Upholding tradition in the old clan villages

Raymond Leung Ping-wa knows a thing or two about Hong Kong traditions. He spent two years exploring the old settlements of Fanling, Sheung Shui, Sha Tau Kok and surrounding areas as research for his 1994 book, Heritage of Northern District. Many practices have vanished over time, but Leung, vice-chairman of the Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage, cites a few villages - Ping Shan in Yuen Long and Sheung Shui Heung among them - where traditional rituals are still practised.

"Families who want a taste of Lunar New Year atmosphere can visit those villages to see the old architectural layout and experience the festivities," he says.

Many of the customs have considerable meaning and illustrate the virtues prized in Chinese society, he says.

"For example, lighting lanterns for new offspring in ancestral halls [which is still practised in Kam Tin Heung] shows the importance that the Chinese attach to filial piety and order of seniority within a clan. Young relatives must go to the homes of the elders to express greetings during Lunar New Year. Solidarity within a clan is another virtue. That's why all the relatives in the clan gather for feasts that sometimes last for days."
 

One of the few rural settlements that still retains a moat, originally dug as as protective barrier. Residents in the nine villages in Sheung Shui Heung are primarily from the Liu clan. The Liu Man Shek Tong ancestral hall is a declared monument. Built in 1751, it is one of the best preserved Hakka ancestral halls in Hong Kong.