Plover Cove Reservoir – 50th anniversary of relocation of residents from Sam Mun Tsai
Photograph of Sam Mun Tsai added.
HF: On 2nd March 2015 the SCMP published an article, Hong Kong villagers keep memories of home lost to reservoir afloat.
In July 1965 the 400 residents of Sam Mun Tsai were relocated, (the article uses the term ‘evicted’), from their fishing village during the construction of Plover Cove Reservoir which was carried out from 1960 to 1968.
They were relocated to Yim Tin Tsai island in Sam Mun Tsai New Village about 3 kms south west of the Main Dam. It is therefore nearly the 50th anniversary of this event.
The article contains interviews with several of the residents, the oldest being 93 year old Cheung Leung-chun.
Courtesy: SCMP
On 9th March 2015 the SCMP published a second article, A Reservoir of Memories, which contained this photograph of Sam Mun Tsai village in the late 1960s:
Courtesy: SCMP
Source:
- Hong Kong villagers keep memories of home lost to reservoir afloat SCMP 2nd March 2015
See:
- How Hong Kong built Plover Cove Reservoir, a world first SCMP 20th January 2017
This article was first posted on 10th March 2015.
Related Indhhk articles:
My father worked as the principal land assistant of the new territories during the relocation of Sun Mun Tsai. Before they filled the reservoir, he picked up a bunch of pottery and rice bowls from the deserted village. He wanted to keep their memories. It is now 2023 and my father has been dead for a long time. I still have a box of the original bowls he so treasured. I live in Southern California and wanted to know if any institution wanted these on display in a museum or such. Please advise as I am moving again to another state and I am getting on in age too. I’ll be happy to donate them.