Villagers fear site is columbarium
A recent renovation of a cluster of buildings in Sha Tin appears aimed at transforming the site into a columbarium, nearby villagers suspect. They say it would be illegal.
The development, on a hillside at 182 Sheung Wo Che near Grand Central Plaza, includes several newly renovated three-storey buildings built in the 1950s and until now basically deserted, they say. Workers at the site, however, deny it is a columbarium - a place for keeping funerary urns. The owners could not be reached.
The city lacks enough urn sites, and several private columbariums have sprung up to meet demand. But questions have arisen over land lease rights at some sites, and whether ashes should be deemed human remains. The government is in the process of introducing a voluntary registration system to protect consumers' rights by making information about the trade more accessible.
A visit to the site yesterday found that the buildings had been substantially renovated. The roof design was similar to that of nearby Sai Lam Temple, which has been converted into a columbarium.
The buildings are unoccupied, their internal fittings incomplete. Behind one building, there is a large ventilation-like system connected to a chamber, which villagers believe would be used for burning incense.
A group of men were seen meeting inside a room close to the gate, and a man came out to check the identity of the reporters after a security guard asked a photographer to stop taking pictures, despite being outside the gates.
'Who told you this is a columbarium?' he said after being asked whether there were urn niches for sale. 'This is for the living.' He did not identify himself.
A person familiar with the project said that Sheung Wo Che villagers were furious over the development, which they believed was illegal. The villager said the building cluster covered more than 100,000 sq ft, and believed the structure could accommodate tens of thousands of niches.
'It is a lucrative business that has attracted different parties to come for a slice,' the villager said, adding that many fellow villagers did not want to speak up. 'They might put their niches for public sale after the Lunar New Year but before the grave-sweeping season in April,' he said.
The government land registry shows the site is owned by To Fuk Shan, formerly known as China Team (Holding Group). To Fuk Shan, which bought the land in 2005 for HK$24 million, was not available for comment last night. The company has four directors, including Lau Ming-shum, who is also a director of Treasure Spot, a big player in small-house developments in Tai Po. Lau is also an adviser to the Heung Yee Kuk.
The Lands Department is aware of the concerns about the Sheung Wo Che development, but cannot take further action since it has found no urns inside so far. It did not say whether the land lease of the site prohibited the storage of human ash.
Last December, the department took high-profile action against a number of columbariums which might have breached land lease conditions. One in question is Sai Lam Temple, down the slope.
The land lease disputes centre on whether human ashes are human remains, since there are clauses in most land leases barring storage of the latter. The department said it could not comment on most of these cases due to possible legal proceedings.
