Home » Lai Chi Wo as an Example of Organically Evolved and Associative Cultural Landscape in Hong Kong
Lai Chi Wo as an Example of Organically Evolved and Associative Cultural Landscape in Hong Kong
Lai Chi Wo, a traditional Hakka agricultural village in the north-east of the New Territories of Hong Kong, is an example of organically evolved and associative cultural landscape. Its changing landscape is a result of the long-term interaction between villagers and the natural environment which also reflects the villagers' strong belief in the ancient wisdom of Fung Shui, a Chinese system of geomancy.
The early Hakka settlers decided to build their village in Lai Chi Wo where favourable agricultural environment is present – it is a natural valley with a stream passing through, surrounded by hills on three sides and facing a calm harbour in front, so there are adequate land and water resources for farming and the climatic condition is stable and mild. Such a good geographical environment of Lai Chi Wo Village in fact correspond to the characteristics of a typical Fung Shui village setting in South China.
There are over 200 village houses in Lai Chi Wo, all facing onto the water and the sunny side and backing onto mountains and the shading side. They were built and arranged neatly along three vertical and nine horizontal lanes within the village wall according to the advice given by a Fung Shui master 200 years ago to optimize the living environment and avoid over-expansion of the village settlement.
The large piece of natural woodland at the back of the village was protected and well-managed by the villagers as their Fung Shui woodland. Fung Shui woodland is a characteristic landscape feature of traditional South China farming villages, which protects the village from landslides and hill fires, maintains adequate supply of fresh water, as well as moderates the microclimate and provides natural resources. Villagers may not understand these benefits of the forest scientifically but they believe a well-preserved Fung Shui woodland represents good fortune for the village. Outside the Fung Shui woodland, villagers in the past cut the hilly slopes into terraces for paddy farming. The terrace farmlands once extended to the hilltop in the heyday of the village. Along the coast, a part of the mangrove forest was believed to be deliberately protected by the early villagers as an estuary Fung Shui woodland to keep the village safe from the waves. Villagers formed a self-sustained community where temples with open space were built for rituals and social gatherings, and a school was set up to provide education to younger generations.
The Lai Chi Wo area illustrates how the natural environment is being protected and at the same time gradually transformed by villagers for survival over the last few centuries. While the terrace farming cultural landscape is organically evolved, the Fung Shui setting of the village, including the Fung Shui woodlands, reflects the associative nature of the site – villagers associate the natural environment of Lai Chi Wo with good Fung Shui. The equilibrium of self-sustainability attained through conscious naturally, culturally and socially sensitive management by generations of villagers at Lai Chi Wo is an outstanding example of organically evolved cultural landscape in Southern China and in Hong Kong.
Unfortunately, much of the farmlands have lain abandoned since 1970s due to a wave of migration to foreign countries for a better livelihood. While most farmlands are now covered with shrubs and some young trees, around five hectares of farmland have recently been rehabilitated by the Sustainable Lai Chi Wo Programme led by Policy for Sustainability Lab of the Faculty of Social Sciences at The University of Hong Kong. The agricultural-led revitalisation programme adopts a holistic management approach which conserves Lai Chi Wo as a cultural landscape. It respects the local community and the traditional wisdom of the villagers, and contributes to the sustaining of the natural, cultural and social importance of this rare cultural landscape in an urban city.
Continue to "Session 2: The Significance of Conserving Cultural Landscapes"