LAM TSUEN

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Today, Lam Tsuen spreads over a large area, covering 23 villages.

Ng Tung Chai waterfalls

Countryside around Ng Tung Chai Tsuen — Countryside around
Ng Tung Chai Tsuen

Situated south of Tai Mo Shan in a valley, Lam Tsuen is surrounded by green hills and clear small streams.

Ng Tung Chai is a famous place to go for hiking. Ng Tung Chai waterfalls area features four waterfalls at different altitudes.

Ng Tung Chai is a valley heading up Tai Mo Shan from the south side of the Lam Tsuen Valley. The valley contains some woodland and a series of beautiful waterfalls.

When walk up to Ta Mo Shan, hikers shall pass four waterfalls on the way.

The Man Tak Yuen temple is located at the start of the path towards the Ng Tung Chai waterfalls.

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There is actually a series of falls and streams reached by taking the path leading to Ng Tung Chai.

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The fertile soil and plentiful water attracted many clans to settle around Lam Tsuen River as early as the Sung Dynasty. The Qing government encouraged settlements and cultivation in the New Territories, and many Hakka farmers migrated to the Tai Po and Lam Tsuen areas.

Villagers are hanging spring couplets (red paper scrolls with special good luck poems written on them) on the walls in pairs for good luck.

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Ng Tung Chai Tsuen village still contains many old traditional Chinese buildings.

Lam Tsuen's wishing tree

In Fong Ma Po village, there is a beautiful traditional old Tin Hau Temple.

A few fake Lam Tsuen's wishing trees can be found near the temple as the original wishing tree is now protected.

To celebrate their unity, the Punti and Hakka villagers decided to build a temple to be owned by all the villagers jointly.

The Tin Hau Temple was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1736 and renovated in 1967.

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The main part is dedicated to Tin Hau, the goddess of the sea, with Man and Mo, the gods of literature and war, also present.

It is the largest incense-filled Tin Hau Temple in Tai Po. Tin Hau is a well known goddess among the traditional Chinese, especially fishermen.

There are two statues of the deity on the altar, one in front of the other. The larger statue cannot be moved. It is the cult statue. The smaller statue in front is designed to be carried in a sedan-chair around the district for festivals.

The temple is large, well-built and well-kept. It has a noticeably austere exterior of blue brick with very little decoration.

Growing near the Tin Hau temple in Lam Tsuen, the banyan served as a wish-making site for years for luck seekers who threw offerings and messages into its branches.

Lam Tsuen's dying wishing tree has sagged under the weight of offerings thrown on to it for decades.

Many tourists have moved to Hang Ha Po after being barred from throwing wishing placards on the old banyan.

When a main branch broke off in year 2005 it became obvious that too much wishful thinking was endangering the tree's existence.

Tai Po's wishing tree, is a century-old tree.

Luck seekers were banned from throwing items onto the tree. Supports were constructed for at-risk branches and more soil was exposed around the tree to give it adequate aeration.

In year 2008 a tree from Guangzhou was transplanted next to the Lam Tsuen Wishing tree to perpetuate the legend. Unlike the old banyan tree, visitors will not be able to tie oranges to their wishes and throw them onto the new tree.

It was believed that if the orange anchored wish stuck to a branch, the person's wish would come true.