1. The History
Pun Uk (also known as Yam Wah Lo), located in the New Territories, Hong Kong, is a former Hakka mansion built in 1934 by a son to commemorate his father Pun Kwan Min was born in Meixian and was the manager in a Hakka import and export firm involved in the trading in Nanyang. He was well-connected and was friends with Chinese Communist Party leader, Ye Jianying. In 1938, would-be Premier Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying came to Hong Kong and stayed in Pun Uk.
The mansion was constructed along of fung-shui lines with a half-moon shaped woodland behind the house and a half-moon pond at the front. The single-story building is rectangular in shape and consists of three halls, each with their own courtyard and grand west-facing Entrance Porch is located at the centre of the building. An elaborate altar in the east wall faces the Entrance Hall and would have been used for ancestor worship and family gatherings. Constructed of grey-green bricks with white-rendered walls and roofs with four layers of tiles. Taking two years to construct, building materials were sources by the four craftsmen Pun commissioned from Foshan, Guangzhou and Shantou. In total, the mansion boasts 16 rooms, six main chambers and two courtyards.
Locally it is known as the “House of Lions” due to the gilded lions carved into the beams above the entrance and among the walls and ceilings within the mansion. Pun Uk became a Grade 1 Historic Building in 2010.
2. The Explore
Easy and relaxed explore. Big thank you to @drhowser for the intel. This place was one of the highlights of my recent trip to HK. Incredibly photogenic and, despite being empty, plenty of original features to look at. The authorities in HK really need to get this place restored before another bit of HK’s architectural history is lost forever.
3. The Pictures
Front view:
Left-hand courtyard:
View to the right:
Wooden door and frame:
Door panel:
Nothing cooking in the kitchen:
Think this is an old mousetrap:
Rickety chair by the main entrance:
And the ornate roof beams above:
Overall shot of the alter:
Close-up of the altar:
Above are these paintings of everyday life:
This wooden panelling is exquisite:
Some lovely decorated wooden door panelling:
This is a rather nice water feature:
But the prize for the best carving goes to this:
A few effects left behind:
With the previous owner’s occupation, this makes more sense:
Some old screens of some description:
The far courtyard:
The milling stone:
And, finally, the end room:
Goodbye Pun Uk:
That's all folks!
Pun Uk (also known as Yam Wah Lo), located in the New Territories, Hong Kong, is a former Hakka mansion built in 1934 by a son to commemorate his father Pun Kwan Min was born in Meixian and was the manager in a Hakka import and export firm involved in the trading in Nanyang. He was well-connected and was friends with Chinese Communist Party leader, Ye Jianying. In 1938, would-be Premier Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying came to Hong Kong and stayed in Pun Uk.
The mansion was constructed along of fung-shui lines with a half-moon shaped woodland behind the house and a half-moon pond at the front. The single-story building is rectangular in shape and consists of three halls, each with their own courtyard and grand west-facing Entrance Porch is located at the centre of the building. An elaborate altar in the east wall faces the Entrance Hall and would have been used for ancestor worship and family gatherings. Constructed of grey-green bricks with white-rendered walls and roofs with four layers of tiles. Taking two years to construct, building materials were sources by the four craftsmen Pun commissioned from Foshan, Guangzhou and Shantou. In total, the mansion boasts 16 rooms, six main chambers and two courtyards.
Locally it is known as the “House of Lions” due to the gilded lions carved into the beams above the entrance and among the walls and ceilings within the mansion. Pun Uk became a Grade 1 Historic Building in 2010.
2. The Explore
Easy and relaxed explore. Big thank you to @drhowser for the intel. This place was one of the highlights of my recent trip to HK. Incredibly photogenic and, despite being empty, plenty of original features to look at. The authorities in HK really need to get this place restored before another bit of HK’s architectural history is lost forever.
3. The Pictures
Front view:
Left-hand courtyard:
View to the right:
Wooden door and frame:
Door panel:
Nothing cooking in the kitchen:
Think this is an old mousetrap:
Rickety chair by the main entrance:
And the ornate roof beams above:
Overall shot of the alter:
Close-up of the altar:
Above are these paintings of everyday life:
This wooden panelling is exquisite:
Some lovely decorated wooden door panelling:
This is a rather nice water feature:
But the prize for the best carving goes to this:
A few effects left behind:
With the previous owner’s occupation, this makes more sense:
Some old screens of some description:
The far courtyard:
The milling stone:
And, finally, the end room:
Goodbye Pun Uk:
That's all folks!
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