The Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail (the Trail) is the second of its kind established in the New Territories by the government. Inaugurated on 4 December 1999, the 2.6 km Trail links up the built heritage sites and situates them within easy walking distance of each other. The Trail provides an opportunity to learn more about traditional life in the area of Lung Yeuk Tau, Fanling in a convenient half-day excursion.
The idea of setting up a heritage trail was initiated by the Antiquities Advisory Board. With the full support of local residents, the North District Council, the Architectural Services Department, the North District Office, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, it was brought to fruition after several years of preparation by the Antiquities and Monuments Office.
Lung Yeuk Tau is located northeast of Luen Wo Hui in Fanling, the New Territories. It derives its name from the nearby mountain range Lung Yeuk Ling, named after the legend of “leaping dragon” that once inhabited the mountain. The area is commonly known as Lung Ku Tau and is also called Lung Ling (“dragon mountain”).
The Tang clan of Lung Yeuk Tau originated from Jishui in Jiangxi province. They enjoyed the strongest claim to royal lineage among their fellow clansmen, as they trace their descent back to the eldest son of a princess of the Song dynasty (960–1279). When the princess took refuge in the south in the early Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), she was married to Tang Wai-kap of Kam Tin. The descendants of the eldest son moved to Lung Yeuk Tau at the end of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). As the clan prospered, it branched out to the neighbouring area and established the present-day “Five Wais” and “Six Tsuens” within a few hundred years. The “Five Wais” (walled villages) are Lo Wai, Ma Wat Wai, Wing Ning Wai, Tung Kok Wai (also known as Ling Kok Wai) and San Wai (also called Kun Lung Wai). The “Six Tsuens”(villages) are Ma Wat Tsuen, Wing Ning Tsuen (also called Tai Tang), Tsz Tong Tsuen, San Uk Tsuen, Siu Hang Tsuen and Kun Lung Tsuen.
The Tang clan of the area still practise traditional village customs, including communal worship in spring and autumn and celebrating the Tin Hau Festival. Additionally, a lantern-lighting ceremony is held for newborn boys on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and an ancestral worship ceremony and vegetarian feast is held on the first day of the second lunar month. What’s more, the Jiao Festival (“the Purest Sacrifice Celebrated for Great Peace”) is held once every decade.
Many traditional Chinese buildings and structures, including the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall, Tin Hau Temple and the Enclosing Walls of Lo Wai, have been preserved in their original state, thus demonstrating the history and life of early inhabitants in the New Territories.
Click here to view the information of Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail in the Geographical Information System on Hong Kong Heritage
Please search the routes of different transportation modes for pre-trip planning.