The Cheung Ancestral Hall, also known as Wah Fung Tong, was built mainly by Cheung Nam-yat, Cheung Shui-yat, Cheung Chi-kwong and Cheung Yiu-fong, the 22nd generation ancestors of the Cheung clan of Shan Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long in the 20th year of the Jiaqing reign (1815) in the Qing dynasty. The ancestral hall served as a centre for communal gatherings and ancestral worship.
The Cheung clan attached great importance to the education of their young clansmen. A number of study halls were therefore built in Shan Ha Tsuen to educate both boys and girls. The Cheung Ancestral Hall was also used as Wah Fung School from the 1930s to the 1950s until the school was relocated to a new school building near Lam Hau Tsuen in 1958.
The Cheung Ancestral Hall is a traditional two-hall, grey-brick structure with an open courtyard between the halls. There are two side chambers between the two halls; one was used as a kitchen and one for storage. There is an altar in the rear hall, where the ancestral tablets are placed. On the top shelf of the altar is the soul tablet of Cheung Gau-ling, a prime minister in the Tang dynasty, who is commonly recognized by the Cheung clans of both Shan Ha Tsuen and Dongguan as their pioneer ancestor. Combining splendour with solemnity, the altar is elaborately decorated with fine wood carvings of “The Eight Immortals”, reflecting the superb craftsmanship of the olden days.
A major restoration of the Cheung Ancestral Hall was carried out in 1999 under the supervision of the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Architectural Services Department.
The Cheung Ancestral Hall was declared a monument in 1999.