It’s all too easy to think of Hong Kong as simply a densely packed, 21st century, high rise city. However, look beyond the concrete at its cultural and natural origins, and there are fascinating tales to be told and amazing landscapes to enjoy. Recently, Chinachem Group has been working closely with the SAR’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Lions Nature Education Foundation, and Lai Chi Wo Pui Shing Tong to bring some of these stories to life and make them more accessible to the population of the nearby city.
Chinachem Lai Chi Wo Story Room
Covering 150sqkm of the New Territories, the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark is a vivid gateway to the region’s past. Wind the clock back 400 million years, and this is where Hong Kong originally took shape in the form of a series of volcanoes. But unlike most other Geoparks globally, the team behind the management of this remarkable natural asset have also focused their efforts on surfacing the human and cultural significance of this sparsely populated landscape.
Seven Hakka villages are dotted through the northern part of the Geopark. With origins dating back to the 17th century, these individual communities saw the benefit of partnership early, forming the Hing Chun Alliance hundreds of years ago, an association that endures to this day. In the village of Lai Chi Wo, Chinachem has in association with the Alliance created a destination for visitors to learn about and experience the culture and history of the village, its people, and the surrounding countryside.
Named the Chinachem Lai Chi Wo Story Room, this new visitor centre in the heart of the village was developed from extensive oral histories recounted by residents of the seven allied communities. Focusing on four areas of interest, lifestyle culture, traditional medicine and herbs, Hakka folk songs, and the ceremony of traditional weddings, the multimedia displays and installations provide an intimate view into the colourful lives of this farming and fishing society. Lai Chi Wo’s long tradition of paddy farming dwindled as its indigenous residents left for the city in the 1950s, and this ultimately led to the desolation of the village in the 90s when its last resident departed. But with the support of the Hong Kong University and various NGOs, 2013 saw the implementation of sustainable farming projects designed to revitalise the land and attract residents back to the community.
Today, the farmland around the village produces high quality organic produce such as turmeric, ginger, winter melons and even coffee, creating further opportunities for collaboration. In fact, Chinachem’s Story Room partnership has now led to the chefs and buyers from the Group’s Nina Hospitality turning their attention to Lai Chi Wo for their produce sourcing needs, further cementing this important alliance.
Today, the farmland around the village produces high quality organic produce such as turmeric, ginger, winter melons and even coffee, creating further opportunities for collaboration. In fact, Chinachem’s Story Room partnership has now led to the chefs and buyers from the Group’s Nina Hospitality turning their attention to Lai Chi Wo for their produce sourcing needs, further cementing this important alliance.
Supporting this celebration of heritage and its influence, parallels the approach Chinachem takes to its place making activities in Hong Kong. Lai Chi Wo is a perfect example of the company’s inclusive approach to the creation of communities.
Lai Chi Wo Story Room
If you want to explore authentic Hakka culture, visiting Lai Chi Wo will give you a rewarding experience and a thorough understanding of the local customs. The Chinachem Group-funded Lai Chi Wo Story Room focuses on four themes of Hakka life in the Hing Chun Alliance villages, namely daily lives, wedding rituals, traditional medicine and Hakka folk songs. By taking visitors back to the glorious days of the past, it helps promote the Hakka culture to the younger generations. Lai Chi Wo, where the Story Room is located, is one of Hong Kong’s oldest, largest and best-preserved rural settlements.
Opening Time:
10:00am to 4:00pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
(Closed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd days of Lunar New Year)
Getting to Lai Chi Wo
1) Take the Kaito Ferry Service at Ma Liu Shui
Visitors can travel by MTR East Rail and get off at University Station, Exit B, then walk for about 15 minutes to Ma Liu Shui Pier for the kaito ferry service to Lai Chi Wo. The normal travelling time is about 1.5 hours. Visitors are advised to take the ferry schedule into consideration when planning the trip.
Timetable:
Mondays to Fridays: Subject to demand
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays:
From Ma Liu Shui: 9:00am
From Lai Chi Wo: 3:30pm
Fare: $45 (single trip)
Booking and enquiries: 2555 9269 (Best Sonic Industrial Limited)
For details of the service, please refer to the website of Transport Department.
2) Take the Kaito Ferry Service at Sam Mun Tsai or Tai Shui Hang
Following the commencement of "Sam Mun Tsai – Tai Shui Hang/Lai Chi Wo/Kat O/Ap Chau" kaito ferry service, visitors can take the kaito at Sam Mun Tsai Village or Tai Shui Hang Pier to Lai Chi Wo.
Timetable:
Tuesdays and Thursdays:
From Sam Mun Tsai: 8:30am
From Tai Shui Hang: 9am
Fare: Whole trip (boarding from Sam Mun Tsai/Tai Shui Hang): $80 (per trip)
Whole trip (boarding from Lai Chi Wo/Kat O/Ap Chau): $60 (per trip)
For details of the service, please refer to the website of Transport Department.
3) You may consider hiring a boat or joining a local tour
4) Hike to Lai Chi Wo (for hikers with a degree of experience)
Take green minibus no. 20R at the minibus terminus at Tai Po Market MTR Station, get off at Wu Kau Tang, or take KMB 275R at Tai Po Market MTR station to Wu Kau Tang on Sundays and Public Holidays only. Follow the trail and hike for about 8 km (about 2.5 hours). Alternatively take green minibus no. 56K which runs between Fanling MTR station and Luk Keng. You can get off at Luk Keng and follow the hiking trail from Fung Hang for about 8 km (about 2.5 hours).
Source: Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark
