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in place at the shop premises of the leader concerned. In this way public recognition was given for services rendered to the community.10
With the passage of time, and the inadequacy of the written materials available, the information given above is not as explicit as we would wish. Therefore it may help the reader if the material to hand, and its implications, are summarized, as follows:
(1) The community of Ap Lei Chau was formed of three groups. Each group was represented by a Fong, which had an organising committee of Chik Lei under a Chairman, the Tai Chik Lei.
(2) Each Fong formed the committee for ritual and theatricals on an annually rotating basis.
(3) Where the community as a whole was concerned, it was represented by the Kaifong, or Committee of "Elders". All the Chik Lei of all the Fongs were "elders" of the town. The Kaifong was usually represented by the three Tai Chik Lei of the Fongs,
(4) Temple maintenance and repair was the responsibility of the Kaifong. The Temple Committee consisted of three Chik Sze, usually the same people as the three Tai Chik Lei of the Fongs.
(5) The division of duties between Kaifong and Fong were not significant except in ritual matters. In secular matters individual elders, the committee of a Fong, or the Kaifong as a whole would act as seemed appropriate at the time.
By means of this summarization, the social implications of the Ap Lei Chau structure are made more explicit, showing that the town was able to provide communal structures both to represent the town as a whole and also each major segment of its society, and that all these structures were connected with the temple, which clearly dominated the traditional social structure.
One final point is worth noting in connection with the arrangements for these regular ritual occasions and the periodic
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in place at the shop premises of the leader concerned. In this way public recognition was given for services rendered to the community.10
With the passage of time, and the inadequacy of the written materials available, the information given above is not as explicit as we would wish. Therefore it may help the reader if the material to hand, and its implications, are summarized, as follows:
(1) The community of Ap Lei Chau was formed of three groups. Each group was represented by a Fong, which had an organising committee of Chik Lei under a Chairman, the Tai Chik Lei.
(2) Each Fong formed the committee for ritual and
theatricals on an annually rotating basis.
(3) Where the community as a whole was concerned, it was represented by the Kaifong, or Committee of "Elders”. All the Chik Lei of all the Fongs were "elders" of the town. The Kaifong was usually represented by the three Tai Chik Lei of the Fongs,
(4) Temple maintenance and repair was the responsibility of the Kaifong. The Temple Committee consisted of three Chik Sze, usually the same people as the three Tai Chik Lei of the Fongs.
(5) The division of duties between Kaifong and Fong were not significant except in ritual matters. In secular matters individual elders, the committee of a Fong, or the Kaifong as a whole would act as seemed appropriate at the time.
By means of this summarization, the social implications of the Ap Lei Chau structure are made more explicit, showing that the town was able to provide communal structures both to represent the town as a whole and also each major segment of its society, and that all these structures were connected with the temple, which clearly dominated the traditional social structure.
One final point is worth noting in connection with the arrangements for these regular ritual occasions and the periodic
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