Cheung Uk

One of the most intriguing place in Hong Kong is the abandoned village of Cheung Uk in the Sha Lo Tung valley.

Nestled in the gap between Cloudy Hill and Ping Fung Shan, Sha Lo Tung is isolated and a world unto itself. Cheung Uk is the largest of three villages which border disused rice paddies on the valley floor.

Walking into the village is like being transported back in time more than half a century.

While some of the houses have caved in and been overrun by plant life, others are still standing and give the visitor a view into the lives of their former occupants. Discarded, ancient furniture; farming implements; framed photographs; iron woks; baskets and bags; cups, bowls and spoons; as well as calendars, shrines and various detritus litter the interiors.

Though not the case, one gets the feeling the place was cleared out all at once, as though the village had suffered some unknown plague.

Best of all, Cheung Uk was a photographic delight; decrepitude makes for compelling images.

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