Vignettes of the World
My friend and I went to Kaiping because she saw an ad on the MTR in Hong Kong promoting the Chikan Ancient Town. As such, it was with a whole lot of anticipation that I arrived at Chikan from Majianglong Village. And, to say the …
I had to hurry through the Majianglong Village because time with the hired car was up soon. Even a quick walk through the village brought forth quite a different experience from the previous two sites that I visited, the Zili Village and Liyuan Garden. Majianglong …
At first glance of the introduction of Kaiping, I was actually least interested in Liyuan. Somehow when the Diaolou’s are placed in a rich man’s manicured garden they seemed to lose authenticity to me. As it turned out, the Liyuan Diaolou’s were very engaging as historic structures. There were many buildings to visit there, plus a large garden to tour. I stopped by Yupei Villa in the garden and it was so cute that I did not want to leave.
The owner of Liyuan was Xie Weili, who had spent significant time living in the United States. The name of the property came from the last character of its owner’s name, Li. Construction for the property began in 1926 and it took ten years to finish all the structures. As will be discussed below, the buildings in Liyuan also came in the style of the Chinese eclectic. Some of them are properly Diaolou’s, serving both residential and defensive purposes.
On the way to the Villa Zone, there is a section that displays miniature Diaolou’s of different locations in Kaiping. It is called Miniature Diaolou Scenic Area. You can take a look at some of the Diaolou’s that are of interest to you in this trip or the next. They are very realistic and I actually enjoyed this touristy display (miniature displays are considered tourist attractions in Southern China).
The general areas of tour interest in the Liyuan Garden are the Villa Zone, with clusters of structures with especially beautiful interiors. It is worth going in for a look. Then there is the gardens featuring beautiful buildings and structures, such as pavilions, bridges, manicured gardens, granite gateway, open air corridor and a very special Vine Pavilion.
The name of Panli Lou came from joining Xie Weili’s name with his father’s name, Xie Shengpan. It was built in 1926. The walls and the windows show western features, while the roof was built of traditional Chinese glazed green tiles.
All of the residential diaolou’s in the Liyuan Garden feature roman columns. Some of these columns support verandas. In Panli Lou, the roman columns feature prominently at the main entrance on the ground floor and in the central part of the verandas on the second and third floors.
Panli Lou is open for visit and I highly recommend a quick look into the beautiful interior, featuring elegant staircases and function rooms such as the kitchen. The tiled floor shows incredibly colorful patterns typical of that era.
The Panwen Lou was built in 1926 and served as the residence for Xie Weili’s older brother Xie Weiwen and his wife. With 3 stories, Panwen Lou has a similar appearance as the Panli Lou.
Letian Lou is the “security center” of the Xie’s villas. Built in 1911 with the intention to provide a guarding post to the Xie property, Letian Lou is five story high with gunholes throughout. All of its windows and doors were built with iron. Furthermore, its walls are 30-inch thick.
A shorter building named Jiong Villa served as the residence for Xie Weili’s fifth uncle. The building was built in 1932 and also features the Chinese eclectic architecture style. Matching roman columns stand on the sides of the doorways of the arched balcony above and the main gate below. The lime sculpture on the top plaque in the middle of the structure is a classic rendition of Diaolou art.
Built in the typical style of a bridge pavilion, Wanxiang Pavilion stands elegantly over the Kuahong Bridge. Its name meaning “the nightly fragrance,” the Wanxiang Pavilion features glazed roof tiles, gravel stone walls, geometric designs and come in two stories high.
The Yupei Villa is a tower type watchtower villa. As Xie Weili named this building with his own childhood nickname, it is a tower of love as the memorial built for Xie Weili’s second wife, Tan Yuying. Tan Yuying was a very talented woman that died giving birth the year after she was married to Xie Weili. The tower is four story high and open for visits. Its location being in the garden, it impresses visitors with a kind of atmosphere that is calm, artsy and pleasing. Italian décor lines the exterior of this tower.
Finally, before entering into the proper boundary of Liyuan Garden, you will see a row of interconnected commoners’ residence called Yunmei. This group of houses is representative of the traditional homes in the Kaiping area. Built in 1928, the five houses in this row are identical and interconnected via a corridor on the second floor. This expresses the father’s fair treatment for all his sons, and the wish that they take brotherhood to heart.
Dusk shall befall in about two hour’s time. I had to hurry to the final sightseeing of the day at Majianglong Village, before finally checking in to the hotel at Chikan Ancient Town.
Descriptions on site at Liyuan Garden.
For a very long time, the Lin Heung Tea House of Sheung Wan was known for being a prime touristy restaurant that the Hong Kong locals do not go. Often touted as the “most traditional dim sum in Hong Kong,” the restaurant served its dim …
The free public tour at the Hong Kong Observatory is rumored to be very difficult for anyone to secure a spot. I was fortunate that I succeeded in signing up in my first attempt. On a rainy afternoon I headed to the Observatory with much …
I took interest in the Tsiu Keng village area in Sheung Shui because there is a palm woods there that is very photogenic. Upon some research I learned that there are a few interesting things to do and see there. Let me take you on a tour of Tsiu Keng.
Tsiu Keng is located in the Lam Tsuen Country Park area, off of Fan Kam Road between Sheung Shui and Pat Heung. Serious hikers of Hong Kong will know Tsiu Keng to be the exit point for a hike at Kai Kung Leng. To get there, take Bus 77K either from Sheung Shui or Kam Tin and get off at the Tsiu Keng stop.
Tsiu Keng, meaning “Banana Lane,” consists of the three hamlets of Lo Wai, Pang Uk and San Wai. It is believed that the oldest hamlet, Lo Wai, was established in the early years of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty. The residents are of Pang ancestry, one of the five major clans of indigenous inhabitants in the New Territories. Other minor surname groups in the village are the Fans, Lees and Loks. Pang Uk and San Wai were developed later, during the early 20th century.
For those that enjoy an easy-going, rustic dining experience, InnoLife is a perfect choice. Located very close to the entrance of Tsiu Keng, InnoLife practices the principle of “from farm to table.” The restaurant’s menu features veggie dishes that are cooked with ingredients homegrown in its farm.
You will come into a well-designed dining space that fuses nature with a light human handprint. Large glass panels allow ample natural daylight in the dining space. The ambience is agrarian but also cosy, and a few friendly, sweet four-legged friends will wag their tails and greet you. Feel free to bring your own beloved pet as well.
For this afternoon, I ordered a simple dried mandarin peel with ginger tea. The ginger was grown organically in InnoLife’s farm. It was fully infused in the water and the wholesome spiciness of ginger stayed on my palate for a long time after, though mediated by the balanced flavor and fragrance of dried mandarin peel. I really enjoyed this tea.
The menu offers a wide variety of fusion dishes, and I will be sure to come back and try their food. Seating is available both indoor and outdoor, but if you go on the weekends, please be sure to book a table. You would also book a spot in its car park as well. Do not park randomly in the village. There is a carpark designated for restaurant guests.
Tsiu Keng certainly has an environ to boast. From InnoLife, walk along Tsiu Keng Road to its very end, toward the village. Then enter the village, pass the public toilet, and you will soon see two big patches of palm woods, which for sure is very special in terms of being Hong Kong’s natural habitat. One of the patches is fenced, but the other is open for touring and photography.
There are, however, village homes in this area and please be sure not to cause disturbance to the residents.
The Lung Tam Kwun Yam Temple is perhaps about a further 20 minute walk from the palm woods. The easiest direction is to point your Google Map to Lung Tam Kun Yam Temple (next to MX Racing Club). The way further on from the palm woods is consisted of paved, crisscrossing paths amidst the fields of Tsiu Keng. It is best to use Google for direction.
Besides the palm woods, I also find the fields of Tsiu Keng to be incredibly pleasant. There were a whole lot of crops there awaiting harvest. On this part of the walk, I came across the sighting of a very clear stream and it feels cooler despite the scorching sun.
The Long Tam Kwun Yam Temple is a private temple. It is open to visitors, and it is also well-maintained. The temple ground has ample space for its fengshui settings. There are a number of features there that exhibit a thoughtful approach to the temple’s environ, such as a manicured lotus pond and ping an faucets for hand washing.
In the temple are hung the ancient drum and bell, which are typical features in Hong Kong temples. The bell indicates the year 1844 (24th year of the Daoguang reign) as the date of its making. Kwun Yam and Kṣitigarbha are worshipped here.
Lung Tam, meaning “dragon pool,” may have referred to the natural pond that used to lie in front of the temple, where the lotus pond now stands. The Lung Tam Kwun Yam Temple was built 300 years ago during the Qing dynasty. In 1966, 7 neighboring villages pooled the funds to rebuild this temple. There was also a restoration during the 1980s.
If you drive, please be sure to post a note with your phone number if you find yourself having to park at the village car spots. They all belong to some owner and if you are in the way, they have every right to lock up your car.
To get to Tsiu Keng’s palm woods, the easiest way is to take Green Top Minibus Route 57K from the minibus station at Landmark North and simply get off at the final stop at Pang Uk. From there on, the palm woods is just a 5-minute walk away.
From Fan Kam Road, there are red top minibuses that run on Fan Kam Road throughout the day. The stop to get off at is Tsiu Keng, as with Bus Route 77K from either the Sheung Shui direction or Kam Tin direction. There is a 15-minute walk from Fan Kam Road to the palm woods, and also most of the way in the village does not have cover. On summer days, even though it is a short walk in fully-paved roads, you should prepare a hat and water with you.
Allow for about 1 to 2 hours in the village if you plan on visiting the Kwun Yam Temple. Time required also depends on whether you will enjoy a tea set or a meal at InnoLife.
The Wikipedia on Tsiu Keng.
Antiquities Advisory Board on Cheung Ancestral Hall, Tsiu Keng San Wai, Sheung Shui.
Tere-Territory on Lung Tam Old Temple (Chin).
Want milk tea? Cha Chaan Teng is the way to go. Cha (tea) chaan teng (restaurant), refers to a practice in the early times that these restaurants would charge you double if you sat there and only sipped the bland Chinese tea that the waiter …
What is known as the Cantonese bamboo noodles (in Cantonese “Zuk Sing” noodles) is a food familiar to many. The yellow, stringy and bouncy noodle is the very spirit in the Cantonese wonton noodle soup. Many people in Hong Kong and Guangdong would consider a …
I like seeing old towns and villages. I have seen a few of the ancient old towns and communities in Shenzhen, including the Dapeng Fortress, Gankeng Ancient Hakka Townlet, Nantou Ancient City and Shui Wei 1368. I was interested in the areas in Shenzhen that feature lesser-known communities that have preserved an aged vibe.
Shajing was a perfect choice for this outing. Located in Baoan, northwestern Shenzhen, the former site of Shajing Xu (old market) has also undergone restoration. As such the area is clean with hip elements, such as large wall murals.
Shajing was a thriving market in the ancient times, as one of the busiest districts in the ancient county of Baoan in Shenzhen. Before its natural landscape gradually changed into a flatland by the seaside around 2,500 years ago, the area was once a bay itself. This gave rise to Shajing’s early beginning in salt making and trade. Salt was the lifeline for this part of Shenzhen during the Song and Yuan dynasties. At first, salt was yielded by boiling sea water. Then the people of Shajing yielded salt by sun drying the sea water in salt pans. Shajing’s Gui De salt field was one of the 13 major salt fields in the Guangdong Province.
The oyster growing industry in Shajing traced a history of a thousand years since the Song dynasty. By the Qing dynasty, the salt industry has become obsolete. The people then turned to another sea-related trade—oyster farming. They engaged in the cultivation of oysters on bamboo staffs, a type of off-bottom native oyster farming technique.
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the oyster industry in Shajing became the primary produce and business for the community. Where the men tended to the oysters at the seaside, the women made secondary products, such as oyster sauce and dried oysters. Each harvest took 2-4 years to mature. The oyster trade resulted in prosperity for this community, so much so that it was considered the “key economic hub” in Shenzhen.
By the 1990s, however, the rapid rise of Shenzhen’s industries caused severe pollution to its environment. The oysters in Shajing started showing signs of pollution, their flesh turning into bluish green colors. The products were no longer edible. This has caused a permanent shutdown of the native oyster farming industry in Shajing. The technical know-how of oyster farming was then transferred to other suitable coastal areas, such as Taishan, Huidong and Yangjiang. The people of Shajing then became the source of expertise in the modern partnership model of technology transfer, involving the establishment of experts, production units, companies and cultures.
The area of Old Shajing is very walkable and feel free to take your time. There are many spots where you can sit down in shades as well. I managed to find some of the following worthy sites. The general area of the Shajing old market consists now of a few villages. Point your Gaode map app to “Longjin Stong Pagoda.” The closest metro station is Shajing.
The Longjin Stone Pagoda is the patron saint that presided over the east bank of the Longjin River. To the locals this pagoda was known as the “Lord of Huata.” It came into being when the Gui De Salt Field Officer Zhou Mu finished building the bridge that lied on the northeast of Shajing during the Jiading reign of the Song dynasty in 1220. The day that the bridge opened, the waters raged like a dancing dragon. Zhou Mu built this pagoda here to tame the water dragon.
The pagoda is made of sandstone. The half-body Buddha statue is a relief with one hand gestured in the shape of holding a sword.
It is said that the Weitou Old Well was a well made by the Gui De Salt Administration Office in Shajing. What is left of the Gui De Salt Administration Office is just a modern stone plaque that stands at its former site, indicating where it would have been.
Indeed, it is just around the corner from the old well. Judging from the fact that a plastic bucket lies right at the well, it is likely that the residents still draw water from it today.
The Jingle Chen’s Ancestral Hall was a structure of the Qing dynasty and it underwent reconstruction in 1985. Its layout is two halls, three bays and one courtyard. The structure is made of brick and stones. As with always, beautiful lime sculptures adorn its gable roof.
The Chen’s of Shajing was a prominent clan. They moved southward from Luoyang and settled down in this area, due to the political unrests in Northern China during the late Song dynasty. Together with the Man’s, the Chen’s started quite a few old markets in Shajing. They were key players in the thriving economy of Shajing. The Jingle Chen’s Ancestral Hall is but one of the Chen’s ancestral halls in this area.
There are many village homes standing in what used to be the Shajing Old Market. You can see the Longjin River running through the area’s pathways. Houses were built along the streaming troughs of the river. See the village views showing old houses from different eras, and enjoy the vibe there.
The Jiang Ancestral Hall lies some distance away from the Shajing Old Market. My suggestion is to take the Bus Routes 779 / M254 / M598 from the Yabiancun bus stop in Shajing and get off at the Buyong Shichang Dong bus stop, then walk a short distance over. (The map app to use in China is Gaode Maps).
The former oyster trade in Shajing is amply memorialized in the Jiang Ancestral Hall. The exterior of the walls there are lain with oyster shells and it makes a wonderful sight. The Jiang Ancestral Hall is located in Buyong, neighboring the Shajing villages. Like Shajing, the people of Buyong took up oyster farming after the salt trade declined.
The Jiang’s of Buyong had a celebrated lineage that goes back all the way to the very beginning of recorded history in China. The very first ancestors assisted the ancient Emperor Yu in his efforts to tame the floods. The Jiang ancestors would be taking up key official positions with quite a few emperors later in China’s long history. The ancestor that established this village of the Jiang’s in Buyong was Jiang Naliu, in the Ming dynasty.
The Jiang Ancestral Hall was built in the Ming dynasty. During the 1970s, its front hall had to be demolished due to a long history of disrepair. There were also six flagpole mounts outside of the entrance, but they could not be restored. In 2003, it underwent the latest renovation. A structure of brick and wood, the ancestral hall has the layout of three halls and three bays.
The beautiful architectural details at the Jiang Ancestral Hall bespeak the status of the Jiang clan. Its significance as an antique building was readily observable, standing grand, proud and firm in an otherwise modern residential area.
Descriptions on site in Shajing Old Market and the Jiang Ancestral Hall.
For the research of this entry, I consulted multiple online sources in Chinese that discussed the ancient economy of Shajing’s salt and oyster trade and the history of the Chen clan.
The Lui Seng Chun building stands testament to a century-long entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and a prominent family history. Designed by foreign architect W. H. Bourne in 1929, the beautiful structure expressed the style of the Chinese eclectic with carefully crafted and designed western elements. …