Tai Tseng Wai

“Five hundred years,” Old Man Cheng mused, stroking his long, white beard, “five hundred years has Tai Tseng Wai stood here.” He gestured to the fish ponds of Fung Lok Wai, shimmering under the Hong Kong sun. “Our ancestors, the Chengs and the Leungs, first cast their nets here, arriving from Tai Peng in Tung Kwun.” We stand at the heart of Tai Tseng Wai, a walled village in Wang Chau, Yuen Long District. Tai Tseng Wai isn’t just walls and houses. It’s a living testament to generations of families–the Chengs, Leungs, Shings, Lams, and Tangs–who built their lives here. Their history is etched into the very stones of this place. The village thrived on fishing and farming, a quiet hum of activity against the backdrop of the surrounding hills. They shared a gods hall within Tai Tseng Wai and a Tin Hau temple near Ng Uk Tsuen with the neighboring villages of Ng Uk Tsuen and Shing Uk Tsuen. This area, Tai Tseng, encompasses all three villages, a tight-knit community bound by shared traditions and mutual support. Tai Tseng Wai itself is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. It’s part of the Ping Shan Rural Committee and the Ping Shan North constituency. The spirit of Tai Tseng Wai, however, goes beyond administrative boundaries. It resides in the memories whispered down through generations, in the shared laughter echoing from the gods hall, and in the quiet strength of the walls that have sheltered families for centuries. This isn’t just a place on a map. It is a home, woven into the fabric of Hong Kong’s history.