Chek Keng (Chinese: 赤徑) is an area and village of Sai Kung North in Hong Kong. It is administratively part of Tai Po District.

Chek Keng and Chek Keng Hau (赤徑口 on a foggy spring day.
Holy Family Chapel in Chek Keng.
Village houses in Chek Keng.
Mangrove at Chek Keng.
Bradbury Hall youth hostel.

Location edit

Chek Keng is located within Sai Kung East Country Park,[1] on the northern coast of Sai Kung Peninsula and facing the Chek Keng Hau (赤徑口) aka East Arm Bay of Long Harbour.[2]

Administration edit

Chek Keng is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.[3]

History edit

Chek Keng was probably founded more than 200 years ago. It was historically a multi-surname Hakka village. It was reported in 2003 that Chek Keng had only one resident, an 84 year old woman.[4]

Features edit

Chapel edit

The Holy Family Chapel (聖家小堂) in Chek Keng was built in 1874 to replace an earlier chapel that had been severely damaged by a storm in 1867. The whole village later converted to Catholicism. During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong, the chapel was a base of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Battalion of the East River Guerrilla (東江縱隊港九獨立大隊).[5][6] The chapel is listed as a Grade II historic building.[7]

Others edit

  • Chek Keng Pier
  • Bradbury Hall youth hostel[8]

Transportation edit

Chek Keng is not accessible by car. It is located along the Stage 2 of the MacLehose Trail, about an hour's walk from Pak Tam Au.[2]

A kai-to service is available between Wong Shek, Wan Tsai (Nam Fung Wan) and Chek Keng.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Sai Kung East Country Park Archived 2014-08-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Ng, Kang-chung (16 October 2019). "How an abandoned village deep in a Hong Kong country park, inaccessible by road and poorly served by ferries, could be saved". South China Morning Post.
  3. ^ "List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy" (PDF). Lands Department. September 2009.
  4. ^ Cheung, Sindney (2003). "Traditional dwellings, conservation and land use: A study of three villages in Sai Kung" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 43: 10–11. ISSN 1991-7295.
  5. ^ Heaver, Stuart (27 February 2016). "The abandoned churches of Sai Kung: how Italian missionaries established Hakka congregations in Hong Kong". South China Morning Post.
  6. ^ Historic Building Appraisal: Holy Family Chapel, Chek Keng, Tai Po, New Territories
  7. ^ Antiquities Advisory Board. List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings with Assessment Results Archived 2018-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association: Bradbury Hall Archived September 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Transport Department: Kaito Ferry Services

External links edit

22°25′17″N 114°21′00″E / 22.421462°N 114.350025°E / 22.421462; 114.350025