ping Shan Heritage Trail
The one and the only one heritage trail in hong kong
Why Ping Shan Heritage Trail ???
If you ask me that can we know more Chinese Traditional lifestyle and find it in the Hong Kong? My answer is Sure~! We can find it in the Hong Kong, even thought most of the lands in Hong Kong are used for building the shopping malls, public and private houses. But I can introduce one place to let you know more Chinese Traditional lifestyle in Hong Kong within a short time and that is Ping Shan Heritage Trail.
Ping Shan Heritage Trail is located in the Ping Shan of the New Territories. The length of the heritage trail is around 1.6 km. In my personal experience that need to use 2 to 3 hours to finish the whole heritage trail includes take a photos and read the history's information boards etc . This is a good place to know more Chinese Traditional Culture because there have at least 700 years history.
The Tang Clan Family
The Ping Shan Heritage Trail is built and held by the Tang Clan Family who is the biggest family in the New Territories. From the beginning of the heritage trail, we can see that there have one Chinese Traditional style building and its name is Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda which is built by the Tang's family and as for the feng shui used, such as bless for safety, health, wealth and study, for the Tang's family and their next generations.
If you ask me that can we know more Chinese Traditional lifestyle and find it in the Hong Kong? My answer is Sure~! We can find it in the Hong Kong, even thought most of the lands in Hong Kong are used for building the shopping malls, public and private houses. But I can introduce one place to let you know more Chinese Traditional lifestyle in Hong Kong within a short time and that is Ping Shan Heritage Trail.
Ping Shan Heritage Trail is located in the Ping Shan of the New Territories. The length of the heritage trail is around 1.6 km. In my personal experience that need to use 2 to 3 hours to finish the whole heritage trail includes take a photos and read the history's information boards etc . This is a good place to know more Chinese Traditional Culture because there have at least 700 years history.
The Tang Clan Family
The Ping Shan Heritage Trail is built and held by the Tang Clan Family who is the biggest family in the New Territories. From the beginning of the heritage trail, we can see that there have one Chinese Traditional style building and its name is Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda which is built by the Tang's family and as for the feng shui used, such as bless for safety, health, wealth and study, for the Tang's family and their next generations.
~~~~Chinese Traditional Culture~~~~
For the main part of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, it must be the Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall. Both of them are used for the worship, venue of celebrate different festivals and ceremonies, especially the Chinese Lunar New Year.
In the Chinese Lunar New Year, all of the boys of Tang's members will group in the Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall to do the worship ceremony then the head of the village will distribute the money and one pork for all of the boy of Tang's members that meaning is all of the Tang's members have more money and foods in the next years. After finished the worship ceremony, the Tang's family will held the lunch at the in front of both of the hall and provides the "Poon Choi" which is the famous dish in the New Territories, for all of the Tang's members and its meaning is same with above.
The Characteristics of Chinese Traditional Building
When you are look at the photos of Tang Ancestral Hall carefully that you will find some of the details to proof that has some of the Tang's members are holds the key positions and works at Chinese Dynasty in the past. The evidence is there has no any threshold in the entrance of Tang Ancestral Hall and has one red pathway in the courtyard. However, the most important evidence is one wood board is hang in the top, which is given by the Chinese Dynasty to proof that has Tang's member got a excellent result in the past civil examinations.
The Tang Clan Family' Study Culture
As we mentioned before, some of the Tang's members are got the excellent results in the past civil examinations. It must be related to Tang's family built up one study hall for all of the boy of Tang's members specialized to study and its name as Kum Ting Study Hall.
On the right hand side of the Kum Ting Study Hall, Tang's family also built up one hall for the teachers, scholars and visitors as the take a rest and guesthouse used. It is calls for Ching Shu Hin, we can also see that some of the wood boards are displays in the entrance, which is given by the Chinese Dynasty to proof that some of the Tang's members got a good results in the past civil examinations.
The Chinese Traditional Lifestyle
In the end of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, there has only one colonial building that is Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre, it is one of the pre-war police station which is built in the 1899.
Nowadays, the pre-war police station became the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery that introduces much of the Tang's history and culture, such as they how to practice the Kung fu in the village to prevent the enemy invasion and the Chinese traditional marriage ceremony. Besides, there also displays most of the materials which is related to the Tang Clan lifestyle, like the children study books, the residents' ID paper and their agriculture methods etc .
From the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, we not just can see the Chinese traditional buildings but also we can know more Chinese traditional culture. In the Hong Kong, we cannot easily to find some of the Chinese traditional buildings and culture because most of the lands in Hong Kong are used for develop the modern urban. Fortunately, we still have this Heritage Trail to give more people and our next generations to know that Chinese traditional buildings and culture.
How to get there ???
If you are interested in the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, you can take the MTR West Rail Line and get off in the Tin Shui Wai station (Exit of E3), and this is the fastest transportation go to the Ping Shan Heritage Trail.
The Tips:
1. Please respect and minimize all disturbance to the residents, due to near the heritage trail is part of a private place.
I hope you will enjoy my introduction of Ping Shan Heritage Trail. Thank you very much~~~
Further Reading:
Ping Shan Heritage Trail: http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/ping_shan_trail_pamphlet_201305.pdf
Ping Shan Heritage Trail: http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/ping_shan_trail_pamphlet_201305.pdf