Born in 1950, Wong Kau-kan (Uncle Kau) has lived in Tai O all his life.
His grandfather moved from Dongguan to Hong Kong and settled in Tai
O. He founded a funeral service business that served the entire South
Lantau area, including Shui Hau Village. At the age of 16, Uncle Kau
began working alongside his father, learning on the job. He eventually
took over the family business and continues to run it today. The Shui Hau
Diary team first met Uncle Kau when he officiated the funeral of Shui
Hau Village head Chan Yuk-kei’s mother. We had the chance to speak
with him about traditional funeral practices in Shui Hau and across
South Lantau.
My grandfather came from Dongguan, and settled in Tai O. He started a business there more
than 100 years ago. Back then, he was already performing funeral ceremonies in Shui Hau
Village. At that time, people in the funeral business didn’t take on apprentices. Everything
was passed down through the family, from father to son, then to the grandson. In 1967, when
I was about 16 or 17, I started training as a nam mo priest1 and learning to play the suona. I’ve
been doing that ever since.
In terms of funeral ceremonies, Shui Hau Village is quite similar to other villages on Lantau, but some traditional elements are still strictly observed. For example, during the “buying water” ritual, 2 each child of the deceased holds a water container — it used to be a clay basin, but now it’s plastic — and goes to the stream in the village to collect water for washing the deceased’s face. It has always been the same stream. During the “buying water” ritual in Lantau villages, four coins are used, usually four 10-cent coins or four one-dollar coins. Two are thrown into the water, and the other two are kept for the descendants. In the city, people usually use five-dollar coins. Today, earth burials are still practised in Shui Hau. The grave up on the hill can’t be dug in advance. It must be done on the day of the burial. This is called “digging the golden well”.
In the past, when it was clear that an elderly person was nearing the end, they’d be dressed in sau yi (garments for the deceased) and laid out in the living room. As soon as they passed, villagers would come straight to us on foot. There were no phones back then! People didn’t pick a burial date like we do today. The body of the deceased was buried shortly after death. If the body stayed at home too long, it would start to smell.
In terms of funeral ceremonies, Shui Hau Village is quite similar to other villages on Lantau, but some traditional elements are still strictly observed. For example, during the “buying water” ritual, 2 each child of the deceased holds a water container — it used to be a clay basin, but now it’s plastic — and goes to the stream in the village to collect water for washing the deceased’s face. It has always been the same stream. During the “buying water” ritual in Lantau villages, four coins are used, usually four 10-cent coins or four one-dollar coins. Two are thrown into the water, and the other two are kept for the descendants. In the city, people usually use five-dollar coins. Today, earth burials are still practised in Shui Hau. The grave up on the hill can’t be dug in advance. It must be done on the day of the burial. This is called “digging the golden well”.
In the past, when it was clear that an elderly person was nearing the end, they’d be dressed in sau yi (garments for the deceased) and laid out in the living room. As soon as they passed, villagers would come straight to us on foot. There were no phones back then! People didn’t pick a burial date like we do today. The body of the deceased was buried shortly after death. If the body stayed at home too long, it would start to smell.
Sau yi
Sau yi , literally “longevity jacket”, is worn by the deceased during burial. However, only those over 60
years old or whose children are already married may be dressed in this traditional attire. If the deceased is
under 60, they are dressed in clothing they liked or wore during their lifetime.
In Hong Kong, sau yi typically follows the rule of “even number for men, odd number for women”. Villages
on Lantau also observe this tradition. A male sau yi comprises six items: undershirt, underpants, a shirt,
trousers, a long robe and a magua (a traditional Chinese jacket). Accessories include shoes, socks, a
handkerchief, a fan and a traditional skullcap known as bok mou. The female set consists of seven items —
the same as the male set, with the addition of a skirt and without the bok mou. In modern funerals, sau yi is usually purchased by the family after their loved one has passed away, whereas in the past, it was prepared
in advance.
Source:《逝者善終、生者善別：圖解香港華人喪葬禮俗 研究報告》and Wong Kau-kan
On the first night, we would go to the home of the deceased and play the suona informing
villagers and relatives that the elderly person has passed away. This is a form of giving obituary
notice. In the past, we had to play the suona the whole night. That was tough! The next day,
we’d head up the hill for the burial after completing the rituals in the living room and at the
entrance of the home. Nowadays, because most elderly people pass away in the hospital, the
family members usually bring the body back to the village before the burial for rituals, a dazhai
ceremony 3 and a night vigil. 4 Or it can be done the other way around — the burial on the hill is
done first, and the dazhai ceremony and rituals are performed afterwards. Villagers now hire
people to set up a temporary shed in the parking area for the rituals, instead of holding the
funeral procession at home like in the past.
In the 1960s and 70s, everyone in the village worked in the farm and were physically strong. A lot of tasks required for the funeral rituals were handled by family members and fellow villagers. There was no need to hire outsiders. The tasks included carrying the coffin. Coffins were heavy, and the hill path from Tai O to Shui Hau via Shek Pik was rugged. It wouldn’t be possible to carry the coffin all the way through. Usually, four or five people from the village would go to Tai O to buy a coffin and then disassemble it into several planks. Each person would carry one piece back to the deceased’s home. We’d then reassemble the coffin. On the morning of the burial, some of the men from the village would go up the hill to dig the grave. The soil in Shui Hau Village is clay sand, which is easy to dig and would take around two hours. But in Tai Long Wan, there are only large rocks, so it can take much longer! In the past, it took many villagers to carry the coffin up the hill. They’d take turns every few steps. There was no stopping and the coffin could not be set down on the ground. Now we take care of the task.
In the old days, the items needed for a funeral were handmade by the villagers. One example is the funeral garments, such as white robes and hemp clothing. The men would go to Tai O or Cheung Chau to buy the fabrics. The women would do the cutting and stitching. Male children of the deceased would have to wear a specific hat made from rice straw – there was a lot of rice straw in Shui Hau Village. The bamboo and wood used to make the mourning staffs and funeral streamers were sourced from the village. Bamboo was used for men; for women, people used wood from incense trees 5 — the highly valuable type that could be made into incense. There used to be lots of incense trees in the village, but they’re all gone now!
In the 1960s and 70s, everyone in the village worked in the farm and were physically strong. A lot of tasks required for the funeral rituals were handled by family members and fellow villagers. There was no need to hire outsiders. The tasks included carrying the coffin. Coffins were heavy, and the hill path from Tai O to Shui Hau via Shek Pik was rugged. It wouldn’t be possible to carry the coffin all the way through. Usually, four or five people from the village would go to Tai O to buy a coffin and then disassemble it into several planks. Each person would carry one piece back to the deceased’s home. We’d then reassemble the coffin. On the morning of the burial, some of the men from the village would go up the hill to dig the grave. The soil in Shui Hau Village is clay sand, which is easy to dig and would take around two hours. But in Tai Long Wan, there are only large rocks, so it can take much longer! In the past, it took many villagers to carry the coffin up the hill. They’d take turns every few steps. There was no stopping and the coffin could not be set down on the ground. Now we take care of the task.
In the old days, the items needed for a funeral were handmade by the villagers. One example is the funeral garments, such as white robes and hemp clothing. The men would go to Tai O or Cheung Chau to buy the fabrics. The women would do the cutting and stitching. Male children of the deceased would have to wear a specific hat made from rice straw – there was a lot of rice straw in Shui Hau Village. The bamboo and wood used to make the mourning staffs and funeral streamers were sourced from the village. Bamboo was used for men; for women, people used wood from incense trees 5 — the highly valuable type that could be made into incense. There used to be lots of incense trees in the village, but they’re all gone now!
Mourning staff
The mourning staff is made of bamboo or wood. It used
to be chest-length, but by the time Uncle Kau joined the
profession, it had been replaced by a shorter version,
measuring about one chek (Chinese foot). Wrapped
with red, white and hemp cloths, the mourning staff
is held by the children of the deceased as a symbol of
respect and grief. One view is that it served as a walking
aid for the bereaved children, who were often physically
and emotionally exhausted. Another explanation is that
it was used to clear weeds and ward off snakes, insects
and wild animals during the procession up the hill.
Source:《逝者善終、生者善別：圖解香港華人喪葬禮俗 研究報告》and Wong Kau-kan
Ming sing
The funeral streamer, known as ming sing ( 銘旌) in Cantonese, is a long banner displayed in front of the
coffin during a funeral. It is made from a piece of red cloth attached to a bamboo or wooden pole.
According to Uncle Kau, the ming sing used in funeral rites on Lantau consists of a piece of cloth
measuring seven chek two tsun (Chinese inch) in length, and a 10-tsun pole. The streamer bears the name,
age and gender of the deceased. When the coffin is carried up the hill, it is usually the son-in-law of the
deceased who holds the streamer at the front as a way to honour the deceased.
Source:《逝者善終、生者善別：圖解香港華人喪葬禮俗 研究報告》and Wong Kau-kan
Funeral rituals nowadays are actually pretty much the same as
before. But in the past, after coming down from the hill, family
members continued with the “seven-day mourning” practice. 6
They would mourn on the “first seven”, “second seven”, “third
seven” and so on. Back then, dazhai and the “breaking the
hell’s gate” ritual were done during the “third seven”. The meal
people have after coming down from the hill is called kai wai
chau. It is eaten before the funeral rites are fully completed.
There are seven dishes. Once the funeral is officially over,
there’s a banquet called ying hong yin with eight courses. Today,
people do all the rituals in one day and have ying hong yin after
going up the hill the following day. And that’s it.
