Ng Chiu Pang’s family had four properties in Nga Tsin Wai. Ng Chiu Pang’s father was the estate owner of the ancestral houses. After Ng Chiu Pang’s father moved away from the village early on, Chiu Pang’s third and fourth uncles’ families to move in.Ng Chiu Pang’s father passed away in 1996 and at that time, Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. (CKH) sent lawyer Wong Chi Hang to try and buy houses from the villagers of Nga Tsin Wai. CKH had contacted Ng Chiu Pang’s father who was totally disinterested in selling his houses to them. After his father passed away, Ng Chiu Pang was appointed the executor of the older man’s estate. In around 1997 or 1998, Ng Chiu Pang emigrated to Canada and CKH made a long distance call to him to explore the possibility of purchase. As Ng Chiu Pang proved as unwilling as his father had before him to sell his family’s ancestral houses, negotiations about a possible sale dragged on for several years. As his third and fourth uncles’ families were still living in the village, Ng Chiu Pang also wanted to avoid the embarrassing unpleasantness of having to resettle them if he ever sold the houses. CKH had already acquired about 70% of estate ownership in the village and according to the laws of Hong Kong could legally propose to generally acquire the remainder. Ng Chiu Pang was curious about CKH’s plans and resolved to return to Hong Kong to learn more about the situation.