At present, there are still 116 Fungshui Woods in Hong Kong. The majority of them are set to embrace their associated villages, carrying a symbolic meaning of protection. So, what good do Fungshui Woods do to their village exactly? Climate-wise, it mitigates the impacts of typhoons and provides shades. Economy-wise, plants in the fringes of the Woods, including fruit trees and banyan trees, help villagers generate extra income with their culinary and medicinal values, driving the prosperity of the village. And the list continues.
Photo: Provided by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
07 November 2022
If you ever get a chance to step into a traditional Hakka village, you will probably feel that something is different in the air. Serenity, tranquillity, and peace. It is the perfect blend of the village and its surroundings that shapes its harmonious ambience.
Hakka people, historically speaking, are faithful believers of fungshui, assumably owing to their migration activities dating back to as far as the Qin dynasty (221-207 B.C.). Starting afresh in a place they had never set foot in was no easy task. The ancestors of the Hakkas eagerly looked for protection.
While some may regard fungshui as mere superstition, the Hakkas designed their village with a thorough understanding of the physical environment in a hope to maximise their wellbeing. This traditional wisdom, which has contributed to the peaceful co-existence of the ethnic group and the environment through generations, is very much similar to concepts highlighted in contemporary academic disciplines such as environmental psychology.
Hakka people, historically speaking, are faithful believers of fungshui, assumably owing to their migration activities dating back to as far as the Qin dynasty (221-207 B.C.). Starting afresh in a place they had never set foot in was no easy task. The ancestors of the Hakkas eagerly looked for protection.
While some may regard fungshui as mere superstition, the Hakkas designed their village with a thorough understanding of the physical environment in a hope to maximise their wellbeing. This traditional wisdom, which has contributed to the peaceful co-existence of the ethnic group and the environment through generations, is very much similar to concepts highlighted in contemporary academic disciplines such as environmental psychology.
