Site of Fat Tau Chau Custom Station, Archaeological site and declared monument in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong
This customs station sat on an island and featured stone buildings that controlled maritime trade passing through regional waters. The ruins reveal how structures were arranged and what materials builders used during that period.
A senior provincial official established the station in 1868 to collect taxes on goods moving through these waters. Operations ceased in 1899 when regional political conditions shifted.
Inscriptions carved into stones at the site reveal how merchants and officials communicated across different regions through maritime trade networks. These marks show the connections that linked this place to distant trading partners.
The site occupies an island accessible only by boat, so plan a water journey to visit. Objects found here are displayed at a museum in the city center, giving you more context about what you see at the ruins.
Beyond the customs structures, visitors find ruins of a house and a Qing Dynasty gravestone scattered across the same island. These separate discoveries show that the island was home to people from different times and walks of life.
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