The Tang Ancestral Hall and adjoining land and buildings at Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long, will be declared historical buildings under the Antiquities & Monuments Ordinance from February 1, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department says.

To preserve this valuable historic compound, a conservation study will be carried out, followed by a full restoration of the buildings. The compound will open to public after restoration.

Venerable treasures: The Tang Ancestral Hall and adjoining land and buildings at Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long will be declared historical buildings.

Glorious history

The Tang Ancestral Hall, which first came into use in 1751, was constructed by the Ha Tsuen Tang clan to commemorate their two ancestors for establishing the local village settlements. The hall underwent two major renovations, in 1837 and 1883.

Most of the historic building fabrics and relics are still preserved in the hall. There are a number of honorary plaques hanging in the middle hall, indicating the glorious history of the Tangs in the Qing imperial government.

The magnificent ancestral hall is an example of three-hall-two-courtyard Qing vernacular architecture, having two side chambers built in the second courtyard. The structure was built with green brick walls and stone columns supporting the timber-framed and tiled roof. Fine and delicate brackets are fixed onto the truss system. Exquisite fascia boards with floral patterns are found in the three halls and side chambers, while some of the beams are elaborately carved with traditional Chinese propitious motifs.

Important role

The Tang Ancestral Hall has played an important role in the clan's religious and ceremonial events. Traditional clan activities, such as ancestor worship and a lantern-lighting ceremony, take place in the hall each year. The hall serves as an essential venue for holding the rituals of the decennial Dajiao festival at Ha Tsuen.

The guesthouse and Yau Kung School near the Tang Ancestral Hall are believed to have been built before 1924.

The guesthouse was built to provide hospitality for the clan's guests. It was later used as quarters for teachers of Yau Kung School in the 1950s. An altar to the Man Cheong god of literacy and Mo Kuk god of martial arts is still used for sacrificial offerings.

The guesthouse has two halls, with an open courtyard in between. It is built of grey bricks, with its walls supporting the pitched roofs constructed of timber purlins, rafters and tiles. Wall cornices are decorated with mouldings with floral motifs. Glazed ceramic grilles are preserved in the hall on the right, flanked by a pair of plaster couplets.

Adjacent building

The Yau Kung School was built to provide education to the children in the area. The school began as a three-bay structure, which was extended in 1952 when it became a government-aided school. Due to the rise in student numbers, part of the ancestral hall and guesthouse were once used as classrooms and dormitories for teachers.

The school is constructed of grey bricks with an open playground in front. The main building has two sets of ridges decorated with mouldings of auspicious and geometric motifs. Plaster mouldings of curling grass can still be seen on the gable frieze.

Together, the Tang Ancestral Hall, guesthouse and Yau Kung School form a unique historic building compound which reminds people of the history, folk culture and education of the Tangs in the area.

With the support of the Ha Tsuen Tang clan, the compound will be declared a historical cluster of buildings and protected under the law.