Pak Sha O (Chinese: 白沙澳) is an area and a village of Sai Kung North, in Tai Po District, Hong Kong.
Administration
[edit]Pak Sha O and Pak Sha O Ha Yeung (白沙澳下洋) are recognized villages under the New Territories Small House Policy.[1]
History
[edit]Pak Sha O Village, located south of Pak Hoi Ha in Sai Kung, New Territories, has a history dating back to the 17th century.
It has been reported that the villages of Sham Chung, Lai Chi Chong and Pak Sha O had historically close social ties.[2]
At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Pak Sha O was 117. The number of males was 52.[3]
In 1799, a Hakka family surnamed Yung arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China and settled in Sai Kung's Hoi Ha. A descendant of the Yung family, Yung Shi-chiu, dissatisfied with the crowded housing, relocated his family to nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yang in 1918, establishing a large mansion and renaming it "King Siu Sai kui" His close friend and fellow Hakka, Ho Yi-ko, built the Ho Clan House in Pak Sha O Village across the street, establishing his home there. However, in the 1970s, the government constructed the High Island Reservoir and a dam at Hoi Ha, significantly reducing the flow of the Pak Sha O River, a phenomenon known as "water diversion." Farmland became uncultivable, forcing villagers to leave their homes and some even emigrate.[4]
Chapel
[edit]Pak Sha O is the site of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel (聖母無玷之心小堂). A first chapel was built in Pak Sha O in 1880 on another site.[5] The conversion of Pak Sha O into a Catholic village partly resulted from the desire of the villagers to combat the harassment of the tax-lords of Sheung Shui. The current chapel was built between 1915 and 1923. The site is now used as a training campsite by the Catholic Scout Guild.[6]
Other features
[edit]- Several buildings of the former Ho Residence and the Ho Ancestral Hall, as well as the King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in Pak Sha O are Grade I historic buildings.
- Pak Sha O Youth Hostel (白沙澳青年旅舍)
- King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yeung (白沙澳下洋) are Grade I historic buildings.
References
[edit]- ^ "List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy" (PDF). Lands Department. September 2009.
- ^ Faure, David (1982). "Saikung, The Making of the District and its Experience during World War II". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 23: 207. ISSN 1991-7295.
- ^ Hase, Patrick (1996). "Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 36: 80. ISSN 1991-7295.
- ^ "洋人活化客家村 宜家宜居白沙澳-香港商报". www.hkcd.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ^ Heaver, Stuart (27 February 2016). "The abandoned churches of Sai Kung: how Italian missionaries established Hakka congregations in Hong Kong". South China Morning Post.
- ^ Historic Building Appraisal: Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Pak Sha O
Further reading
[edit]- Yau, Elaine (28 September 2015). "The expats who revived Hong Kong village Pak Sha O and impressed absentee owners with their labour". South China Morning Post.
- Knowles, Hazel (27 March 2012). "Unravelling the Past". China Daily. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013.
External links
[edit]
- Delineation of area of existing village Pak Sha O (Sai Kung North) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun, Pak Sha O Ha Yeung Pictures
- Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal. Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Pak Sha O Pictures