Shun Tak Kui, Grade I historic house in Shung Ching San Tsuen, Hong Kong.
Shun Tak Kui is a Grade I historic residence in Yuen Long District featuring traditional Chinese architecture with wooden structural elements and tiled roofing. The building displays characteristic window arrangements and interior spatial organization typical of its era.
Leung Kan Sun, a Hakka Chinese from Meixian in Guangdong who had lived in Indonesia, bought the plot in 1930 and in 1934 hired 47 masons from Jiaoling County. They took over two years and spent HK$20,000 to complete the villa. It was listed as a Grade I historic building on 18 December 2009.
The name comes from the couplet at the main door, "慎言是則;德行為先", which urges descendants to speak cautiously and put virtuous conduct first. Villagers still gather at the house, which served as a school for village children from 1957 until 1960.
Shun Tak Kui stands at No. 171 Chong Zheng San Tsuen in Shung Ching San Tsuen, Yuen Long District. The two-storey house covers over 1,000 square metres, so allow time to walk around the exterior and note the carved eaves boards and murals on the front facade. The entrance couplet reads "慎言是則;德行為先". The building is still used by villagers as a gathering place, so visits should respect that.
The house retains its original window patterns and room layouts that offer rare glimpses into how 1930s residents organized their daily lives in Hong Kong. These preserved details reveal practical choices made nearly a century ago.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,854 contributors worldwide.