Luk Keng Chan Uk

Luk Keng Chan Uk (Chinese: 鹿頸陳屋) is a village situated in the Luk Keng area, in the northeastern part of the New Territories, Hong Kong. It is a popular tourist destination for sightseeing and hiking.

History

The village is mainly inhabited by the Chan (陳 Hakka tshin11 ) Clan although there are other surnames present in the village including Wong. It is a Hakka-speaking village. Historically, the village was used for livestock farming and growing crops. Today, the village is mostly uninhabited, and half of the village houses are deserted.[1]

The Chan clan's ancestor came to Luk Keng from the Ta Kwu Leng area in the 1700s, with other descendants travelling to Tsuen Wan. Those that came to Luk Keng erected the water barrier upon which the main road now travels upon, separating the village's agricultural land from the seawater.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many villagers left for the UK and other parts of the world. This was partly due to UK immigration policy at the time and with little work available in the village the inhabitants sought to earn money elsewhere.

Little development has taken place in Luk Keng, mainly because the government has zoned the wetland as an area of Special Scientific Interest. Moreover, the Government's planning policy has also restricted development of small houses and unilaterally designated parts of the area as conservation area, although most of it is private land.

Building heritage

There are two ancestral halls at Luk Keng Chan Uk, the Chan Ancestral Hall (陳氏家祠), built around 1900, and the Chan Tze Tak Ancestral Hall (子德陳公祠).[1]

The ruins of the village school, Man Lam School (文林學校), can still be seen. The school was closed in 1952 and replaced by Luk Keng Public School (鹿頸學校).[1]

Flora and fauna

Luk Keng is known for its natural scenery and wildlife, which is in contrast to Hong Kong's urbanized culture. Parts of Luk Keng are surrounded by tropical rainforests. Rare animals such as the scarlet dwarf dragonfly and black-faced spoonbill have been sighted in Luk Keng, as well as monkeys. Waterfalls are present in Luk Keng.

Transportation

The closest station to Luk Keng on the MTR is Fanling station. Green minibus No.56K runs to the Luk Keng terminus.

See also

References
  1. Brief Information on proposed Grade Nil Items. Item #1165 Archived 2013-10-22 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading
  • Ip, Hing-fong (1995). An historical geography of the walled villages of Hong Kong (Postgraduate Thesis, Master of Philosophy). University of Hong Kong.


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