“How did this valley get its name?” I hear you ask as we stand here at Tang Sum Wo. Tang Sum Wo translated means “Candlelight Cave.” It’s a poetic name isn’t it? This place isn’t just a valley. It is a piece of Shenzhen’s soul.
Although we are in Hong Kong right now, let’s talk about Shenzhen. Shenzhen is a city of immigrants and delicious food. Cantonese dim sum is very popular there. Locals in Shenzhen love to enjoy “morning tea.” Morning tea is what they call dim sum and tea before noon. Dim sum restaurants now serve it in the afternoon. It is more of a brunch now.
Cantonese dim sum comes in many varieties. The portions are small. This lets you taste many different dishes. Some classic dim sum dishes include Cha Shao Bao. Cha Shao Bao is a steamed bun. It’s stuffed with barbecued roast pork. Another classic is Xia Jiao. Xia Jiao is a shrimp dumpling. A good shrimp dumpling has fresh shrimp. The dumpling wrapper should be al dente. It should be juicy inside. Another dish is Shao Mai. Shao Mai is a pork dumpling. It has many ingredients and a special shape. Dou Chi Feng Zhua is also popular. It is chicken claw with black bean sauce. Chinese people call chicken claw “Phoenix talon.” They think chickens and phoenixes are related. Luo Bo Gao is another dish. It is a pan-fried turnip patty. Some people give it as a gift before the Spring Festival. Chang Fen is a steamed rice roll. You can mix it with different flavors. These flavors include shrimp, beef, roast pork, or egg.
While we might not be sampling dim sum here at Tang Sum Wo, let us continue our journey through Shenzhen. Let’s travel to Tanglang Mountain County Park. It’s located in Nanshan District. It’s a large park. It occupies 15,000 acres. That’s 23 square miles. The park is heavily forested. Forests cover 87% of the area. Tanglang Peak tops the hills. It stands 430 meters high. Citizens voted it into the Top 10 peaks of Shenzhen.
Think about those early residents seeking shelter. Imagine them finding this valley. They see the way the light flickers through the trees. It looks like candlelight illuminating a hidden cave. So, they named this place Tang Sum Wo. A reminder of nature’s beauty, Tang Sum Wo invites reflection. It stands as a testament to the past. It inspires us to appreciate the present. Let’s carry that spirit with us as we continue our journey.