Tai Fu Tai Mansion
A photographic expedition took me to San Tin in the far northern New Territories.
The architecture of the dwellings is an eclectic blend of ancient hu tong-style houses, colonial mansion-style flats, and modern tile and steel. In some instances, hu tong homes not in disrepair were fused to new flats next door.
The main goal of the day was to visit the Tai Fu Tai Mansion (1865) and the Man Lun Fung Ancestral Hall (more than 200 years old). Both structures are magnificent and in wonderful condition after having been restored. Stepping inside was like travelling back in time.
A description of Tai Fu Tai Mansion from the Antiquities and Monuments Office:
The whole building is elegantly decorated with fine monochrome and polychrome plaster mouldings, wood carvings and murals of auspicious Chinese motifs and pictures.
Common Chinese botanical, zoological and ornithological motifs used include plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, deer, bat, unicorn and others.
Western culture also exerts its influence on the building. The painted glass panes and the baroque flower and leafy plaster mouldings above the arched doorways are only some of the main decorative features demonstrating Western influences popular in the period.
It's a pity most tourists never make time to see these links to Hong Kong's past.
They're a world apart from shopping and skyscrapers.
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