Philip K. H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law:
The Future of Tso (祖) and Tong (堂)
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.
Date & Time: April 9, 2026 (Thursday) 16:00-17:00
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: https://www.ccl.law.hku.hk/