Excerpt from the booklet "Ping Shan Heritage Trail": Situated to the north of Sheung Cheung Wai 上璋圍, the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (Pagoda of Gathering Stars) is the only ancient pagoda in Hong Kong. According to the genealogy of the Tang Clan in Ping Shan, the pagoda was built by Tang Yin-tung 鄧彥通 of the 7th generation more than 600 years ago. According to the Tang Clan, the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda was originally situated at the mouth of a river facing Deep Bay 后海灣 and was intended as a feng shui structure designed to ward off evil spirits from the north and to prevent flooding. Its auspicious location, in alignment with Castle Peak 青山, would ensure success for clan members in the imperial civil service examinations. The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda was declared a monument in December 2001.

The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda is a hexagonal shaped, three-storey green-brick structure about 13 metres in height distinguished by unique eaves between each level. A statue of Fui Shing (Champion Star 魁星), believed to be a deity who controls success and failure in examinations, is housed on the upper floor. Auspicious titles are inscribed on each floor, including "Over the Milky Way" 凌漢 on the top floor, "Pagoda of Gathering Stars" 聚星樓 on the middle floor and "Light Shines Straight Onto the Dippers and the Enclosures" 光射斗垣 on the ground floor.

Tags:   Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda Ping Shan Heritage Trail Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai New Territories Hong Kong 屏山文物徑 聚星樓 Level-1:Peace Awards

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Excerpt from the booklet "Ping Shan Heritage Trail": Adjoining the Kun Ting Study Hall 覲廷書室 and constructed shortly after its completion, Ching Shu Hin served as a guesthouse for prominent visitors and scholars. Ching Shu Hin is a L-shaped, two-storey building. It is linked to Kun Ting Study Hall by a very small overhead foot bridge on the first floor. Apart from chambers and a lobby, the building includes bathrooms and kitchen. In line with its use as a guesthouse, Ching Shu Hin was richly embellished. The whole building was decorated with carved panels, murals, plaster mouldings, patterned grilles and carved brackets to demonstrate the grandeur and elegance expected of residences of the local gentry.

Tags:   Ching Shu Hin Ping Shan Heritage Trail Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai New Territories Hong Kong 屏山文物徑 清暑軒 Music to My Eyes

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Excerpt from the booklet "Ping Shan Heritage Trail": The Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall is situated south of the Tang Ancestral Hall. It was constructed in the early 16th century by two 11th generation brothers of the Tang Clan: Tang Sai-yin 鄧世賢 (alias Yu-sing 號愈聖) and Tang Sai-chiu 鄧世昭 (alias Kiu-lum 號喬林). In addition to serving as an ancestral hall, the building was used as a teaching hall for children of the Ping Shan villages. From 1931 to 1961, it was housed the Tat Tak School 達德學校. The last major renovation of the building probably took place during the Guangxu 光緒 reign (1875-1908) of the Qing 清 dynasty, as indicated by the engraved characters on the stone tablet above the main entrance. The original structure and features of the building, however, remain unaffected. Several repairs were undertaken to the Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall and a major renovation was completed in 1995. The Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall was declared a monument in December 2001.

Comprising three halls with two courtyards, the layout and design of the Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall is identical to that of the Tang Ancestral Hall next door.

Tags:   Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall Ping Shan Heritage Trail Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai New Territories Hong Kong 屏山文物徑 愈喬二公祠 Nice As It Gets-Level 1

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Excerpt from the booklet "Ping Shan Heritage Trail": Situated in Hang Mei Tsuen 坑尾村, the Kun Ting Study Hall was built in 1870 by Tang Heung-chuen 鄧香泉 of the 22nd generation of the Tang Clan in commemoration of his father Tang Kun-ting 鄧覲廷. The study hall provided facilities for both ancestral worship and education. When the British occupied the New Territories in 1899, the study hall was once used as the police station and land office. Despite the abolition of imperial civil service examinations in the early 20th century, the study hall continued to provide educational facilities for the clan's younger generations in Hang Mei Tsuen and the surrounding areas until the early post-Second World War period. The study hall was restored to its original splendour in 1991 thanks to a donation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Kun Ting Study Hall is a two-hall building with a single courtyard. It is made of grey bricks and granite columns. The distinguished design of the ancestral altar, brackets, screen panels, wall paintings, ridge decorations, eaves boards and plaster mouldings inside the study hall reflect the high level of skill of the craftmen of the period in which it was built.

Tags:   Kun Ting Study Hall Ping Shan Heritage Trail Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai New Territories Hong Kong 覲廷書堂 屏山文物徑 Level 1-Photography for Recreation Monde de la photo

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Excerpt from the booklet "Ping Shan Heritage Trail": Situated in Hang Mei Tsuen 坑尾村, the Hung Shing Temple is thought to have been built by the Tang Clan in Dinghai 丁亥年 (1767) during the Qianlong 乾隆 reign of the Qing 清 dynasty (1644-1911), which is the year inscribed on the board inside the temple. The existing structure was rebuilt in the 5th year of the Tongzhi 同治 reign (1866) of the Qing dynasty. Substantial renovation work was carried out in 1963. Legend has it that Hung Shing was originally a governor of Kwong Lee (Guangli) 廣利刺史 during the Tang 唐 dynasty (618-907), and was known by the name Hung Hei 洪熙. After his death, the reigning emperor awarded him the posthumous title of "Kwong Lee Hung Shing Tai Wong" 廣利洪聖大王. Hung Shing is widely worshipped, particularly by fishermen and people whose livelihoods depend largely on the sea. The Hung Shing Festival is held annually on the 13th day of the second lunar month.

The Hung Shing Temple is a simple building with two halls separated by an open courtyard. In most of the other temples in Hong Kong, open courtyards are roofed over to form incense towers. Providing better lighting and ventilation, the original courtyard design at Hung Shing Temple has been well preserved and remains one of the temple's distinguishing features.

Tags:   Hung Shing Temple Ping Shan Heritage Trail Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai New Territories Hong Kong 屏山文物徑 洪聖宮 **Heart Awards**

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