Chek Keng (Chinese: 赤徑) is an area and village of Sai Kung North in Hong Kong. It is administratively part of Tai Po District.

Chek Keng and Chek Keng Hau (赤徑口 on a foggy spring day.
Holy Family Chapel in Chek Keng.
Village houses in Chek Keng.
Mangrove at Chek Keng.
Bradbury Hall youth hostel.

Location

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Chek Keng is located within Sai Kung East Country Park,[1] on the northern coast of Sai Kung Peninsula and facing the Chek Keng Hau (赤徑口) aka East Arm Bay of Long Harbour.[2]

Administration

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Chek Keng is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.[3]

History

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Chek Keng was probably founded more than 200 years ago. It was historically a multi-surname Hakka village. It was reported in 2003 that Chek Keng had only one resident, an 84 year old woman.[4]

Features

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Chapel

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The Holy Family Chapel (聖家小堂) in Chek Keng was built in 1874 to replace an earlier chapel that had been severely damaged by a storm in 1867. The whole village later converted to Catholicism. During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong, the chapel was a base of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Battalion of the East River Guerrilla (東江縱隊港九獨立大隊).[5][6] The chapel is listed as a Grade II historic building.[7]

Others

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  • Chek Keng Pier
  • Bradbury Hall youth hostel[8]

Transportation

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Chek Keng is not accessible by car. It is located along the Stage 2 of the MacLehose Trail, about an hour's walk from Pak Tam Au.[2]

A kai-to service is available between Wong Shek, Wan Tsai (Nam Fung Wan) and Chek Keng.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Sai Kung East Country Park Archived 2014-08-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Ng, Kang-chung (16 October 2019). "How an abandoned village deep in a Hong Kong country park, inaccessible by road and poorly served by ferries, could be saved". South China Morning Post.
  3. ^ "List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy" (PDF). Lands Department. September 2009.
  4. ^ Cheung, Sindney (2003). "Traditional dwellings, conservation and land use: A study of three villages in Sai Kung" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 43: 10–11. ISSN 1991-7295.
  5. ^ Heaver, Stuart (27 February 2016). "The abandoned churches of Sai Kung: how Italian missionaries established Hakka congregations in Hong Kong". South China Morning Post.
  6. ^ Historic Building Appraisal: Holy Family Chapel, Chek Keng, Tai Po, New Territories
  7. ^ Antiquities Advisory Board. List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings with Assessment Results Archived 2018-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association: Bradbury Hall Archived September 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Transport Department: Kaito Ferry Services
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22°25′17″N 114°21′00″E / 22.421462°N 114.350025°E / 22.421462; 114.350025