Exploring Shajing’s oyster history

During the 14th Shajing Golden Oyster Festival, locals and travelers are recommended to check out oyster-themed locations in Shajing, a traditional oyster-harvesting area in Bao’an District. For centuries, the Shajing people have been raising oysters.

Jiang Ancestor Hall. File photos

Jiang Ancestor Hall 江氏大宗祠

Built in the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Jiang Ancestor Hall is a typical Cantonese work of architecture, with much attention to detail paid to the many types of doors and the functions of the doors throughout it. It is also embellished with decorative relief carvings and sculptures, especially in the temples and ancestral halls. Some carvings and sculptures were made from wood, bricks and stones. The subject matter of these carvings and sculptures generally revolve around figures and scenes from Chinese mythology and folklore.

Oyster shell walls.

The most striking feature of Jiang Ancestor Hall is oyster shell walls. Historians believe that the Jiang family used oyster shells for the walls due to the large quantity of oysters available in Shajing.

Add: 204 Buchong Village, Shajing, Bao’an District (宝安区沙井步涌村204号)

Metro: Line 11, Houting Station (后亭站), Exit A and then take a taxi

Longjin Stone Pagoda.

Longjin Stone Pagoda 龙津石塔

Built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Longjin Stone Pagoda was used to guard Shajing and its residents, who believed that the pagoda could exorcise river monsters. Buddhist carvings can be found in the pagoda.

Add: Inside Shasi Village, Shajing, Bao’an District (宝安区沙井沙四村里)

Metro: Line 11, Shajing Station (沙井站), Exit B1 and then take a taxi

Shajing Oyster Culture Museum

Shajing Oyster Culture Museum 沙井蚝文化博物馆

More than 100 items are on display at the Shajing Oyster Culture Museum, a tribute to the centuries-old history of Shajing oyster breeding.

Add: 299 Shajing Boulevard, Bao’an District (宝安区沙井大街299号)

Metro: Line 11, Houting Station (后亭站), Exit A and then take a taxi

Tin Hau Temple.

Tin Hau Temple 天后古庙

Tin Hau, or Mazu, is a Chinese sea goddess. Revered after her death as a tutelary deity of seafarers, including fishermen and sailors, her veneration spread throughout China’s coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven.

Add: Xinbian Road, Shajing, Bao’an District (宝安区沙井辛边路)

Metro: Line 11, Houting Station (后亭站), Exit A and then take a taxi