Battle plan: Kat Hing Wai
Time frame: All morning
Directions (from the airport): Get on the Airport Express to Tsing Yi Station (yellow line), transfer to Nam Cheong Station (purple line), get off at Mei Foo Station to the red line. Last stop is Kam Sheung Road Station, Exit B to Kam Po Road.
On the way, I kept peeking at my map to make sure I was still on the right
track. Being a first-time solo traveller, I was a little apprehensive at being lost in a foreign place. But hey, didn't I mention that the Hong Kong MTR is so efficient? I need not look at
the map since there's always an announcement just before arriving and leaving a
station. And which side to exit. Wow. So yes, get to Kam Sheung Road Station
I did, and exited at exit B which is the nearest way to Kat Hing Wai.
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| Kam Sheung Road Station, Exit B |
As I exited the station, I was greeted by a wide open space with palm trees and a flea market that's closed. On the left side by the bridge going to Kam Po road were lots of bicycles, most probably left by the residents there to take the train. I found the scene so pretty that I forgot to take a photo of it.
I was already in Kam Po Road when
a Caucasian couple approached me and asked where Kat Hing Wai is. Told them I
was going there as well. We asked a local walking his pit bull and he gladly
took us to the village, which is a mere three minutes' walk from Kam Po Road.
Kat Hing Wai is located in Yuen Long district in the New Territories. The village was built a little over 500 years ago
during the Ming Dynasty by the Tang clan for protection against rival clans,
pirates, and the like. Up to now it is still inhabited by the descendants of
the Tang clan. This is also one of the small walled villages that dot the New
Territories. As Kat Hing Wai is still inhabited, no visitor can just enter
without permission.
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| Entrance to Kat Hing Wai, view from the inside. Hee-hee |
At the gate, there is an old
woman who will ask for a small fee from tourists who would like to visit. The couple and I gave around 3 HK$ each and she let us in.
Kat Hing Wai is much smaller than
I expected as I am used to Intramuros. But still, I felt like I was stepping into
the Cave of Wonders. Upon entering its gates, there is an alley that led
straight to a temple at the end of it. Well, at least I think it's a temple. Nobody
was inside, but it smelled nicely of recently-burned joss sticks.
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| The alley that leads straight to the temple. The couple I went with is just a few paces away. |
The main alley branched out to
other alleyways leading to the other houses. It is very lovely to see the past
and present blending beautifully within Kat Hing Wai's walls. A lot of its
original structures are still standing alongside some modern apartments. And since
its alleyways are small, only bicycles can enter. Those who have cars have them
parked outside the walls.
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| New, old, new |
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| Beautiful details of the design above the doorway and the roof. |
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| Bicycles |
As it is with walled villages in the past, moats are a must for added protection. In this century though, Kat Hing Wai's moat is a haven for koi fish.
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| Moat |
Walking tours around the Hong Kong are actually available. However there wasn't any tour available for Kat Hing Wai and its surrounding areas on the day that I was there. Still, I went and thank goodness I was allowed in. It's all right that there was no guide to tour me around; for now what matters is that I got to enjoy basking in its atmosphere, its blending of the old and the new.
next post: walking around kam tin
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