Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2000

Shung Ch i n g Sun C h u en in Sh ap Pa t H e u n g Yuen Long's early inhabitants built 18 villages, hence the name Shap Pat Heung, which literally means '18 villages'. The number later increased to 30, and Shung Ching San Chuen, a Hakka village, is one of them. I n the 1930s, Ha k k a peop le originating in south China returned to Hong Kong from Indonesia and Jamaica and settled in the area. The village itself was founded in 1957. Though much younger than the neighbouring villages, its leaders soon managed to improve its hygiene and living conditions. In 1959, Shung Ching Public School was founded to provide education for the village children. The village leaders also donated land for rehousing th e Wing On Public School founded by the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee. Prof. Lau Yee-cheung studied Shung Ching San Chue n in its historical and cultural contexts through relevant literature, observation, and interviews with village leaders and residents. He used questionnaires to find out when the villagers first came to Hong Kong, whether they ha d been living overseas previously or on the mainland, wha t they thought of urbanization and the government's land policy, and whether they spoke the Hakka dialect. Using the data collected, he tried to reconstruct the history of the village by recounting its origins, the relations between the local Hakkas and the new comers, the development of educational enterprises, and the impact of urbanization on the village. Himself of Hakka descent, Prof. Lau believes that reconstructing the history of that area helps preserve and disseminate Hakka culture, which is an integral part of Hong Kong's heritage. Prof. Lau Yee-cheung (right 2) and his students with Mr. Lee Man-hong (middle), thefirst village chief of Shung Ching Sun Chuen The school in the foreground was the site of the old mill The name 'Rennie's Mill' mis coined in the 19th century when a Canadian entrepreneur named Alfred Herbert Rennie set up aflour mill in the area after he had left the civil service of Hong Kong. The business went bankrupt and he drowned himself in Lei Yue Mun. However, at the time, there were rumours that he had killed himself by hanging. This gave rise to Rennie's Mill's Chinese name of Tiu Keng Leng'. Understanding Hong Kong's Modern History 11