Dual role: Defence and Feng Shui

By the start of the Qing dynasty, one of Hong Kong’s native ethnic groups, the Punti (also known as the “weitou people”), had already settled in Hong Kong. During the Ming and Qing eras, coastal areas in southern China faced frequent attacks from pirates and bandits. Villages also often came into conflict over land resources, leading clans to construct defensive structures. Moats were a common feature of these defences, serving not only as a physical barrier but also carrying deep feng shui significance. 

These moats, also called “village-encircling waters” in Chinese, were thought to gather qi (life energy) and shield against strong winds. According to the “Gazetteer of Xin’an County”, a good village location was one with mountains behind and water in front, as flowing water is believed to attract wealth and blessings. Villagers believed that moats could stabilize energy and protect their family prosperity. Hence, moats fused the practical with the spiritual: preventing fires and deterring thieves while providing spiritual comfort. 

Kat Hing Wai: The iron gate and the moat

Kat Hing Wai in Kam Tin was established by a branch of the Tang clan during the Chenghua reign of the Ming dynasty (around the 1470s). When the village was first founded, it had no protective walls or moat. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722), pirate activity increased along the coast, prompting villagers to extensively fortify their villages. Built in a rectangle, Kat Hing Wai is surrounded by approximately six metre high blue brick walls with watchtowers at each of its four corners. Outside the walls, a moat about ten metres wide once ran along three sides of the village. There was a single crossing over the moat, which led to a heavy iron gate that was the sole entrance to the village. Besides making it more difficult for enemies to mount a direct attack, the moat also provided villagers with water for firefighting and everyday needs. 

Sheung Shui Wai: A moat of flowing water

Sheung Shui Wai, also called “Wai Loi Tsuen,” was established by the Liu clan during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (circa 1570s). Records indicate that their founding ancestor Liu Chung-kit settled in Sheung Shui in the late Yuan dynasty (1300s). By the Wanli period, incursions by pirates such as Lee Man-wing prompted the villagers to build defensive walls. Work on the moat began in 1647 and was completed the following year, demonstrating the organizational capacity of the Liu clan. 

Sheung Shui Wai’s moat has an ingenious hydraulic design. About five metres wide and two metres deep, it is connected to the Shek Sheung and Sheung Yue Rivers, using their natural flows to circulate fresh water around the village. This helps keep the water clean, supporting irrigation, drainage, fire prevention, and climate regulation as well as defence. Complementing the four-metre-high blue brick walls, Sheung Shui Wai’s moat is the quintessential example of water engineering in walled villages of the New Territories, showcasing traditional society’s deep understanding and creative use of their natural environment.  

Modern transformation and changes in function

As villages expanded and the threat of bandits decreased, the security situation in the New Territories improved, reducing the need for defensive moats. Records show that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some walled villages, like Tai Wai Village, started filling in their moats to build more houses, so that by 1905, only half of its moat remained. Urban development further sped up this process, leading to the filling of moats for construction and prompting a reassessment of their original significance.

In the 1960s, part of the Sheung Shui Wai’s moat was filled in to build houses to accommodate its growing population. Kat Hing Wai’s was narrowed in the 1980s due to roadworks. These changes reveal how traditional villages have adapted and compromised in the face of urban sprawl, reflecting unavoidable tensions between heritage and modern development. 

Moats disappeared as villages expanded in places like Tai Hong Wai, Tai Wai Village, Shui Wai in Tai Po, and Nga Tsin Wai (now demolished) in the city. A few still remain, such as Kiu Tau Wai in Ping Shan, Yuen Long. 

Preservation and reinterpretation

In recent years, growing awareness of cultural heritage has drawn attention to the conservation of walled village moats. These waterways reflect the history and local culture of New Territories settlements. Ancient moats allow visitors to experience rural ambience while also helping regulate microclimates and sustaining ecosystems. Most importantly, they serve as valuable field sites for studying traditional hydraulics and village planning.

However, conservation efforts have not always been ideal. In 2010, the Home Affairs Department carried out drainage channel-related works on Kat Hing Wai’s moat. During this period, some sections were filled in, and after the works were complete, the moat was substantially narrowed. Trees along the riverbank were also cut down, attracting criticism from the Conservancy Association for damaging heritage. Officials promised to plant more greenery, but after the works were completed, all that remained of the moat was a shallow lotus pond. All this goes to show, when it comes to heritage conservation, different stakeholders often have completely different definitions and understandings of how to put it into practice. 

Moats in the New Territories’ walled villages originally served as Ming-Qing strongholds against bandits and feuds. Today, they are cultural relics that represent nearly 600 years of Hong Kong history, documenting the organization of clan society, traditional knowledge of environmental adaptation, and the way rural communities have persisted and adjusted to modernity. 

This article was written by contract researcher Ng Cheuk Hang.