Wun Yiu Village
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Wun Yiu Village (Chinese: 碗窰村) was a village located in Tai Po in Hong Kong. Wun Yiu means Bowl Kilns in Cantonese language.
Wun Yiu Village consists of Sheung Wun Yiu and Ha Wun Yiu. [1]
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[edit] History
The area was once a center of porcelain industry in the New Territories.
The clans of Man and Tse began manufacturing the blue and white porcelain in the Ming dynasty(1368-1644).
In 1674 (the 13th year of Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty), A Ma clan, Hakka people which were originated from Changle county, Guangdong, settled in Tai Po and purchased the kilns from the Man clan. [2]
Becasuse of the competition from good quality and inexpensive porcelain produced by other coastal kilns in Guangdong, the kilns at Wun Yiu finally stopped operating in 1932.
[edit] Declared Monuments
[edit] Wun Yiu Pottery Kilns
The remains of the Ancient Kilns of Wun Yiu Village was declared as monument.
In the remains of the Ancient Kiln, the relics illustrating the complete process of porcelain production was discovered in the archaeological investigations.[2]. These includes china clay quarrying pits, water-mills, animal-driven grinder, clay soaking tanks and dragon kilns..[3]
[edit] Fan Sin Temple
Fan Sin Temple, alias "Fan Sin Kung" or "Fan Sin Miu", was declared a monument on 30 December 1999.
Fan Sin Temple, located in Sheung Wun Yiu, is the main temple in the villages of the Sheung Wun Yiu and Ha Wun Yiu; it is the only sample of this kind which worshipping in Hong Kong.
It is uncertain that when the temple was constructed. However, according to a wooden plaque, which is hanging at the main hall of the temple, the temple has a history of over 200 years as the plagues was carved in the geng-xu year of the Qianlong in reign of Qing Dynasty (1790). It is commonly believed that Fan Sin Temple was built by the Ma clan to worship Fan Tai Sin Sze, the patron saint of potters.[3]
Windows with iron frameworks were installed on four sides of the temple after World War II.
Many historic relics of the temple were destroyed after a serious fire in mid 1970s. The calligraphy and paintings above the entrance were repainted during the renovation in 1976 after the fire. There is a wooden plaque from 1970 and four commemorative stone plaques which record the restorations in 1897, 1925, 1964 and 1976 respectively. [3]
A further restoration of the temple has recently been carried out and it is now open to the public.
[edit] Wun Yiu Trackway
The Wun Yiu Trackway starts at Sheung Wun Yiu Village;it is about 300 metres long. The workers might transport kaolin from the upper mines down to the workshop via this trackway before the kiln stopped operation.[3]
