Qing Dynasty Customs Post [????- ]

Submitted by Lewis on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 22:11
Current condition
Ruin

According to a survey of Pottinger's Battery,  a set of ruins found here were determined to be part of a Qing Dynasty Customs post. This had a view of Tung Lung Island, which another imperial fort was located at. This is probably related to the interception of pirate ships sailing into Junk Bay.

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Photos that show this Place

Pottinger Battery Destroyed Structure, Overlooking Lei Yue Mun
????

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This ruin is actually quite well known but over the years, the site has been falling into disrepair. The customs post was built probably during or soon after the year 1724, as the Tung Lung Fort, which the fort faces, was built during that year.  The site consists of the foundations of a large room with a small adjacent chamber on the left that is rather intact compared with the rest of the site. There are loopholes that resemble the ones on Devil's Peak. The site has looked the same since 1963( from aerial photographs), except for more vegetation. 

I have seen pictures of the site recently, however someone has placed yellow tape on the top of one of the walls. This should be a key heritage site of Hong Kong and needs to be protected.  

Hi There,

Kindly provide more information.  I have only heard of the one in Ma Wan, the other in Fat Tau Chau, and maybe Cheung Chau (uncertain about this one).

Are there any engravings to support the location?

T

Hi,

The sources for this is the Survey of Pottinger Battery by Lawrence W. C. Lai. You can access it through JSTOR.
Another source is a few blurry frames of a documentary by the name of " The Guns Of Pottinger". This footage I found through a avid hiker and "Gwulo-er" . His video is in the link below. Anyway, can you please give me information about the ones in Ma Wan and Cheung Chau?   I know about the Fat Tong Chau customs station already, but would really want some information on the two sites.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEkF6PpoJl8&t=597s

 

Thank you so much 

Hi There,

For Cheung Chau what I have is what Google Search could locate.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E9%95%B7%E6%B4%B2%E7%A8%85%E9%97%9C&oq=%E9%95%B7%E6%B4%B2%E7%A8%85&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgYIARBFGDkyBggCEEUYQNIBCTEzOTc1ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Not all of the links has English versions.

For JSTOR, I have never access it yet.  May take up the free access offer later as I do not have any academic account anywhere.

T

Hi there,

For the Ma Wan site, based on the info at Wiki, there had been stone engravings of it, which had been relocated to the municiple office 鄉事會辦事處 in the old village.  However a few months age on my first visit to Ma Wan, the foot path to the old village was blocked because there are demolition works in the old village.  I don't know what is the plan of the developer there and certainly unaware of what may be left behind now the all villages of various had been relocated either to other places on Ma Wan, or Tung Chung.

T

Hi there

I read a little bit about the customs post at Fat Tong Chau and Ma Wan. Those are suspected to be built in the reign of Guangxu(1875-1908). The customs post at Devil's Peak must be from an earlier date than this. 

Honestly, I am kind of surprised that there weren't any Qing customs posts on Hong Kong Island, as it would prove a prime location for any inteception of vessels. Do you think there are any?