Visit Tai Fu Tai - 大夫第 in San Tin - 新田 Village

Over the past several months I've been helping the good folks at Hong Kong Baptist University to organize "Sacred Spaces" style events for students who live in their Residence Hall. So far we've been to a handful of places including some of our favorites like the 1,000 plus Buddhas at Waterfall Bay Park. As the end of the academic year is approaching I thought it would be a great idea to take their students to one of the most important ancestral temples in Hong Kong, Tai Fu Tai - 大夫第 dedicated to gentry-scholar Man Chung-luen (文頌鑾) of the Man - 文 Clan.

Much has been written about this important site. Man Chung-luen (文頌鑾) was one of the highest-ranking scholars in what is now called Hong Kong and Tai Fu Tai is a reflection of that high status. Beautifully carved inlay statues, as well as examples of classical calligraphy (some in Manchu Script), denote his rank in the Qing Dynastry. This mansion along with some adjacent structures is a real gem along the north of Hong Kong.

Sacred Spaces previously visited TFT last year as part of our Wetland Walk Series and I've been meaning to schedule a return ever since. This will be a unique experience even by Sacred Spaces standards in that we'll have a combined group of students from HKBU and members from Sacred Spaces. These students are really great and eager to learn about Hong Kong so integrating them into a more "typical" Sacred Spaces event makes a lot of sense.

In addition to Tai Fu Tai, we'll also look at several other smaller sights surrounding the village to get a full measure of this important part of Hong Kong.