This looks like the remains of a sugar cane press, placed along the trail near Tai Lo Village.
A very similar such device is on display in the Hong Kong Museum of History, that one has all the wooden parts in place. This one was probably used by villagers to press the juice out of the sugar canes.
Date picture taken
31 Aug 2013
Comments
Grinder or Mill
Traditional grinder or mill. See here
I had such an idea already,
I had such an idea already, but those things look really heavy, wonder how people could possible make them turn.
Stone tool
Sugar cane roller
Sugar Cane roller
That's interesting. I'd assumed they were for grinding grains, but there's a photo of something similar in this document that also says they were for processing sugar cane: http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/shan_ha_tsuen_doc_4.pdf
Can anyone explain how they were used?
Regards, David
Sugar Cane roller
Thanks to PY Lee for uploading these pictures.
The first shows the sugar cane rollers in use. So there was originally a large wooden frame surrounding the stonework that remains. He notes it is a "Drawing from Tian Gong Kai Wu 天工開物 (1637)":
On the second photo he notes "Hard wood wedges work as gear":