AFCD launches Spring Festival Cultural Trail
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) (May 23) jointly launched the first section of the Spring Festival Cultural Trail with Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam and Hag Tong Village to further promote the history, culture and life stories of the Hong Kong Geopark community and bring visitors an in-depth tourism experience.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said: "The first section of the Hing Chun Yue Cultural Trail connects Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam and Hag Tong. It is about 3.7 kilometres long and is planned on the existing trail. There are 28 interpretation boards and three map boards along the trail. It runs through many important historical and cultural sites, introducing the history, culture and interesting life stories of each village. It also presents the life of Hing Chun Yue in the past to tourists through old photos and drawings."
The Sha Tau Kok Ching Chun Yue consists of seven Hakka villages in the northeast of the New Territories, including Lizhi Wo, Meizilin, Hetang, Suolopen, Samya, Niushihu and Xiaotan, and has a history of more than 300 years. In order to maintain public order, remote villages used to form alliances with neighboring villages, called "yue", to help each other, and jointly build facilities, run schools, and hold large-scale events, such as the annual Guandi birthday and the Qingchun Yue Taiping Qingjiao held every ten years.
Lichi Wo is the center of seven villages in Qingchun Yue. It used to be the base for education, economy and traditional celebrations. Lichi Wo Square was originally the playground of Xiaoying School. Meizilin is the birthplace of many Zeng's villages in Qingchun Yue. In the 1960s, it was an important place for producing New Year oranges, with an annual output of tens of thousands of kilograms. Hagtang is a self-sufficient village at the foot of Diaolenglong Mountain. In the 1960s, in addition to the abundant production of vegetables and fruits, it also built a chicken farm.
In addition, in order to promote the cultural history of Qingchunyue, the seven villages of Qingchunyue cooperated with the Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark (Hong Kong Geopark), the Lions Clubs Nature Education Fund and the Chinachem Group to launch the "One Person, One Story" website of the seven villages of Qingchunyue, which brought together more than 60 villagers to introduce the life stories of Qingchunyue in the past, festivals, weddings, etc. in the form of oral history and songs.
In 2017, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched the "One Root, One Origin" project, collaborating with the Hong Kong Geopark community to discover and conserve its cultural heritage and transform it into rich educational and green tourism resources, thereby restoring rural villages and promoting sustainable development in remote areas. The project covers seven villages in Hing Chun, Ap Chau, Kat O, Kau Sai Village and Leung Shuen Wan. So far, more than 100 villagers living locally and overseas have been interviewed, five story houses have been set up, and two books about Ap Chau and Kat O have been published. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched the Kat O Cultural Trail in 2021, and assisted the establishment of the Siu Ying Story House and the Lai Chi Wo Story House in the Seven Villages of Hing Chun in the same year. The second section of the Qingchunyue Cultural Trail will connect Sanya and Xiaotan and is expected to be launched in the first quarter of next year.
The spokesman called on visitors to respect rural culture when visiting the Hong Kong Geopark, avoid disturbing the lives of residents, protect the environment and take away their own rubbish.
With the opening of Sha Tau Kok Phase II, in addition to passing through Ma Liu Shui or Tai Shui Hang landings, citizens holding a valid Sha Tau Kok Border Closed Area Permit can take the Kaito ferry from Sha Tau Kok Pier to Lai Chi Wo. The journey takes about half an hour.
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