Sai Kwu Leng. A name that echoes with the rhythm of drums. Imagine yourself transported back to the Qing dynasty. The air is thick with tension. Villagers in the Ta Kwu Leng area live in fear of raids from bandits north of the Shenzhen River. These bandits, lurking near the Huangbei ridge, are a constant threat. To warn of impending attacks, the villagers devised a clever system. Atop a prominent ridge, they placed a large drum. When the lookout spotted the bandits, the drum would boom across the valley, alerting everyone to the danger. This drumming ridge, this Daa2 Gu2 Leng5 in Cantonese, became known as Ta Kwu Leng. While the name now signifies a district in the New Territories, it once held a much broader meaning. Between 1898 and 1980, the colonial government divided the border region into four sections. Ta Kwu Leng was one of these, stretching all the way to present-day Fanling and even encompassing Lo Wu at one point. The echoes of those drumming warnings have faded into history. But the name Sai Kwu Leng remains, a testament to a time of resilience and community spirit.
Sai Wan Shan
Considering a hike today? Sai Wan Shan is calling us. Sai Wan Shan is a hill within Sai Kung East