The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall () is the main

ancestral hall An ancestral shrine, hall or temple ( or , vi, Nhà thờ họ; Chữ Hán: 家祠户), also called lineage temple, is a temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition. Ancestra ...

of the

Tang Clan The Tang Clan of Hong Kong () is one of the Five Great Clans of the New Territories (). The others are Man (Wen Wen, wen, or WEN may refer to: * WEN, New York Stock Exchange symbol for Wendy's/Arby's Group * WEN, Amtrak station code for Columbi ...

Lung Yeuk Tau Lung Yeuk Tau (), commonly known as Lung Ku Tau () and also called Lung Ling () is an area located northeast of Luen Wo Hui in Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. Administration For electoral purposes, Lung Yeuk Tau is part of the Queen's Hil ...

and one of the largest ancestral halls in Hong Kong.

Antiquities and Monuments Office The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) was established in 1976 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to protect and preserve Hong Kong's historic monuments. Housed in the Former Kowloon British School, the AMO is responsible for iden ...

: Declared monuments
Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall
/ref> It is still used for worship and celebrations of traditional festivals and ceremonies, as well as a meeting place for the Tang Clan of Lung Yeuk Tau.

Leisure and Cultural Services Department The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural ...

Major Repair to Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall, Lung Yeuk Tau, Fanling
August 2004 It is located in between Lo Wai and Tsz Tong Tsuen in Lung Yeuk Tau,

Fanling Fanling ( zh, t=粉嶺; also spelled Fan Ling or Fan Leng) is a town in the New Territories East of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the North District. Fanling Town is the main settlement of the Fanling area. The name Fanling i ...

, North District, in the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

of Hong Kong.

Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail Lung Yeuk Tau (), commonly known as Lung Ku Tau () and also called Lung Ling () is an area located northeast of Luen Wo Hui in Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. Administration For electoral purposes, Lung Yeuk Tau is part of the Queen's Hil ...

Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall
/ref>

History

The ancestral hall was built in 1525 in memory of the founding ancestor, Tang Chung Ling () (1303-1387), the sixth generation descendant of the

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

. From the 1940s to the 1950s, the Ancestral Hall was also used as a village school.

Education and Manpower Bureau The Education Bureau (EDB) is responsible for formulating and implementing education policies in Hong Kong. The bureau is headed by the Secretary for Education and oversees agencies including University Grants Committee and Student Fina ...

Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall
/ref> Until the mid-1990s, women were traditionally not allowed to enter the Ancestral Hall.

Description

Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall is a three-hall building with two spacious internal courtyards. An annex, which serves as a kitchen is attached to the right of the building (eastern side). The "dong chung" is placed at the central hall. The rear hall is divided into three chambers. The central chamber houses the

ancestral tablet A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in tr ...

s of the ancestors of the clan including the ancestral tablets of the Song princess and her husband Wai-Kap whose posthumous title was Fu Ma () Tang Wai-Kap (husband of a princess). Their ancestral tablets were elaborately carved with dragon heads, which distinguished them from the others. The chamber to the left is dedicated to the ancestors who had made significant contributions to the clan or those who achieved high ranks in the imperial court. The chamber to the right, on the other hand, is for the righteous members of the clan, one of whom is Tang Si-meng, a brave servant who saved the life of his master. In the late 16th century, he was kidnapped with his master. Claiming to be the son of his master, he volunteered to be detained by the kidnappers in exchange for the release of his master to raise ransom. After the departure of his master, he jumped into the sea and sacrificed himself. He was awarded the posthumous title of "Loyal Servant" and worshiped in this hall. The whole building is decorated with fine wood carvings, polychrome plaster mouldings, and murals of auspicious motifs.

Conservation

The Hall has been renovated a number of times, but the structure did not change much. A significant renovation was carried out in 1921, and a major one in 1990-1992. The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall was declared a monument in November 1997. It is located along the

References

External links

{{North District, Hong Kong Ancestral shrines in China Chinese folk religion in Hong Kong Lung Yeuk Tau Declared monuments of Hong Kong

History

Description

Conservation

See also

References

External links