The Future of Tso (祖) and Tong (堂)

Date & Time: April 9, 2026 (Thursday) 16:00-17:00

Venue: Room 901, 9/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong Kong (also available via Zoom)

Language: Bilingual (English/Chinese)

Abstract:

Ancestral land in the New Territories is typically owned by families or clans (referred to as T’so or T’ong) and registered under the New Territories Ordinance. However, such land is often difficult to buy or sell due to legal complexities surrounding ownership. With rapid urbanization in the New Territories, exemplified by projects like the current “North Metro”, there is a pressing need to “unlock” this land for effective use. The key question is: how can we effectively “release” ancestral land to meet our present needs?

Speaker:

Dr. Max WL Wong is currently teaching “Legal Pluralism in Hong Kong” at the Faculty of Law in HKU. He is also member of the Centre for Law in Asia, SOAS, University of London. His monograph includes Legal Pluralism in Qing China (Brill 2024); Legal Abolition of Concubinage in HK (Springer 2020), Re-ordering Hong Kong (2017 Wildy & Sons). He is currently working on a monograph on the Chinese customary law in the New Territories of Hong Kong.

Chair:

Prof. Albert H.Y. Chen, Cheng Chan Lan Yue Professor and Chair of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

This is a hybrid event, open to both in-person and online audiences. Prior registration is required. Please visit https://bit.ly/4cUJQUM to register. For inquiries, please email Louisa at .

To watch recordings of past CCL events, please subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Centre for Chinese Law – YouTube. To keep up with our activities, follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/CCLHKU. Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law at The University of Hong Kong promotes legal scholarship with the aim to develop a deeper understanding of China and facilitate dialogue between East and West. For more information, visit: Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law