Hong Kong Snapshot (86) Kat Hing Wai, there is still walled city in HK! 香港隨拍 (86) 吉慶圍，原來香港還有城牆！？

In the ancient time, the law and order were much worse than today. Most ancient cities built city wall to protect the people. Today, we don’t need city wall anymore. So is there still city wall existing? Yes! We have in HK! Let me introduce the walled villages in the New Territories in HK!

在古代，社會安全及環境遠比不上現代，古代大部份城市，都會建立城牆，以保衛市民，及於戰爭時作防守之用。時至今日，我們已需再需要城牆了，但「城牆」這樣東西還存在嗎？存在的！香港有！今次我就為大家介紹香港新界的圍村！

The New Territories of HK has long history. There are already clans living in the New Territories 1000 years ago. HK was a faraway city in China. The Chinese government just did little thing the protect the place. In the past, there were lot of pirates and brigands in HK. So the villages in HK built city wall to protect themselves. We call them walled villages.

香港的新界地區歷史悠久，早在一千年前已有氏族定居。所謂山高皇帝遠，香港作為一個偏遠地方，有什麼事發生的時候，根本等不及官府的拯救，以前香港滿是海盗、山賊，新界各村為了保護自己，都紛紛建立城牆，我們叫它們做圍村。

A walled village in HK!

The villages trained their own armies, or we call them securities, to protect the villages. During war or pirates invading, the armies fought against them. In the Kam Tin district at the north-west of the New Territories, we still have 5 walled-villages left here. The most famous one should be the Kat Hing Wai who was built by the Tang clan, because it played an important role when the British captured the New Territories.

每條圍村都會組織自己的「更練團」，即是保衛隊了，他們是民間訓練的軍隊，在有戰事的時候，就會出來保衛村民，而村民都會定期繳交「保護費」，以作營運更練團之用。在新界西北的錦田區，至今仍留下了五個圍村，其中最出名的必定是由新界五大家族建立的吉慶圍，因為它在英國佔領新界時佔有很重要的地位。

Picture of the villages’ armies
(photo source: http://blog.terewong.com/archives/17335)

1899, the HK British officially take control of the New Territories. The villagers of the New Territories fought against the HK British. We called the war “The Six-Day War” and the British overwhelm the New Territories in six days. During the six-day war, Kat Hing Wai was one of the battle fields.

1899年，英國正式管治新界，引起千年前已在新界居住的原居民強烈反抗，戰爭一觸即發，英軍用了六天鎮壓新界各村原居民，史稱「新界六日戰」，六日戰爭中，其中一個戰場就是錦田的吉慶圍。

The Six-Day war 新界六日戰
(photo source: https://sparkpost.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/six-day-war/)

Kat Hing Wai had strong wall and moat to protect them. The British couldn’t get into the village and they finally broke the city wall by cannons. Before leaving, they dismantled the gates of the village and shipped them back to London as booty. In 1924, the Tang clan petitioned the British again to return the gates. Finally in 1925, The British sent the gates back and Stubbs, the HK Governor, hosted the gate returning ceremony.

吉慶圍擁有堅固的城牆及護城河，村民堅守城內，英軍久攻不下，最後以大炮打破城牆，終於成功佔領吉慶圍，錦田村民死傷無數，英軍在臨走之時，拆走了吉慶圍的鐵門，運回倫敦作戰利品。直到1924年，吉慶圍村民再次上書政府希望歸運鐵門，終於在1925年，港督司徒拔親自到了吉慶圍，主持儀式將鐵門歸運吉慶圍。

Kat Hing Wai in 1920s 1920年的吉慶圍
(photo source: Wikipedia)

Almost 100 years passed, Kat Hing Wai is still here. We can still see the wall but the moat is now a fish pond. When I entered Kat Hing Wai, there is an old man sitting in the entrance. He asked me, “Are you tourist”. I said yes. Then he charged me HK$3……There are still many people living in Kat Hing Wai. Many of them are the descendants of the Tang clan. The houses in the village are so closed to each other. There is only a narrow lane between houses. There is a small temple in the village. I believe it is the god that the old Tang clan worshipped.

接近一百年過去了，吉慶圍仍然存在，城牆依然，不過護城河只餘下一面，更已成魚池，我進入吉慶圍的時候，門口有一老伯問你：「你是遊客嗎？」我答是，他就向我收取了港幣三元參觀費……吉慶圍仍有很多人居住，很多都是當年族民的後人，圍內樓房建得很密，樓與樓之間只有一條小小窄巷，進門後的盡處是一座小廟，廟內供奉的應該是鄧氏族自古供奉的神明吧！

Location of Kat Hing Wai 吉慶圍的位置

Kat Hing Wai in wall 在城牆內的吉慶圍

Moat becomes fish pond 護城河已成魚池

Entrance of Kat Hing Wai 吉慶圍入口

Narrow lanes 真的很窄！

The small temple 圍內的古廟

Although the wall is still here, the houses in the village are already rebuilt to modern houses. Some of them are even taller than the wall. When I left, the old man was not there. Did it mean that I can wait until the old man left and I didn’t need to pay the $3? Haha!

雖然城牆仍在，但吉慶圍內的樓房很多都已改建成現代樓房了，很多比城牆還要高。我離開的時候，發現坐在門口的老伯不見了！那我那三元，是不是其實可以不付？哈哈！

Old house and New houses together 新舊樓房很大對比！

Grasses on the wall 城牆已長滿雜草

Houses even taller than the wall 樓比牆更高！

A traditional house door 很傳統的門口

Back to the main entrance 回到入口了

OK…I forgot to take photo of the door gates…Let me find a photo from the web…
好吧…我忘記了給鐵門拍照…請看網上圖片…
(photo source: https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20150526/53709828)

Introduction of Kat Hing Wai 吉慶圍的介紹

HK$3 per person 每人承惠三元

The Kat Hing Wai and the nearby are still villages. I felt so peaceful and relaxing. But the Hk Government had announced that it will developed the Kam Tin district. I wonder how Kam Tin will be few years later.

吉慶圍以及附近一帶仍是鄉村模樣，讓我感覺節奏都慢了下來，不過，政府這幾年已落實了開發錦田區，不知道數年後，這裡又會變成什麼模樣？

How long can the villages still last for? 此情此境還能持續多久?

!steemitworldmap 22.4398547 lat 114.0465744 long d3scr

---

Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！