# Pak Sha O

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{{Short description|Village and area in Hong Kong}}
thumb|Entrance Hall of Ho Residence in Pak Sha O.
thumb|Watchtower Ho Residence in Pak Sha O.
thumb|Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel.
thumb|Pak Sha O Youth Hostel.
'''Pak Sha O''' ({{zh|t=白沙澳}}) is an area and a village of Sai Kung North, in [Tai Po District](/source/Tai_Po_District), [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong).

==Administration==
Pak Sha O and Pak Sha O Ha Yeung ({{zh|t=白沙澳下洋|labels=no}}) are recognized villages under the [New Territories](/source/New_Territories) [Small House Policy](/source/Small_House_Policy).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.landsd.gov.hk/doc/en/small-house/rv0909.pdf |title=List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy |last= |first= |date=September 2009 |website= |publisher=[Lands Department](/source/Lands_Department) |access-date= |quote=}}</ref>

==History==
Pak Sha O Village, located south of Pak Hoi Ha in Sai Kung, New Territories, has a history dating back to the 17th century. 

It has been reported that the villages of [Sham Chung](/source/Sham_Chung), [Lai Chi Chong](/source/Lai_Chi_Chong) and Pak Sha O had historically close social ties.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Faure |first=David |year=1982 |title=Saikung, The Making of the District and its Experience during World War II |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23889664 |journal=Journal of the [Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch](/source/Royal_Asiatic_Society_Hong_Kong_Branch) |location= |publisher= |volume=23 |pages=207 |doi= |issn=1991-7295 |accessdate=}}</ref>

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Pak Sha O was 117. The number of males was 52.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hase |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Hase |year=1996 |title=Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses |url=https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/ecc123316b3526a31a101b3c4cf08a12.pdf |journal=Journal of the [Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch](/source/Royal_Asiatic_Society_Hong_Kong_Branch) |volume=36 |page=80 |issn=1991-7295}}</ref>

In 1799, a Hakka family surnamed Yung arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China and settled in Sai Kung's Hoi Ha. A descendant of the Yung family, Yung Shi-chiu, dissatisfied with the crowded housing, relocated his family to nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yang in 1918, establishing a large mansion and renaming it "King Siu Sai kui" His close friend and fellow Hakka, Ho Yi-ko, built the Ho Clan House in Pak Sha O Village across the street, establishing his home there. However, in the 1970s, the government constructed the High Island Reservoir and a dam at Hoi Ha, significantly reducing the flow of the Pak Sha O River, a phenomenon known as "water diversion." Farmland became uncultivable, forcing villagers to leave their homes and some even emigrate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=洋人活化客家村 宜家宜居白沙澳-香港商报 |url=https://www.hkcd.com/content/2015-11/12/content_969160.html |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=www.hkcd.com}}</ref>

==Chapel==
Pak Sha O is the site of the [Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel](/source/Historic_churches_of_Sai_Kung) ({{zh|t=聖母無玷之心小堂|labels=no}}). A first chapel was built in Pak Sha O in 1880 on another site.<ref name="abandoned">{{cite news |last=Heaver |first=Stuart |date=27 February 2016 |title=The abandoned churches of Sai Kung: how Italian missionaries established Hakka congregations in Hong Kong |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1916619/abandoned-churches-sai-kung-how-italian-missionaries |work=[South China Morning Post](/source/South_China_Morning_Post) }}</ref> The conversion of Pak Sha O into a Catholic village partly resulted from the desire of the villagers to combat the harassment of the tax-lords of [Sheung Shui](/source/Sheung_Shui). The current chapel was built between 1915 and 1923. The site is now used as a training campsite by the Catholic Scout Guild.<ref>Historic Building Appraisal: [http://www.aab.gov.hk/historicbuilding/en/970_Appraisal_En.pdf Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Pak Sha O]</ref>

==Other features==
* Several buildings of the former Ho Residence and the Ho Ancestral Hall, as well as the King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in Pak Sha O are [Grade I historic buildings](/source/Heritage_conservation_in_Hong_Kong).
* Pak Sha O Youth Hostel ({{zh|t=白沙澳青年旅舍|labels=no}})
* King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun in nearby Pak Sha O Ha Yeung ({{zh|t=白沙澳下洋|labels=no}}) are [Grade I historic buildings](/source/Heritage_conservation_in_Hong_Kong).

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite news |last=Yau |first=Elaine |date=28 September 2015 |title=The expats who revived Hong Kong village Pak Sha O and impressed absentee owners with their labour |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1862089/expats-who-revived-hong-kong-village-pak-sha-o-and-absentee-owners |work=[South China Morning Post](/source/South_China_Morning_Post) }}
*{{cite news |last=Knowles |first=Hazel |date=27 March 2012 |title=Unravelling the Past |url=http://www.chinadailyasia.com/life/2012-03/27/content_72781.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919104027/http://www.chinadailyasia.com/life/2012-03/27/content_72781.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 September 2013 |work=[China Daily](/source/China_Daily) }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Pak Sha O}}
* [https://www.had.gov.hk/rre/images/village_map1922/P/p-skn-18.pdf Delineation of area of existing village Pak Sha O (Sai Kung North) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)]
* [Antiquities Advisory Board](/source/Antiquities_Advisory_Board). Historic Building Appraisal. [https://www.aab.gov.hk/filemanager/aab/common/historicbuilding/en/118_Appraisal_En.pdf King Siu Sai Kui and Hau Fuk Mun, Pak Sha O Ha Yeung] [https://www.aab.gov.hk/filemanager/aab/common/historicbuilding/photo/118_Photo.pdf Pictures]
* [Antiquities Advisory Board](/source/Antiquities_Advisory_Board). Historic Building Appraisal. [https://www.aab.gov.hk/filemanager/aab/common/historicbuilding/en/970_Appraisal_En.pdf Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Pak Sha O] [https://www.aab.gov.hk/filemanager/aab/common/historicbuilding/photo/970_Photo.pdf Pictures]

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Category:Villages in Tai Po District, Hong Kong
Category:Sai Kung North

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pak Sha O](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Sha_O) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Sha_O?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.