Liberal Studies Teaching Kit for Senior Secondary Curriculum Modern China Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village [Teacher notes] ©Hong Kong Heritage Museum Organizer Sponsor Research Team Contents Preamble Teaching plan i Liberal Studies Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village | Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: 1.1 Planned itinerary for the visit 01 1.2 Background information 02 1.3 Features along the route 04 1.4 Check points 1 Entrance Hall 05 2 Assembly Hall 07 3 Ancestral Hall 07 4 Period House 08 5 Side House 09 6 Museum Office 10 7 Backyard 10 1.5 On-site exercise: traditional and modern Chinese society 11 Summary, Key words and Further reading 15 Disclaimer Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. © 2012 Hong Kong Institute of Architects Topic 04 Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village Major teaching areas Interdisciplinary teaching areas Liberal Studies: Module 3 Modern China Visual Arts • Theme 2: Chinese culture and modern life • Visual Arts Appreciation and Criticism in context Design and Applied Technology Related teaching areas • Strand 2 Technological Principles Liberal Studies Liberal Studies: Module 2 Hong Kong Today • Strand 3 Value and Impact • Theme 1: Quality of life • Theme 2: Rule of law and socio -political participation | Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: • Theme 3: Identity Learning objectives • To understand the lifestyle of a traditional Chinese society • To learn about Chinese traditional architecture styles in a Chinese walled village • To study how Chinese traditional customs and beliefs are reflected in the architectural setting • To compare traditional and modern ways of living in Chinese society Teaching plan Lesson Contents Visit • 1.1 Itinerary • Brief introduction to Sam Tung Uk Sam Tung Uk - Chinese • 1.2 Layout of a traditional Chinese walled village Walled Village in Hong • Introduce notable architectural features that are adapted to the local climate Kong and building techniques On-site exercise • Compare the architectural setting of Sam Tung Uk and the city of Hong Kong i 1.1 Planned itinerary for the visit 7 6 3 4 5 Liberal Studies | Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: 2 1 Pre-Trip Introduction (20 min) • Background information on Sam Tung Uk • Objectives and on-site exercise introduction • Planned route • Materials: camera, pencil and notebook Field Trip (approximately 90 minutes) 20 min 10 min 10 min 10 min 10 min 20 min 10 min 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Entrance Hall Assembly Hall Ancestral Hall Period House Side House Museum Backyard Directions How to get there: Sam Tung Uk website http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/eng/museums/samtunguk.aspx 01 1.2 Background information Since the Chan’s clan was a subgroup of Han that migrated from the mainland, they were a Hakka clan. Hakka literally means ‘guest people’, and it usually refers to clans that moved from central China and settled in the south. Most Hakka people moved to Hong Kong during Qing Dynasty. Hakka people share the culture Liberal Studies and traditions of the Han, yet they have their own language and customs. ©Wiki Lo Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: Background of Sam Tung Uk Founded during the Qing Dynasty (1786), Sam Tung Uk was a Hakka walled village built by the Chans (陳氏) who came to Tsuen Wan from Guangdong, South China. Due to their different culture, language and customs, they built walls to protect the village against rival clans. Architectural Merit Throughout its history of over 200 years, the village had always managed to retain its original architectural features, and, on the recommendation of the Antiquities Advisory Board, it was declared a monument in 1981 in recognition of its historical significance. Urban sprawl began to encroach on rural Tsuen Wan in the 1970s and 80s. After the last villager moved out in 1980, Sam Tung Uk was restored and converted p Bird’s-eye view of the village into a museum. ©Hong Kong Heritage Museum The original village consisted of three horizontal rows of building blocks, a typical mode of Chinese architecture (三 進式). Hence the name ‘Sam Tung Uk’ (literally ‘three-row houses’). Functions of the walled village Since Hakka people were immigrants having a different culture, they had to unite and defend themselves against pirates and other possible assaults. Families under the same clan would therefore live together, protected by the village wall. The Ancestral Hall was placed at the most central, prominent location, indicating a strong respect for family tradition. As the Chans were farmers, the architecture was more functional. Rooms were spared for storage of farming tools and crops. The two rooms next to the Entrance Hall were p Floor plan of Sam Tung Uk. All entrances into the storerooms while side buildings were for living as well as units are accessible from internal footpaths. The storage. village plan looks inward, with gates to secure entry points. 02 1 ©Wiki Lo ©Wiki Lo 2 Liberal Studies Building Design All buildings sat on a raised platform of stone that protected the timber interior from rain and flooding. | Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: Mezzanines were built in some of the houses. The family lived and ate on the lower floor while the mezzanine, which was less affected by moisture, was used for storage of crops and farming tools. Use of locally available techniques and materials Stone tread Sam Tung Uk had a simple design and the buildings use traditional 石砛 materials such as bricks, timber and tiles. ©Wiki Lo 3 Adaptation to local climate Between the houses were courtyards and lanes that permitted 1. Simple eaves design of Sam Tung Uk pedestrian circulation and also facilitated natural ventilation and 2. Courtyard with stone platform illumination by natural light. This was particularly important in the hot, 3. Granite floor and tread (石砛) humid subtropical climate of Hong Kong. 4. One of the lanes in the village 5. A side house with mezzanine Function vs. Decoration The roof was not adorned with the typical ornamented tile ends or drip tiles of other traditional buildings; this village was the dwelling place of Hakka farmers and functionality was more important than decoration. The floors were made of granite, a locally available material. 4 5 ©Wiki Lo ©Wiki Lo 03 1.3 Features along the route Proposed Liberal Studies Route Quality of life Traditional Chinese family Related Values and attitudes 1. • Life of the villagers — • Security • Traditional Chinese culture Entrance Hall combination of working • Collectivism of traditional and living Chinese family 2. • Collectivism of traditional • Socio-political participation Assembly Hall Chinese family • Function of socialization in traditional Chinese family 3. • Paying attention to the • Socio-political participation Ancestral Hall dignity and prestige of lineage and clan • The advocacy of ancestor Liberal Studies worship • Authoritarianism 4. • Life of the villagers — • Inheritance of status • Respect of equal Period House family hierarchy • Male dominance opportunities in modern Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: • Allocation in the family society 5. • Life of the villagers — • Allocation in the family • Respect of equal Side House combination of working opportunities in modern and living, and line of society family defence 6. • Life of the villagers — • History of Sam Tung Uk Museum Working and living as • Heritage and identity farmers • Redevelopment and conservation of historic building groups 7. • Redevelopment and • Respect for nature Backyard conservation of historic building groups [Media Corner] To learn more about how Chinese architecture reflects the traditions and customs of Chinese society, please visit: http://rthk.hk/elearning/architecturetour/china_archi. htm#1a Teaching Tips For further information on local architecture, please refer to Arts Topic 02: ‘Chinese Calligraphy, Painting and Architecture ’. ©Wiki Lo 04 1.4 Check points 1 Entrance Hall The Entrance Hall has multiple functions: 1. to control access to the group of buildings, 2. to provide storage for common-use farm tools, and 3. to celebrate the family’s reputation. Access to the village • As the main entrance to the village, the entrance hall is equipped with thick wooden doors for security. Storage • In the past, there was a piece of agricultural land in front of the Liberal Studies entrance hall. The farmers of the Chan’s clan put their farming tools and crops in the two storerooms next to the Entrance Hall. • Two big vases are placed in front of the Entrance Hall. They store water for fire or other emergency use. | Visit: Sam Tung Uk - Culture in Chinese Walled Village in Chinese Walled Uk - Culture Sam Tung | Visit: Celebrate the family’s reputation • In a traditional family’s ancestral house, all guests of the family are welcomed at the Entrance Hall. Therefore, it is decorated with plaques and god shrines. p Decorated entrance hall • During the preservation of Sam Tung Uk, the roof of the Entrance ©Wiki Lo Hall was reconstructed with reinforced concrete and covered by a layer of clay tiles on top and wooden battens on the bottom. ©Wiki Lo p Section of Entrance Hall ©Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong 05 Central axis of the walled village The Entrance Hall was the first hall along the central axis.