into the Tomb
The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb is a Grade 1 Historic Building. The tomb allows just a brief look at some of its salient features at its entrance. No one can enter the tomb.
A large canopy above covers the tomb’s whole structure, and one only sees a plastic drape in front of the tomb before entering. The museum does a good job at keeping the mystery under wraps. I marveled at the mere view of the tomb’s front chamber.
At the pulling-open of the drape, one sees a clear view of the bricks that lay out the whole structure. The domed roof is ancient and grand. The glass case protecting it does not diminish the dramatic effect. The lighting was gentle, just enough to convey a sense of antiquity. As a tomb, it was meant to be buried in darkness.
It really would take less than one minute for one to enjoy the view of the tomb. I did look out for inscriptions on the bricks. The excavation revealed more than ten kinds of patterns on these inscribed bricks, mostly of geometric patterns, or some simplified animal images.
Photo: A model of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb.
“The tomb is a cross-shaped brick structure with four chambers and one entrance passage.”
Sources
Antiquities and Monuments Office, Declared Monuments in Hong Kong – Kowloon, Lei Cheng UK Han Tomb, Sham Shui Po.
Historic descriptions on-site.
How to Get There
By MTR, get off at the Cheung Sha Wan Station Exit A3 and walk on Tonkin Street toward the Lei Cheng Uk Estate for about 6-8 minutes. The museum is next to the Han Garden on your left.
I took about 45 minutes and read through every single exhibit there plus the interactive feature. This is one of the most engaging museums I have visited in Hong Kong.
