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However, some fine and unique terra-cotta decorations above the main entrance and elaborate wood carvings inside the building still survive in relatively good condition.
Cheung Chun Yuen, which is also situated at Pak Wai Tsuen and comprising two blocks, was once a school for students for military degrees.
It was probably built in the 1870s by Tang Kuen-hin.
As Cheung Chun Yuen was once a school for martial arts, three antique "Kwan Dao's (cast-iron spears with long blade) are still kept within the building.
The ancestral altar with family soul tablets is at the centre of the front block named Lau Kang Tong.
The rear block which is separated from the front block by a brick wall has been abandoned.
With the support of the managers of Cheung Chun Yuen, the front block is preserved.
The front block is still in very good condition except for the murals above the main entrance which have been blurred through weathering.
A number of historical artefacts, including furniture, incense burners, wooden plaques, antique weapons, soul tablets and village ware, are still present inside the building.
Restoration of Loi Shing Tong and the front block of Cheung Chun Yuen will be arranged by the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Recreation and Culture Branch in 1995 with funding from the Government.
End/Sunday, December 11, 1994