The Changing ofMa On Shan Village

Why We Chose this Topic

• Investigate issues on humanities in Shatin - Sai Kung district• We wanted to explore an old village• Ma On Shan Village is special • Ma On Shan Village’s location is good for us

The location of Ma On Shan Village

Before Mining Started • People’s trace was found early in BC 2500 • Farmers and fishermen lived in Ma On Shan since Sung Dynasty • The Wen’s Village was existed before mining developed in Ma On Shan.

How did Mining Started

• The Hong Kong Iron Mining Company started mining in 1906.

• 2 groups of students from US came to mine for iron, but they failed.

• In 1940, South China Smelters Ltd got the mining right.• The Mutual Trust Company got the mining right in 1949.

The building of Mutual Trust Company.

Development of Mining

• At first ,opencast mining method was used.

• In 1954, tunnel mining method was used.

opencast mining

tunnel mining

• It increased productivity which led to long term stable production.

Technicians from Japan.

Causes Ended the Mining• In 1970s, Japan

stopped buying ore from Hong Kong.

• Most of the miners went away for better jobs.

• Hong Kong Government ceased giving the mining right.

Worker’s Life• Miners worked hard but their wages

were very little

• They found Ma On Shan Village was a good place to live in.

The changing of churches

The reasons why churches started develop in HK:

• A large number of refugees came from Mainland China

• They were very poor and needed helps • Welfare service in Hong Kong was not yet

developed at that time

Catholic Church

• St. Francis Society came to HK in 1948

• Church of St. Joseph’s was set up at April 25, 1952.

• The administer of the Church was Father Wu.

The Church of St. Francis • Was built in 1952 on the hill

The Church of St. Francis

The church included : • sanctuary, • doctrine hall, • primary school, • kindergarten • Clinic, etc.

A meeting in the church

The St. Joseph’s Primary School

• Was opened in 1952

The St. Joseph’s Primary School

The classrooms

The church nowadays • Was old and was destroyed • Classrooms and the place where

the priest and nuns lived were messy.

The statue of Mother Mary

An old piano

Inside the church

Christian Churches Lutheran Church was built in 1950s, it provided:• Help of food and clothes• Education services for children • Medical services • Child-care services • Occupation training services

The church nowadays

• was changed into a campus for its believers to hold religious activities in 1977

The campus

The church nowadays

A kind person Mr. Cheung Pu• Mr. Cheung Pu followed the St. Francis Society to go to

Ma On Shan. • After the mine closed down, he moved to the hill for

living • He helped the elderly in Ma On Shan Village a lot.• The TVB news department made a video of him and the

elderly.• Mr. Cheung died on 1st February 2001

Ma On Shan Village Nowadays

Ma On Shan village is now a deserted village with old miners and their spouses and new emigrants.

The village nowadays

The transportation is inconvenient.Old shuttle bus.

New shuttle bus.

Interview Result

Twice a week

more than 3times a weekevery day

10%

70%

20%

Q: How often do they go to the urban area?

The future of Ma On Shan Village

• a villager suggests changing the Catholic Church to an elderly home for old miners

• The organization plan to change the Ma On Shan Village to a theme park.

Q: Do you support the idea of changing Ma On Shan Village as a theme park?

10% agree

80% disagree

10% No idea

Interview Result

Conclusion

• Ma On Shan have changed rapidly.

• The group of old miners are being forgotten.

• We hope to arouse people’s attention to the old silent contributors.

References

• 馬鞍山風物誌（礦業興衰）• 馬鞍山風物誌（鞍山歲月）• The Hong Kong Heritage Museum

End