Law Uk Folk Museum
As you walk along the streets of Chai Wan, you will spot a little Hakka styled house among towering factory complexes and ubiquitous residential buildings of Chai Wan. This is the Law Uk Folk Museum. This pre-colonial village house is named after the original owner of this house who had the surname of Law, and since in Hakka culture, villages are referred to as a house, or ‘Uk’, many of the villages in that area (including Law Uk), such as Shing Uk, Lam Uk, and Luk Uk ended in ‘Uk’. The Hakkan villagers who settled in the Chai Wan District were originally from the neighbouring Guangdong province, and moved here to seek a better lifestyle and livelihood. They cleared the trees that surrounded the village in order to farm and raise livestock.
The architectural design of ‘Law Uk’ is of Spartan design - very simplistic and regular, and implements a typical ‘triple-jian double-lang” type of chinese architecture. A Jian (間) is a common spatial unit in chinese architecture which refers to a space enclosed within four walls or corner post, while a Lang ‘廊’ is another spatial unit in chinese architecture that refers to a space that is not enclosed but covered area. The ‘Jian’s in the house are the central main hall, and the two rooms that flank the hall, and the two ‘Lang’s are the cooking and storage areas. The main hall is the spiritual heart of the house, as it contains the ancestral shrine, and is also where ceremonial events such as weddings, funerals and birthdays are held. Another significant characteristic of the Law Uk is the light well, which provides the main source of light and ventilation for the entire house, as the Hakkans did not like to include many windows in order to protect themselves from thieves and robbers. The rainwater that falls through the light well is drained from the underground ducts that leads away from the house. The complex is symmetrical in design along the central axis that promotes its aesthetic quality.
During the 1950s, Hong Kong started to experience rapid urbanisation, and the District of Chai Wan was not left out. Most of the village was torn down by the government, and was replaced by buildings that were more economically productive. However, the Law Uk was conserved in May 1976, as the Urban Council’s Museums Select Committee believed it was important to conserve the indigenous culture. It was converted to the Law Uk Folk Museum and opened its doors to the public on the 19th of January, 1990 as the sole example of its kind in the Chai Wan district. As you take a look at the traditional furniture, farm tools and puppetry displays in the house, you will be reminded of the changes that have taken place in Chai Wan over time.
Address - 14 Kut Shing Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
How To Get There: MTR Chai Wan Exit B