Pak Sha O

Pak Sha O (Chinese: 白沙澳) is an area and a village of Sai Kung North, in Tai Po District, Hong Kong.

Entrance Hall of Ho Residence in Pak Sha O.

Watchtower Ho Residence in Pak Sha O.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel.

Pak Sha O Youth Hostel.

Administration

Pak Sha O and Pak Sha O Ha Yeung (白沙澳下洋) are recognized villages under the New Territories Small House Policy.^[1]

History

Pak Sha O Village, located south of Pak Hoi Ha in Sai Kung, New Territories, has a history dating back to the 17th century.

It has been reported that the villages of Sham Chung, Lai Chi Chong and Pak Sha O had historically close social ties.^[2]

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Pak Sha O was 117. The number of males was 52.^[3]

In 1799, a Hakka family surnamed Yung arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China and settled in Sai Kung's Hoi Ha. A descendant of the Yung family, Yung Shi-chiu, dissatisfied with the crowded housing, relocated his family to nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yang in 1918, establishing a large mansion and renaming it "King Siu Sai kui" His close friend and fellow Hakka, Ho Yi-ko, built the Ho Clan House in Pak Sha O Village across the street, establishing his home there. However, in the 1970s, the government constructed the High Island Reservoir and a dam at Hoi Ha, significantly reducing the flow of the Pak Sha O River, a phenomenon known as "water diversion." Farmland became uncultivable, forcing villagers to leave their homes and some even emigrate.^[4]

Chapel

Pak Sha O is the site of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel (聖母無玷之心小堂). A first chapel was built in Pak Sha O in 1880 on another site.^[5] The conversion of Pak Sha O into a Catholic village partly resulted from the desire of the villagers to combat the harassment of the tax-lords of Sheung Shui. The current chapel was built between 1915 and 1923. The site is now used as a training campsite by the Catholic Scout Guild.^[6]

Other features

• Several buildings of the former Ho Residence and the Ho Ancestral Hall, as well as the King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in Pak Sha O are Grade I historic buildings.
• Pak Sha O Youth Hostel (白沙澳青年旅舍)
• King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yeung (白沙澳下洋) are Grade I historic buildings.