Although there are currently no permanent residents living in Mui Tsz Lam, a variety of people continue to visit and actively participate in the life of both Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong. These include Hakka indigenous villagers who return to the villages from time to time, the "Friends of Mui Tsz Lam" volunteer network coordinated by Village Head Tsang Yuk-on, the Forest Village project team, partner organisations, and volunteer communities. Together, they form the villages' contemporary local community.
The project team regularly organizes activities for community members to enjoy and participate in. Members of the community, including villagers, also initiate their own activities from time to time, with support provided by the project team where needed. These activities include, but are not limited to:
- Before Lunar New Year, villagers and volunteers gather to make traditional Hakka New Year puddings steamed in large bamboo baskets and write festive spring couplets by hand.
- During the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebration evenings are also organized within the village.
- At the end of each year, villagers invite volunteers to share the harvest of the village's mandarin and kumquat trees in an event known as "Sharing the Citrus Harvest."
If you are interested in participating in rural revitalization and conservation work, becoming part of this energetic and action-oriented community, and meeting like-minded people, don't hesitate to Join as a Volunteer!
Lunar New Year Preparations
Among the many New Year traditions, the making of large basket-steamed Hakka rice cakes remains one of the most important rituals in Hakka villages. Before Lunar New Year, volunteers work alongside villagers to collect and wash holly leaves, prepare firewood, and make the rice cake batter in preparation for the overnight steaming process.
To thank everyone for their efforts, villagers also prepare a generous reunion dinner for the volunteers. Traditional dishes often include Hakka-style braised pork, towel gourd braised with fish maw, black snapper braised with radish, Hakka salted chicken, and choy sum stir-fried with fermented black beans.
In the evening, everyone gathers around the traditional stove in the restored old village house "Mui Tsz Lam Commons" to begin steaming the rice cakes in large round bamboo baskets. Because the cakes are exceptionally large, the process requires continuous wood fire for up to ten hours throughout the night. Villagers and volunteers therefore take turns on night shifts to tend the fire, refill water, and continuously stir the thickening batter to ensure the cake cooks evenly. Those on duty experience the unique atmosphere of glowing firelight within the dark rural landscape, and may even be treated to late-night snacks prepared by the villagers.
In addition, volunteers join villagers and the “Friends of Mui Tsz Lam” in writing spring couplets for the New Year. As the festival approaches, the village head leads villagers to the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors, after which new spring couplets are posted throughout the village. Finally, a simple yet ceremonial cake-cutting ritual is held, during which everyone shares and enjoys the freshly steamed rice cake together.
We look forward to welcoming more people to experience the festive atmosphere of village life in the future.
