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Liu Man Shek Tong
Architectural heritage
Liu Man Shek Tong, located between the Mun Hau Tsuen and Chung Sum Tsuen inside Sheung Shui Heung, is the largest ancestral hall of the Liu clan settled in Sheung Shui. It was built during the Qing Dynasty (1751), and has a history of more than 300 years. Legend has it that the ancestors of the Liu’s, Liu Gong and his four sons, were appointed as officers during the Northern Song Dynasty, each with a salary of 2000 shek (the unit of currency in Ching Dynasty). The family made 10000 shek in total, the ancestral hall therefore was named as Liu Man Shek Tong for commemoration as “Man” means ten thousand in Chinese. In order to advocate education and cultivate the talented, the Liu Man Shek Tong was transformed into Fung Kai Primary School during 1932 - 1974. The hall was renovated in 1984 and 1994, and declared as a monument in 1985.
Liu Man Shek Tong is one of the few architectures in Hong Kong that still retain the three-hall-two-courtyard arrangement. The building is richly decorated, with plaster mouldings, wood carvings, frescoes and clay sculptures of traditional auspicious motifs. The first hall is the “front hall”, with a relatively low foundation for welcoming guests and storing odds and ends. In the centre of the front hall is a "Dong Chuen" consisting of a pair of doors with high lintels to protect the privacy of the temple, which was opened only when the guest of honour is visiting. The second hall, the “lobby”, is a place for meeting, celebrating and feasting, where decorated with a wooden board inscribed “Chak Min Man Shek”, the continuous grace of the Liu clan. The inner room with four upright columns is called the “Ming Gaan”. Murals and poems were painted on the ceiling of the lobby. The third hall with the highest foundation is called the “back hall” where the altar enshrined the ancestral tables is located. The two wings are “Pui Yin Temple” and “Pui Heung Temple” where worshiping the ancestors with fame and glory and the people who built the temples.
Nowadays, the Liu family still has a variety of traditional events in Liu Man Shek Tong, such as the lighting lanterns event every year, the Spring and Autumn Ancestral Worship, and so on. This temple filled with historical value allows us to trace the scenery of the surrounding village back to the past.
廖萬石堂
位於上水鄉門口村與中心村之間的廖萬石堂是上水廖氏最大的祠堂,建於清乾隆十六年(1751年),至今已有300多年的歷史。相傳,廖氏遠祖廖剛及其四名兒子先後於北宋時期出任高官,每人俸祿各二千石,合共一萬石,後人於是將祠堂命名「廖萬石堂」以為紀念。廖族為提倡教育,培育人才,在1932年至1974年期間曾將廖萬石堂改作鳳溪小學。廖萬石堂先後於1984年及1994年進行重修,並於1985年被列為法定古蹟。
廖萬石堂是香港少數仍然保留著的三進二院式建築,整座建築裝飾華麗,灰塑、木刻、壁畫、泥塑等比目皆是,題材多為傳統吉祥圖案。第一進為「前廳」,台基相對較低,用於接待客人及擺放雜物。前廳正中是由一對高門組成的「檔中」,用以保障祠內隱私,只有在貴賓光臨時才會「大開中門」。第二進為「過廳」,上有「澤綿萬石」的牌匾,是議事、慶祝、宴會的地點。中央有四支直柱,內裹稱為「明間」。過廳兩旁的頂部繪有壁畫及詩詞。神龕設於「後廳」,台基最高,供奉祖先牌 位。兩翼為「配賢祠」及「配享祠」,分別供奉有功名的祖先及對建祠有功人士的靈位。
時至今日,廖氏家族仍會與廖萬石堂進行各種傳統活動,例如每年舉行的點燈儀式,春秋二祭等等。這座充滿歷史價值的祠堂彷彿能讓人追溯昔日的圍村風光。
開放時間:
星期一、三至日:上午9時至下午1時及下午2時至5時
星期二(公眾假期除外)、聖誕日、聖誕翌日、元旦日及農曆年初一至三休息