Kang Yung Study Hall (revised in Sep 2010)

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The Kang Yung Study Hall was founded by the Li Clan ofWo Hang Village in
Sha Tau Kok. The ancestors of this Hakka clan had settled in Fujian province at
the end of the Song dynasty (early 13th century), and some of their descendants
later migrated to Boluo county in Guangdong province. In the late 1680s, Li
Tak-wah and his son Li Kuen-lam moved from Boluo to Wo Hang in Xin'an
county (later renamed Baoan), where they laid the foundations for the village.
Wo Hang literally means "valley of rice". When Li Tak-wah and Li Kuen-lam
moved to the area, they took the advice of Li Sam-yau, a feng shui expert, and
established their village near the mouth of the valley. This village was then called
Sheung Wo Hang (Upper Wo Hang). The descendants ofKuen-lam's second son
branched out to found two other villages, Ha Wo Hang (Lower Wo Hang) and
Wo Hang Tai Long, in around 1730 and 1750 respectively.
Descendants of the Li Clan still reside in these three villages in Wo Hang today,
although since the 1950s many have moved to urban areas in Hong Kong and
even abroad, mostly to Jamaica and England.
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Migration route of the Li Clan from
mainland China to Wo Hang
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An aerial photo showing the three villages in Wo Hang in 2010;
Kang Yung Study Hall is circled in yellow.
An aerial photo showing Sheung Wo Hang in the 1950s

II~ 3 §! Kang Yung Study Hall
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"Kang Yung" literally means "mirror and hibiscus': and it is thought that the name
that the Li Clan gave to their study hall may have originated in a legend described
in the anecdote You Yang Za Zu written by Duan Chengshi (803-863) during the
Tang dynasty (618-907). After failing the civil service examination, a would-be
official named Li Guyan (782-860) travelled to Sichuan, where he met an old
woman who foretold that Li would succeed in the examination the following year
under a hibiscus-shaped mirror and ascend in 20 years' time to the post of prime
minister. Sure enough, Li was ranked first in the following year's examination, in
which candidates were asked to write a poem entitled "Hibiscus-shaped mirror";
the prophecy was completed 20 years later when Li became prime minister.
A more immediate, and possibly more likely, reason for the naming of the study
hall was the success ofTang Yung-kang ( 1831-1900), who was awarded the grade of
jinshi in 1871. The honourary plaques of Tang Yung-kang are found in some
ancestral halls of Tang dans in the territory. This event would have had a tremendous
impact, and it is safe to assume that the Kang Yung Study Hall was named to
inspire students to emulate Tang Yung-kang's success as well as that ofLi Guyan.
The four Chinese characters "Kang Yung Shu Uk" that can be seen above the main
entrance were inscribed by Li Pui-yuen in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign
(1872). Li was a famous Wo Hang scholar who spent many years teaching at the
study hall and who notably coached one of his pupils, Li Cheung-chun, to first
place in the district examination (xiucai) in Guangzhou.
In contrast to most study halls in the New Territories, which were also used as
ancestral halls, the Kang Yung Study Hall is a rare example of one that was built
solely for teaching purposes. It served as vibrant testimony to the respect and
commitment that generation after generation of the Li Clan devoted to scholarship.
The study hall was originally established in the form of a sishu (private study hall)
during the early Qing dynasty, catering for five to ten students from the dan. It was
then converted to a two-storey building during the Qianlong reign ( 1736-1795 ).
The study hall was renovated again in 1872 and probably received its name Kang
Yung Study Hall the same year, although some villagers have suggested the name
was in use earlier.
Earning renown for its achievements in preparing students to qualify as shengyuan
or xiucai in the civil service examinations, the boarding study hall attracted
students from as far afield as Tai Po, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan.
The study hall was later converted into a primary school, which was then dosed
when the last pupils departed in the summer of 1986.
Students of the Kang Yung School, July 1950
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H! • ~ {g Architectural Features
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Murals and calligraphy above
the main entrance
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The fascia above the main entrance with the inscriptions "Kang Yung Shu Uk"
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A decorative joint bracket
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A two-storey building with two halls separated by an open courtyard, the Kang
Yung Study Hall is a rectangular structure built with green bricks; the internal
partitions are constructed of unfired mud bricks and rammed earth. Its architecture
is simple and functional, with the exception of some fine decorations at the
entrance. The rooms on the ground floor were used as classrooms and teachers'
common rooms, while the cocklofts provided accommodation for boarding
students. As the inscriptions on the fascia above the entrance indicate, a major
renovation was carried out in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign ( 1872).
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Murals under the roof
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Sid!! Room II
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Main Hall
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II Side Room
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A portrait of Confucius hangs in
the main hall.
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Ground Boor plan
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Cocklofr plan

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The entrance hall before and after restoration
Restoration in progress
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KangYung
Study Hall
i};!:t;~A Public Transport
B Kowloon Motor lmL(KM8)
78K 1::7.1~Jil
Sheung Shui - Sha Tau Kok
••'J'B Green Minibus {GMB)
55K 1::7.1~Jil (JIIi'i~W)
Sheung Shui Station- Sha Tau Kok (Shun Lung Street)
56K
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Fan ling Station- Luk Keng
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The above transport information is for reference only, and is subject to change in accordance with the
transport companies or the Transport Department.
hl Venue
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Sheung Wo Han~ Sha Tau Kok, New Territories
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£ml= · 7L..EL8 · .&M*fi1:FW-~W.::: · ~~8&~~~8'f*,\l!,
9am-1 pm and 2pm-Spm daily
Closed on Tuesday, New Year's Day, the first three days of the Chinese New Year,
Christmas Day and Boxing Day
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~~i§: 2208 4400
f$J1j;: 2721 6216
~:Ill:: http://www.amo.gov.hk
Enquiries
Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre
Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel: 2208 4400
Fax: 2721 6216
Website: http://www.amo.gov.hk
© 2013 ~~.&.3cft.$ffl¥
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© 2013 Leisure and Cultural Services Department
All rights reserved.
2013"¥8Jl tiED
Printed in August 2013
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Leisure and Cultural
5ervioes Department