Seven Sisters in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is an area in Hong Kong called Tsat Tsz Mui (七姊妹, “Seven Sisters”)?

Well, you probably don’t, since lots pf places in Hong Kong aren’t that well known after all.

But what’s with this weird name?

Tsat Tsz Mui located in North Point, originally a rural village.

The name comes from a tragic story:  There were seven girls who lived in this village. The girls were childhood friends and while they were not really biologically related, they treated others as siblings. They made a vow that “they shall die on the same day” (a traditional Chinese vow, to show that those who vow are willing to die for each other and are spiritually united) and “they shall never get married”.

But one day, the third sister’s parent forced her to marry a man. The girl wanted to refuse, yet she dared not oppose her parent. So, out of sadness and desperation, the seven sisters decided to commit suicide by jumping into the sea while holding hands together before the day of the wedding. Their bodies were never found, but seven human-shaped rocks mysteriously appeared along the shore on the next day. The story may not be real, but according to some old residents who once lived there, the rocks do exist…

The story’s not over yet. The shore became a popular spot for swimming in the beginning of 20^th century. However, there have been reports about male swimmers drowning nearby since the seven sisters’ tragedy. Some said that the sisters were looking for bodies so that they could reincarnate; some said the sisters were there to punish men who mistreat women…

In 1934, the village and the rocks were buried under reclamation and the story about the seven sisters is slowly forgotten by Hongkongers. The only things left are the Tsat Tsz Mui post office and the Tsat Tsz Mui Road which named after the story.