The Colourful Well

As one may easily infer the well’s appearance from the title name, its interior is made up of stacks of coloured shales that can be foraged around the village. Considered as one of the project’s primary sites for conservation, this water well is allegedly built by the workers of Lo Wu Brick Company who once resided temporarily in Fu Tei Au during the early 20th century. It has a depth of about 5 meters and used to serve as the workers’ source of domestic water consumption. As evidenced by past records, the brickworks applied twice to the British colonial government during 1923 for the purpose of brick manufacturing on Fu Tei Au lands. A special expenditure of $7,000 was consequently granted by the finance committee on account of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (“KCR”) to specifically serve the Fu Tei Au brickworks, entailing a highly possible commercial relationship between the Lo Wu Brick Company and the KCR, the first railway system that connected China and Hong Kong. The two smoke-stacks erected in Fu Tei Au were described in an old newspaper clipping “one of the most familiar landmarks in the New Territories which could be seen for miles around”. After the company gradually went out of business in 1935, some Chinese brought the site 4 years later and scavenged all leftover materials in order to sell for money, thus explains the reason why no structures of the brickworks can be retrieved presently, except for the fair amount of bricks with the distinctive “KCR” imprints that are still scattered across the village.

Over the years, the well has managed to preserve its overall vibrancy and completeness albeit with some structural deformity caused by natural deterioration. With the help of the villagers, the well has recently been reinforced by more shales and a surrounding railings. We have also refurbished the pavement in an earthy tone theme and re-laid the paving tiles on the otherwise rugged pathways. A commencement ceremony was held on 29/12/2021 which signalled the site’s official re-opening to the public. Visitors and passer-by are now free to walk in and observe this remarkable well that speaks to the history of Fu Tei Au Tsuen.

Official records that document the application made by Lo Wu Brick Company to the British Government in 1923 in regards to land usage at Fu Tei Au.

Photo acknowledgement: Public Records Office, Government Records Service (Images are provided by the Government Records Service. If you wish to use the images, you must submit application in writing to the Government Records Service)

A photograph taken by the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards overlooking the terrain of Fu Tei Au in 1927. It captures two brick factory kilns and a KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway) train passing by.