SAM TUNG UK MUSEUM HISTORY

Sam Tung Uk House (built 1786 onward)

Sam Tung Uk is a Hakka dwelling founded in 1786 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

The name of the house literally means “Three Beam Dwelling” and aptly describes the original floor plan.At that time the Chan clan, which was originally from Fujian, had moved to Guangdong and then to Hong Kong to engage in farming.

Under the leadership of the clan patriarch, Chan Yam-shing, the house was constructed as four modules clustered around an ancestral shrine at the north center.

As the clan grew more prosperous additional units were added to the house, giving it its current appearance. Other rooms were attached to the north, but the house’s rectangular plan allowed for easy expansion.

The descendants of the pioneers lived in the house for over two hundred years. As late as the 1970s, Chan clan members still farmed in this area of Hong Kong.

Finally, in 1980, with the encroachment of urban sprawl, the last clan member moved out.

In March 1981 the house was recognized by the Antiquities Advisory Board as a historical monument and was protected from destruction.

The Advisory Board repaired the house, bringing in authentic Hakka material from nearby Guangdong province.

Nowadays the museum is a little too well maintained. Although it preserves authentic architectural features from centuries past, it has been spruced up so much that it looks almost new.