Bitter feud blights tranquil Lantau village Hon Ching-yeung has owned land in the community for 11 years but some villagers consider him an outsider. They say he has used their water and blocked paths and a bar run by his friend attracts drunks.

(From South China Morning Post)

Byline: Chow Chung-yan

A village on Lantau Island has been plunged into turmoil after a simmering row between a group of established residents and a major landowner boiled over last week into a barrage of claims and counterclaims. After five years of disputes over everything from water use and land rights to chopped-down feng shui trees, residents of Lower Cheung Sha Village have said enough is enough, and called on the government to step in.

The opening of a private club and a row between the landowner and a villager, which resulted in police being called, proved to be the final straw, with government officials and district councillors being dragged in. Fronting picturesque Cheung Sha beach, a 20-minute drive from Mui Wo ferry terminal, the primitive fishing village has long been popular with holidaymakers and people flocking in at weekends. But beneath the surface, a village feud has been building up.

Villagers accuse Hon Ching-yeung - a businessman who moved in 11 years ago and bought up several pieces of land - of committing a series of outrages. They say he has been using their drinking water to irrigate his farm fields and fill fishponds. They also claim he chopped down feng shui trees in the village. Their latest gripe came after Mr Hon rented a house to a friend to open a private club in the village. Villagers says drunks and strangers have roamed the area ever since.

But yesterday Mr Hon said the accusations were unfounded. He claimed the villagers were trying to force the club out of business because it threatened their own restaurants.

Over the Easter holiday, a villager allegedly broke into a field belonging to Mr Hon, who called police and accused the man of trespassing.