The Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall in Ho Sheung Heung was built in the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). According to the genealogy of the Hau clan, the Ancestral Hall was built to commemorate Hau Ku-shek, the 17th generation ancestor of the Hau clan. The date inscribed on the name board hanging over the main entrance suggests that the Ancestral Hall underwent renovations around the 27th year of the Qianlong reign (1762) during the Qing dynasty.
The layout of the ancestral hall is the traditional three-hall, two-courtyard style. There is a side chamber on each side of the front courtyard and in the middle hall is an altar, which houses the ancestral tablets. The two-storey rear hall was once used as a village school. Nowadays, the Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall is still used by the clan for worshipping their ancestors and holding traditional ceremonies. It is also a gathering and meeting place for the Hau clan.
The drum platforms and door frame on the facade of the hall are made from red sandstone, traditionally a precious material for important buildings. Its roof ridges are richly embellished. The tuofeng (camel’s humps), fascia boards and tie beams of the hall are also decorated with exquisite carvings of auspicious motifs and folklore.
Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall was declared a monument in 2003.