Yuen Long District Overview
Yuen Long District is known for its rich walled village culture, historical relics, local rituals, and traditional food. As one of the oldest districts in Hong Kong, Yuen Long District has a long history, clans such as the Tangs and other original residents settled in the earlier periods. They have created and perpetuated many cultural heritages throughout their long history. Among them, this exhibition focuses on food, clans, rituals, and the culture of the walled village. Get to know Hong Kong, and start with Yuen Long District!
Do you know the name of Yuen Long in the past?
“Yuen Long” means a low-lying area in a rich landscape. In the past, Yuen Long was surrounded on three sides by mountains and faced the sea. It was situated in the middle of a low-lying plain, which was incredibly beneficial to the development of farming and fishing.
Story of Yuen Long
The origins of Yuen Long look back to the Qin Dynasty. From the Shunzhi to the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government promulgated trade prohibitions on sea areas, and the coastal residents needed to move to the mainland areas. Most of the original residents had already been dispersed in Kangxi Period. The government encouraged residents from the mainland to move to Yuen Long to help revitalise.
To protect the safety of the villagers, walls were built around the village. For example, the Tang family built five walled villages in Kam Tin, Yuen Long, plus Ping Shan, Shap Pat Heung, Pat Heung and San Tin Heung.
People from different ethnic groups settled in Yuen Long. They formed several walled villages or villages with different surnames and developed into a unique living culture.
元朗區概述
元朗區有豐富的圍村文化、歷史遺跡、儀式節日、以及傳統美食，對了解香港文化和歷史，有不可或缺的重要性。作為香港最古老的地區之一，元朗區的本土歷史悠久，例如最初定居的鄧氏宗族，以及其他早期在香港定居的新界原居民。他們在元朗定居，建造村落，製作出許多傳統美食並把製作技藝代代相傳。其中，圍村文化更是成為元朗區的代名詞。本次的展覽希望能透過講述元朗村落的故事，加深大眾對香港歷史的認識。
你知道元朗古時侯的名稱嗎？
元朗，古稱「圓塱」，指完整豐滿的低窪地帶。
古時元朗處於三面環山，一面朝海的情況。它是中間的低窪平原地區，特殊的地理位置對於發展農業與漁業有莫大的幫助。
元朗的故事
元朗的歷史最早可追溯到秦朝。清朝順治年，政府頒發海禁令，要求沿海居民向內陸遷移。直至康熙年間才取消，但原來的居民大多已經失散，政府鼓勵內地的鄉民搬遷到元朗落戶，幫助振興元朗，故元朗有大批人是從當時南下。南遷的族群為了保衛村民的人身安全，在村落附近修建了圍墻包圍村落，漸漸成為圍村。例如鄧氏家族於元朗錦田建立了五個圍村，以及屏山鄉，十八鄉，八鄉，新田鄉等。各族在元朗定居，組成多個圍村或異姓村落，經過多年的沉澱，形成獨有的生活文化。
