24-25 F.2 History Half-Yearly Exam Revision Notes PDF

# 24-25 F.2 History Half-yearly Exam Revision Notes ## A. Major dialect groups and clans ### 1. Four major dialect groups **(a) Cantonese** * Some Cantonese moved from Guangdong to Hong Kong. * As they were the earliest group to settle in Hong Kong, they were called 'Punti'. * Spoke Wai Tau dia...

# 24-25 F.2 History Half-yearly Exam Revision Notes ## A. Major dialect groups and clans ### 1. Four major dialect groups **(a) Cantonese** * Some Cantonese moved from Guangdong to Hong Kong. * As they were the earliest group to settle in Hong Kong, they were called 'Punti'. * Spoke Wai Tau dialect, and settled in the fertile plains in northern New Territories. **(b) Hakka** * The word 'Hakka' means 'guest'. * Many Hakka moved from Guangdong and Fujian to Hong Kong. * Spoke Hakka dialect, settled in relatively distant and infertile regions in the New Territories. **(c) Boat people** * Known as 'Tanka' in the past. * Spoke Min dialects and Cantonese. * Settled along the coast of the New Territories and Hong Kong Island. Most lived on boats. **(d) Fuklo** * Known as the 'Hoklo'. * Moved from Fujian and east of Guangdong (i.e. Chaoshan and Hailufeng region). * Spoke Min dialects, and settled along the eastern waters of Hong Kong. Most lived on boats. ### 2. Five Great Clans of the New Territories | Clan | Founding ancestor | When they first settled | Where they first settled | |---|---|---|---| | The Tangs | Tang Fu Hip | 11th century | Kam Tin | | The Haus | Hau Ng Long | 12th century | Sheung Shui | | The Pangs | Pang Kwan | 12th century | Fanling | | The Lius | Liu Chong Kit | 14th century | Sheung Shui | | The Mans | Man Mang Sheung | 15th century | San Tin | ## 3. Walled Villages * As there were many pirates and bandits during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, villagers built different parts around their villages to protect themselves. **These parts include:** * Moat * Watchtowers * Iron gates * Ancestral halls * Walls ## 4. Major ways of living **(i) Cantonese and Hakka** * They both mainly farmed for a living. * The Cantonese lived in the fertile plains or valleys in the New Territories. * The Cantonese set up bazaars to sell farm products and other goods. * The Hakka engaged in salt making, brick making, quarrying and stone cutting. * The Hakka set up their own markets in order to get rid of the control of big local clans. **(ii) Boat people and Fuklo** * Fishing and oyster farming, some engaged in pearl-diving to make a living. * They also worked in the shipping industry. They shipped salt and other goods ## 5. Traditional education **(i) Cantonese and Hakka** * Used ancestral halls and study halls as schools. * Members of the Tangs and the Haus got scholarly titles through the examinations. * Study halls usually hired one teacher to teach Chinese classics, history, Confucianism and calligraphy. * Girls seldom received an education. ## 6. Beliefs and customs **(i) Ancestral worship** * Ancestral worship started in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC). **(ii) Popular religion** * The boat people and the Fuklo worshipped sea deities, eg. Tin Hau and Hung Shing for a safe return from sea. **(iii) Traditional festivals** | Lunar Calendar | Name of Festival | Brief Description | |---|---|---| | 1st month | Chinese New Year | A time for family reunion and ancestral worshipping | | 2nd month | Hung Shing Festival | To celebrate the birthday of Hung Shing (a Taoist god) and to hold worshipping ceremonies | | 3rd month | Ching Ming Festival | To worship and show respect to ancestors | | 3rd month | Tin Hau Festival | To celebrate the birthday of Tin Hau (a Taoist goddess) and to hold worshipping ceremonies | | 5th month | Tuen Ng Festival | To show respect to Qu Yuan; a festival to drive away plagues | | 7th month | Yu Lan Festival / Hungry Ghost Festival | To appease ghosts (through Buddhist and Taoist rites) | | 8th month | Mid-Autumn Festival | A time for family reunion and celebrating the harvest | | 9th month | Chung Yeung Festival | To worship and show respect to ancestors | | 11th month | Winter Solstice Festival | A time for family reunion and preparing food for winter | ## B. Intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong ### 1. Definition of intangible cultural heritage * The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to raise awareness and respect for it. * According to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it refers to: All 'intangible' activities, knowledge and skills, etc., which communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. * It is passed down through generations and is constantly recreated. It brings a sense of identity and continuity to the communities. * According to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Artifacts, buildings and sites with outstanding values can be listed as cultural heritage. Including the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and the Eiffel Tower of France ### 2. Five categories of intangible cultural heritage **(i) Oral traditions and expressions** * Wai Tau dialect was one of the major dialects in the New Territories. * Some villagers still communicate in Wai Tau dialect and use them to conduct traditional religious ceremonies. **(ii) Performing arts** * Cantonese opera is traditional Chinese opera performed with songs and spoken lines in Cantonese. **(iii) Social practices, rituals and festive events** * Wong Tai Sin is a Taoist god. Became popular in Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities. **(iv) Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe** * Nowadays people still drink herbal tea to cool 'internal heat' and to treat various health problems. It has inherited folk knowledge and traditional food culture. **(v) Traditional craftsmanship** * The making techniques of milk tea, egg tart and pineapple bun are unique. * It represents the local food culture of Hong Kong. ### 3. Four significant intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong * The Hong Kong government announced the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. The list has four traditional customs and festivals including: * Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival * Cheung Chau Jiao Festival * Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance * Tai O Traditional Dragon Boat Parade | Festival | Place | Date (Lunar month) | Features | Cultural value | Social value | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival | All over Hong Kong | 7th month | Worship deities, Make offerings to the dead and release them from suffering, Give alms | Promotes filial picty and spirit of being caring and compassionate, Shows the features of Chu Chow culture | Unites the Chiu Chow community in Hong Kong, Promotes social harmony | | Cheung Chau Jiao Festival | Cheung Chau, New Territories | 4th month | Worship deities, Make offerings to the dead and release them from suffering, Pray for blessings and festive events | Includes different folklore and religious performances, The festive events have great cultural value | Strengthens the sense of belonging of different dialect groups in Cheung Chau | | Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance | Fan Hau, Hong Kong Island | 8th month | Fire dragon parade, Send off the fire dragon | Shows the features of Hakka customs, The skill of making fire dragons shows great craftsmanship and has great cultural value | Strengthens the connection between the old and new residents of Tai Hang | | Tai O Traditional Dragon Boat Parade | Tai O, New Territories | 5th month | Welcome deities, Parade and release the dead from suffenng, Return the deities and divination | Helps learn about the traditional cultural life of Tai O, The dragon boats show traditional shipbuilding techniques | Links the fishing industry, religious beliefs and ceremonies of Tai O together | ## C. Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival ### 1. What is the Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival? * The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is designated as the 'Ghost Festival'. ### 2. Features of the festival **(a) Worship deities** * To thank deities for their blessings, devotees make offerings and perform devotional operas in Chiu Chow dialect. **(b) Make offerings to ghosts** * Devotees make offerings to their ancestors and wandering ghosts. * Priests chant scriptures in Chiu Chow dialect to release souls from suffering and pray for blessings for the neighbourhood and community. **(c) Give alms** * The organizing committee gives auspicious rice, food and daily necessities to people in need. * It accepts donations from devotees. People are encouraged to make donations. **Layout of the Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival:** * 1. Heaven and Earth Shed: Devotees worship deities * 2. Priest Shed: Priests chant scriptures and perform rituals * 3. Ancestral Altar: Keeps the soul tablets of wandering spirits and ancestors of devotees * 4. King of Ghosts Shed: Houses the paper effigy of the King of Ghosts to maintain order * 5. Holy Robe Shed: Keeps the paper robes of deities * 6. Opera Shed: Performs devotional operas ### 3. Changes of the festival * To cope with the needs of modern days, the Chiu Chow Hungry Ghost Festival has been changed: * Change of materials: Some sheds are built with aluminium strips instead of bamboo poles. This helps protect the environment and save money. * Opera performing time: The devotional operas are no longer performed overnight, but end at 10 pm * Distribution of auspicious rice: Each person can only get 1 kg of rice according to government regulations. * The Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organizations has organized this annual event since 2015. This helps raise public awareness of the Hungry Ghost Festival ### 4. Significance of the festival **(a) Cultural value** * The rituals allow participants to pay respect to ancestors and promote filial piety * In addition, making offerings to wandering ghosts expresses the spirit of fraternity in Chinese culture. * The venue decorations and scaffolding techniques make use of traditional theory of architecture and yin-yang balance, meaning making offerings to ghosts (yin) and gods (yang) at the same time. **(b) Social value** * Enhances the sense of belonging of Chiu Chow participants. * Chiu Chow organizations from other districts join to hold the festival. * Hhelps unite Hong Kong's Chiu Chow people. * Helps build a harmonious society through its alms giving activities. * It has been opened to the whole community. ## D. Cheung Chau Jiao Festival ### 1. What is the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival? * 'Jiao' is a Taoist ceremony. * The Cheung Chau Jiao Festival falls on the 4th lunar month. ### 2. Origin and development of the festival * A plague broke out on Cheung Chau in 1894. * Legends say that after the residents of Cheung Chau carried a statue of Pak Tai in a parade, the plague soon ended. Since then, Cheung Chau people hold an annual parade alongside worshipping ceremonies. ### 3. Features of the festival **(a) Worship deities** * Taoist priests perform religious rites to worship deities and ask for forgiveness on behalf of the residents. **(b) Make offerings to the dead** * Taoist priests perform 'feeding the water ghosts' and 'great offering to the wandering spirits' ceremonies to appease ghosts from the land and the sea. **(c) Pray for blessings and festive events** * Cheung Chau residents hold the 'composite-scene parade'. * Pak Tai and other deities are invited to join the parade to purify the island. * Perform qilin dance, lion dance and floating colours parade. * Bun Scrambling Contest is the climax of the festival.