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eldest son. In a similar way, in ancestral halls in the New Territories, leading clan members have soul tablets and wives and concubines (with the latter being protected within the social system) are usually included on their husbands' tablets. Women play a secondary role although they often exert power - sometimes considerable -- behind the scenes, even if men do take pride of place. It has to be remembered too, that at periods during the month women are judged 'unclean' and thus, because of pollution, have to be excluded from religious ceremonies.
How do women feel about not being allowed actually to take part in tun fu ceremonies? The old women sitting near the tun fu pot not far from the river at Kam Tin, written about earlier in this paper, said:
"We are not interested in taking part. We can watch."
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They had previously told the Author that they believed in tun fu because it had proved effective. Among many women of varying ages that the Author has spoken to there seems to be a consensus. The average Chinese female will tell you that they are conformist and conservative. That is, even though some say 'it is not right', one should accept tradition. After all, we are Chinese!' But one can make changes within the community gradually. One westernised, Kam Tin woman in her thirties, who had lived for a time in Scotland said, she was quite content to let men get on with the kowtowing to soul tablets and taking part ceremonies, and similar rituals. But she thought women in tun fu should be allowed to sit on committees and take an active part in running village affairs. Indeed today a few do. Nevertheless the number is still limited. Other women who expressed their views regarding more active participation are sometimes more militant. Some younger women in Hong Kong have more recently come out strongly in favour of change in the New Territories. Some of the more conservative women, nevertheless, admit they respect the more militant greatly.
**Christine Loh Kung-wai, the politician (who was threatened with rape by villagers in the New Territories), has guts,' one middle age woman told me. Points at issue with such women as Loh were customary succession and female inheritance (Chan, Eliza, 1997, 174) (Chan, Selina; 1997,151). The New Territories are changing there is no doubt. Nevertheless, no woman of the many that the Author spoke to felt that women should be too persistent in trying to take part