The Economy and lifestyle of Hakka people
As the Chinese saying goes, “People are shaped by the land they inhabit.” Environmental settings significantly influence the traditional way of living and customary practices. Before the outbreak of World War II, the economy of the New Territories in Hong Kong relied mainly on fishing and farming. Local inhabitants efficiently utilised the natural resources available […]
World geopolitics and the birth of Ap Chau
The story of Ap Chau begins with the True Jesus Church (「真耶穌教會」). ♦ The True Jesus Church initiated its missionary efforts in mainland China at the start of the 20th century. Before the outbreak of World War II, missionaries founded churches and offered medical assistance in the Sha Tou Kok Market (Tung Wo Hui, 東和墟) […]
Kitchen God Festival
The ‘Kitchen God’ (灶君) is a common sight near ancestral kitchen stoves in the New Territories. According to folklore, the Kitchen God makes an annual trip to the heavenly court on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month to report to the ‘Jade Emperor’ (玉皇大帝) about human affairs, facilitating the adjudication of rewards and […]
The Seventh Sister’s Birthday Festival
七姐誕算是一個已經式微的大節日,舊時七夕是華人民間大節,風俗非常多!
在新界鄉郊當然有不少慶祝活動,而且是以女性為主的節日,浪漫和精緻,值得將七夕復興。
相傳這一天,天上的織女和幾位姊妹落到凡間遊歷,期間在河川之間洗澡,此時,牛郎遇到織女一見鍾情,從此雙方墜入愛河,織女偷偷下凡成了牛郎妻子,織女還將天上的手作工藝的藝法傳授給凡人,牛郎與織女男耕女織,過著幸福的生活。
Stone Tablets of New Territories Villages
如果對香港鄉村歷史有興趣的話,你會怎麼開始?先以鄉間最常見的文字資料 – 石碑作頭炮:眾籌修建公共設施(道路,橋,船,學校,廟宇)=〉反映地區社群關係
宗族內籌款修建祠堂 =〉反映宗族內部關係
糾紛仲裁的結果 =〉反映村民如何處理糾紛及當時的社會環境/法律
標示地界,指明道路方向 等等
The Crafts of Vernacular Architecture
【1. Walls – Mud Bricks, Blue Bricks, Rubble Masonry】 Vernacular houses in Hakka villages tend to be constructed with 3 main materials, mud bricks, blue bricks, and rubble masonry. Old village houses tend to be constructed with mud bricks. Wealthier villagers would construct the front façade of the house with blue bricks and construct the […]
Multipurpose temples: A Map of Deities in Sha Tau Kok (Part II)
In addition to worshiping, temples serve three additional purposes: 1. As a regular meeting place for village and village alliance discussions, negotiations and arbitrations, and as a symbol of unity. Some temples were only worshipped by one village originally, yet they evolved to become the core temple of the whole village alliance after the formation […]
A Map of Deities in Sha Tau Kok (Part I)
It is easy to encounter temples of different sizes in Hong Kong. This ranges from large-scale Tin Hau temples that occupy the space of a few shops on ground floors to shrines in shops. If you look closely, you see deities everywhere in the city. Part 1 – Religions Believers are free to worship different […]