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The rehabilitation ceremony of Cheung Ancestral Hall is held at Shan Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long today (Sunday)to celebrate the completion of the restoration work funded by the Government.

Cheung Ancestral Hall, also known as Wah Fung Tong, is located in Shan Ha Tsuen. It was built by Cheung Bing-nam, Cheung Chi-kwong, Cheung Yiu-fong and Cheung Shui-yat of the twenty-second generation of the clan in the twentieth year of Jiaqing(1815).

The ancestral hall is used as a centre for communal gatherings and a place for ancestral worship. It was also once used as a primary school for educating members of the clan from the 1930s to 1950s. Tuition was also provided to young girls in the ancestral hall but was given only at night. With the completion of the Wah Fung Primary School which was built by the clan near Lam Hau Tsuen in 1958, the previous principal office at the left chamber of the entrance hall of the ancestral hall was then vacated and converted into the temporary office of the village committee for about 10 years. The left aisle was used as a kitchen whereas the right aisle is now used for storage.

The Cheung Ancestral Hall is a two-hall green-brick structure with an open courtyard in between and aisles on both sides. Above the main entrance is a stone slab engraved with Chinese characters meaning "The Cheung Ancestral Hall".

The last renovation was undertaken from mid 1998 to late 1999 under the supervision of the Architectural Services Department and the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Home Affairs Bureau.

The rehabilitation ceremony is officiated by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr David Lan; Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Professor David Lung; Deputy Director of Architectural Services, Mr Kwan Pak-lam; Regional Commander New Territories North of Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Ng Wai-kit; and Chairman of the Ping Shan District Rural Committee, Mr Tang Sik-hung.

End/Sunday, December 19, 1999

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