Yim Tin Tsai Village
西貢鹽田梓
1700, Vernacular 民間建築及屋邨
“I love China and the Chinese; I want to die among them and be laid to rest among them.” This is said by St Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908), the only Catholic saint who preached in Hong Kong, at times he preached in the Hakka village of Yim Tin Tsai of Sai Kung. Hakka people moved to this impoverished island in Qing Dynasty, fencing up the bay to create salt pans for living. While carrying out missionary in Sai Kung, St Joseph communicated with villagers on island, built a church here, and eventually turning this into one of the earliest Catholic Hakka villages in South China. Although now only the descendent of the Hakka Chan family turned at festivals, the church, school, salt-pans, pier, village, and the tombs still retain their forms and spirits, recording the harsh livelihood of Hakka, and the course of early missionary, and illustrating the heroic history of integration of Chinese civilization with Catholic faith.
「我熱愛中國及中國人，願在他們當中死去及埋葬」。這是天主教唯一在港宣教而封聖的約瑟神父 (1852-1908) 在西貢鹽田梓客家村落傳道時期之言。客家人清代南移到這貧瘠的小島上，以圍起港灣成鹽田維生，約瑟神父來華到達西貢傳道，到島上與村民溝通並建教堂，最終使這裏成為華南最早期的天主教客家村之一。現時祗有原民陳氏後人在時節回島，但小島之教堂、學校、鹽田、碼頭、舊村、山墳等形神依在，記錄著客家艱辛的生活與早期傳道的歷程，展示著中華文明與天主信念交織共融的偉大歷史。
文：梁以華 (香港註冊建築師)
攝影：金可澄 (記者)
http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=29046&page=3
