Shek Lo, Grade I historic villa in Shung Him Tong Tsuen, Fanling, Hong Kong.
Shek Lo is a two-story residence in Fanling that mixes Chinese and Western architectural styles on a hillside setting. The building displays a colonial front porch, European-style windows, and a traditional Chinese clay tile roof.
Shek Lo was built in 1925 by Peter Tsui Yan Sau, founder of Wah Yan College in Hong Kong and Kowloon, and father of Hui Ka-cheung, the first Chinese administrative officer. In the 1930s Tsui lent the house to the Catholic community for Mass, and a dispute over Chinese marriage customs led to the building of St Joseph's Church in Fanling in 1953. It was listed as a Grade II historic building in 2005 and upgraded to Grade I in 2011.
The name Shek Lo, meaning "Stone Cottage", appears in grey stucco on a semicircular brick wall at the front of the property. In the 1930s, the owner lent the house to the Catholic community for Mass; Fanling Catholics could choose between travelling to the Tai Po Hui church or attending Mass here. This arrangement ended when Father Valva Didacus D'Ayala sought separate land, leading to the construction of St Joseph's Church in Fanling in 1953.
Shek Lo is a private property and is not open to visitors; it can only be viewed from outside. The building has been abandoned for many years, and its front lawn is overgrown with weeds and shrubs. It was listed as a Grade II historic building in 2005 and upgraded to Grade I in 2011.
In the 1930s, its owner lent Shek Lo to the local Catholic community for Mass; Fanling Catholics could travel by train to the Tai Po Hui church or attend Mass here instead. This arrangement later led to the building of St Joseph's Church in Fanling in 1953.
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