Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail

Lung Yeuk Tau, the leaping dragon hill, holds a cluster of eleven villages founded by a branch of the Tang clan whose ancestor married a Song princess, five of them walled and six open, and the heritage trail links them past the buildings that mattered to clan life. The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall is the centre of it, one of the largest in Hong Kong, holding the tablets of the clan's ancestors including the princess. Along the route are the Tin Hau temple, a study hall, walled village gates with their enclosing walls and towers, and the Lo Wai village wall. The villages remain inhabited and the walk runs between working houses and fields.

What you actually see

• Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall - one of the largest clan halls in Hong Kong.
• Five walled villages - gates, walls and corner towers still standing.
• The Song princess connection - the ancestry the clan records.
• The Tin Hau temple and study hall - the other clan buildings on the route.

When to go

October to April. Half a day for the full loop of a few kilometres. Buildings open on set hours and close on Tuesdays. Ancestral halls close during clan ceremonies.

Honest expectations

These are lived-in villages, not an open-air museum, and privacy matters. Several buildings are locked outside their short opening hours. The trail runs partly along roads. Signage is inconsistent in places.

Nearby

Fanling is south-west; Tai Fu Tai mansion lies west.