Media

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) will officially launch the “Living Water & Community Revitalization – An Agricultural-led Action, Engagement and Incubation Programme at Lai Chi Wo” (the “Sustainable Lai Chi Wo” Project) on  April 30, 2016 (Saturday). Members of the media are welcome to come to Lai Chi Wo to know more about the progress of farming revitalization and traditional village building complex restoration. The event will take place from 8am to 2pm approximately.

Led by the Policy for Sustainability Lab of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the “Sustainable Lai Chi Wo” Project is a multi-year rural community development and revitalization programme which promotes sustainable rural development through farming revitalization, traditional village conservation, education programmes and scientific researches conducted by university scholars. The aim of the Programme is to revive the appearance and activities of the traditional Hakka village Lai Chi Wo as much as possible.

Lai Chi Wo is a place with extraordinarily high biodiversity. Biological scholars from HKU have been conducting ecology and biodiversity research in Lai Chi Wo since 2014. Besides, engineering and geography scholars from the University are also conducting a hydrology monitoring programme in Lai Chi Wo. Under the Programme, six hectares of farmland in the village is prepared to deliver various types of activity including eco-friendly organic farming of over ten kinds of produces, such as paddy rice, turnip, carrot, fennel, roselle, shungi ku, sweet potato leaves, coix seed, ginger lily, water spinach, ginger, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, seed lotus and red Chinese spinach. HKU scholars provide technical supports to the farming programme so that it can respond scientifically to different seasonal environments. The Programme also includes a farming leadership scheme which provides training to people who are interested in setting up small farms in Lai Chi Wo. After receiving 12 months of training, leaders can submit proposals and start their farming. It has attracted some villagers and emigrated villagers to participate and redevelop the local economy in Lai Chi Wo. The Programme also provides outdoor learning opportunities to primary school, secondary school and university students.   

Another emphasis of the Programme is the revitalization and conservation of the traditional buildings in Lai Chi Wo. A village complex consisting of four old village buildings is restored using traditional construction methods and local materials. The launching ceremony will also mark the opening of an exhibition of Hong Kong’s traditional rice farming displayed in the restored village complex. A collection of old farming instruments of Lai Chi Wo used before 1980s will be displayed, including a zoetrope made by a local carpenter which shows the motion of rice threshing. 

The “Sustainable Lai Chi Wo” Project is the first cross-sector partnership seeking for a sustainable development option for the rural areas of Hong Kong: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited to provide support between 2013 and 2017 for its ground breaking work; The University of Hong Kong through the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Policy for Sustainability Lab to lead the programme in collaboration with Hong Kong Countryside Foundation, Produce Green Foundation,