HONG KONG

The Sam Tung Uk Village was built by the Chan Clan in 1786, who came from the Guangdong Province. They reclaimed the land along the seashore in Tsuen Wan for agriculture and cultivation. However, the residents had to move out of the village to make way for the Tsuen Wan MTR Terminus during the 1970s, but the landmark was left intact. The small walled village that was originally built to protect the Chan clan from pirates that attacked this coast was declared a historical monument in 1981 and was restored in 1987 as a museum that was open to the public. The structure includes an ancestral hall, two rows of side houses and many different exhibition halls that display that original agricultural equipment and furniture that was used by the Chan Clan. The name “Sam Tung Uk” comes from the fact that there are three central beams (tung) that supports the roofs of the three halls in the walled village. The family ancestral altar was placed in the main hall lying on the central axis facing the entrance. The four Chinese characters signifying 'Chan' Family Ancestral Hall', were engraved on the granite lintel above the door frame.