Behind the Walls

Walls play a significant role in Chinese history. From the Great Wall to walled villages (“wai tsuen” in Cantonese), walls have been our way of protecting ourselves and preventing “visits” from bandits.

But these walls keep just as much in as they keep out. Today, many of the 84 walled villages in Hong Kong have their traditions, customs and architecture intact to a certain extent, as if the walls have protected the villages from the high-speed urbanization in the rest of the city. At one time, these villages were self-sufficient and self-contained – even now, clans occupy one or more villages in an area, just like the walls unite the people and make the village as one.

Nam Pin Wai, built in 1669 and the oldest existing walled village in Hong Kong, is one of these villages where much of the ancient architecture remains, and villagers still practice the old rituals. It is now open to public tours and the subject of a new exhibition.

Dede Tang is one of the very few young people who still live in Nam Pin Wai, and she loves her life there, despite temptations from outside. “I wonder if I could get used to life in the city,” she says. “Everybody knows everybody in a village. Meanwhile, people in the city barely know their neighbor’s name.” Not too long ago, villagers in Nam Pin Wai wouldn’t even bother locking their doors at night.

However, safety and walls are not enough. With the younger generations moving out to the city (Dede is thinking of moving out once she’s married because she doesn’t like her fellow male villagers, whom she calls “chauvinistic”), and rapid development happening all around Yuen Long, it might be just a matter of time before all these walled villages are gone.

Even those who want to play their part in preserving this important but often-forgotten part of our heritage find it difficult to do so. Harley Lee Shue-kwan, a tour guide with expertise in walled village culture, says the owner of 338-year-old Chun Yuen Pawn Shop wished to stabilize the building and so built a concrete wall to support it. “The wall looks modern and contradicts the style of this old pawn shop,” Lee says. “It might not be the best solution, but since they own the place and the government never attempted to save the building, there’s nothing we can do to help.”