The history of the east gate

The east gate is the main entrance to Li Chi Wo Village. According to the oral history of the village elders, the east gate was built at around year 1790. The sixth generation of the Tsang family settled there was advised by a Feng Shui master to build the gates and walls with houses built within so as to bring more children and wealth to the village.

The Pailou at the east gate has been restored 3-4 times, but its appearance has never changed much. The Pailou at the east gate is made of mud bricks and stones, while the four sides are built with solid blue bricks that symbolise status. Pailou has a pitched roof, which is laid in the Hakka style.

The Countryside Conservation Office under Environmental and Ecology Bureau has funded this project to restore the Pailou. The pitched roof was re-laid, the wooden beams and rafters that were damaged by termites were replaced and the stone grains were removed for re-plaster. The restoration mainly adopting the traditional Hakka construction methods to achieve the objective of "restoring the old as it was".