| Hui Koon Shun |
Hui Koon Shun was born and raised in Lo Wai, his family name “Hui” is among the village’s five founder clans. Mr. Hui is very familiar with Hakka customs and Tsuen Wan legends. In early years, the slopes of Tai Mo Shan were overgrown with Maqianzi (Strychnos nux-vomica), a poisonous herb producing strychnine. During some seasons, toxic seeds would fall into the streams, making Tsuen Wan’s rivers polluted and unsuitable for drinking. Residents fell sick often with cold fevers. Tsuen Wan was remote and lacking medical facilities too, therefore people did not like to come and live here.
“People say ‘Go USA get gold fever, Go Tsuen Wan get real fever!’ I guess many Tsuen Wan people nowadays never heard of this old saying. Tsuen Wan old history and Hakka customs are not mentioned anymore; they are only recalled by old-timers like us. I do hope more young people can get in touch with their history and appreciate it. Hopefully traditions do not stop dead here with my generation of elderly folks.”
