Fusing Arts, Salt Pan Industry and Religion at the Island of Yim Tin Tsai in Hong Kong

The first inhabitants in this small windswept island on the eastern waters of Hong Kong were of Hakka origin. The ancestor Chan Meng-tak came from Changle in Guangdong and first settled down in the salt fields of Sha Tau Kok. He then came to Sai Kung. The early villagers have inhabited this island as early as 1670. They took on farming, livestock rearing, fishing and salt-making as their trade. The Chinese character “tsai” in the island’s name means “homeland,” eliciting the idea that one must not forget his roots.

During the mid-19th century, foreign missionaries set foot in the island. They established the church in the island and the islanders all turned to Christianity. This explains the absence of a Tin Hau Temple (or ancestral halls) on the island, and instead the existence of the St. Joseph’s Chapel.

The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group claims that salt production was Hong Kong’s oldest industry. It is far older than the first settlement of Hong Kong’s indigenous clans. It is also far older than the other two ancient industries that Hong Kong was known for, incense wood production and pearl fishing.

The salt trade was the lifeline for Yim Tin Tsai’s villagers for two hundred years. However, about one hundred years ago, the village’s salt trade slowly declined. They faced intense competition from cheaper salt exports from mainland China and Vietnam. With the advance of better transportation, the tax collector was able to visit the island to collect tax. The salt trade was no longer profitable. By the 1920s, the salt pans in Yim Tin Tsai have all but disappeared.

The most amazing is the illustration of the salt’s crystalline structure by the staff. When you look closely at the salt, you see clearly that it comes in an interesting two-square structure. There are diagonal lines connecting the four corners of the outer square and the four corners of the inner square.

There are two pieces of artwork on the island that drew inspiration from this very special crystalline shape of the salt. One is right at the Ching Bo School Heritage Center, the other is at the Salt Pans.

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#travel#naturalwonders#seascapes#china

Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Mar 4, 2025