Glossary
Chi hau
The term chi hau, commonly used by local villagers, comes from the Wai Tau dialect and refers to Asiatic hard clam.
Chi hau eye / clam eye (clam show)
During high tide, clams emerge on the sand surface to filter-feed on micro-organisms. When the tide recedes, they burrow back down, leaving behind uneven dimple-like marks in the sand that local villagers call “chi hau eyes” or “clam eyes”.
Chi hau sickle
Chi hau sickle (or “chi hau lim”) is a tool specially made by Shui Hau villagers for
digging clams. It is made from a hooked blade and a bamboo stick, and is easy to
use. First, insert the chi hau sickle into the sand. If there is a “clack-clack” sound,
that means the hook has struck a clam shell, and the clam can be pulled out.
South Lantau Road
South Lantau Road is the first major road on Lantau Island. It connects Mui Wo and Shek Pik via Pui O, San Shek Wan, Cheung Sha, Tong Fuk and Shui Hau.
The road was completed in two phases. The first section running from Mui Wo to Cheung Sha was opened to traffic on 3 August 1957. The second, from Cheung Sha to Shek Pik, was opened in 1959. In 1969, it was officially named “South Lantau Road”, with the designation published in the government gazette.
Shek Pik Village / Shek Pik Tai Tsuen
The village was located at the present-day site of Shek Pik Reservoir. In the late 1950s to early 1960s, the Hong Kong government built a reservoir in Shek Pik Village in southern Lantau to ease water shortage. Four villages — Shek Pik Tai Tsuen, Fan Pui Tsuen, Kong Pui Tsuen and Hang Tsai Tsuen — were submerged as a result, and about 250 villagers had to relocate.
Shek Pik New Village
The government built six five‑storey tong lau (tenement buildings) in Tsuen Wan to rehouse the Shek Pik villagers displaced by the construction of Shek Pik Reservoir.
The stream
The stream that runs through Shui Hau Village is locally known as shui hang
(literally meaning water pit). In the 1960s and 70s, villagers still used it to
collect water and wash their clothes. Today, they have switched to tap water. The
upstream area was where villagers washed their clothes, so it was known as sai
sam hang (washing pit). The downstream section was called “Tai Cheong pit”
after a nearby shop of the same name.
Pa Tin Gei
The 19th day of the first lunar month is known as Pa Tin Gei. As part of the
tradition, Shui Hau villagers used to make zaap chi, a ritual food made from
sweet potatoes, glutinous rice flour and five-spice powder.
Weiya
On the second and 16th days of each lunar month, rituals are held to worship the Earth God, a practice known as “doing ya”. The ritual on the 16th day of the 12th lunar month is the last of the year, and is therefore called Weiya (literally “the last ya”).
Tai Wong Yeh
Tai Wong Yeh is one of the many titles for the Earth God. Different communities
have their own names for this deity, such as Fuk Tak Ching San, To Tei Kung (also
Tudigong), Pak Kung, She Sun and She Kung, all of which refer to the guardian of
the land. Villagers worship Tai Wong Yeh during festivals and weddings, praying
for good weather and peace.
Earth God Altar
The Earth God Altar of Shui Hau Village, while also being a shrine to the Earth God, is smaller than that of Tai Wong Yeh. It was built on a path that once led to
farmland. Its purpose is to bless villagers with safety when working in the fields and with good harvests.
Stone Gate, upper & lower village
The Stone Gate is not an actual gate or doorway but a pair of boundary stones. It is said that the stones used to mark the entrance to Shui Hau Village. Shui Hau Village used to be divided into the upper and lower parts (Sheung Luk and Ha Luk), with the Stone Gate marking the boundary.
Courtesy name
In the Shui Hau tradition, male villagers are given a courtesy name from their
family when they marry. During the wedding ceremony, villagers sing the “name
raising song” and hang a red sheet bearing the groom’s courtesy name on the
east wall of the house.
Grain Store
In the past, villagers of Shui Hau made a living from farming, and some families owned different functional structures in the village, such as grain stores and cowsheds. The Grain Store, owned by Mink Chan and her elder sister Chan Fung-ha, was previously used for storing grains and farming tools. After restoration, it now serves as a gallery showcasing the farming and clam-digging tools that villagers once relied on for their livelihood.
House No. 49
This old residence of the Chan family is a Grade III historic building. The single-storey, pitched-roof house has a “one-hall-one-courtyard” layout. After restoration, it now exhibits everyday items once used by villagers. The property is managed by villager Cecily Chan Nga-li.