Chloe LAI
Dr. Chloe Lai Wing-sze is an urban researcher and curator of the nonprofit
organisation Urban Diary. She is committed to promoting
sustainability through community storytelling. She was behind the
book Forgotten Lantau: Tales of Shui Hau and the documentary Rhymes of
Shui Hau, both released in 2017. In 2024, she returned to Shui Hau Village
to delve deeper into its cultural landscape and document the stories
of local villagers. Her work invites the public to rediscover rural life in
Hong Kong and reflect on their close ties with nature, fostering a shared
concern for environmental conservation.
My name is Chloe Lai. I’m the curator of Urban Diary, a project that explores the interaction
between people and their spaces. In 2024, I began to get involved in a project on architectural
and cultural conservation in Shui Hau Village, documenting its human history and the
symbiotic relationship between the villagers and their environment. In the past, our research
focused primarily on urban spaces. Why did we venture into Shui Hau, a place far removed
from the city’s hustle and bustle? It all began with our initial research in Shui Hau.
Shui Hau Village is an indigenous settlement with a long history and rich natural ecology. In 2015, some friends of mine independently conducted ecological research in Shui Hau, but the cultural and historical sides of things were not explored in depth. As I wanted to expand the scope of my urban research to include rural areas and better understand the significance of rural life to the city, I decided to visit Shui Hau and interview the villagers, hoping to document their way of life and history. At first, I didn’t know any of the local villagers. But fortunately, a writer friend who used to live there introduced me to Boss Wing (Chan Chau-wing) 1, the owner of Fung Wong Bungalow Store. Boss Wing was warm and welcoming. He shared all sorts of life stories and family history with me. He also introduced me to a bunch of villagers, including Mink (Chan Fung-ming)2 and Sister Chun (Fung Shui-chun)3. We’ve actually known each other for almost 10 years now, so I guess you could say we’re old friends.
I remember during one interview with an elderly villager, we struggled to understand what he was saying. It was only later that we realised he was speaking Wai Tau dialect! I had always thought Wai Tau dialect was only spoken by indigenous communities in areas like Sheung Shui and Yuen Long. I had no idea it was also spoken on Lantau. We were keen to document this endangered language. But we didn’t have the linguistic knowledge or resources to do that systematically.
Luckily, we found out that some elderly villagers sang rhymes in Wai Tau dialect. The songs revolved around village life and painted a picture of the traditional rural landscape. Like the dialect itself, these rhymes were passed down by word of mouth. If no one continues to sing them, they would eventually disappear. So, besides putting together the villagers’ interviews in the book Forgotten Lantau: Tales of Shui Hau, we also made a documentary called Rhymes of Shui Hau and printed a lyrics booklet to help preserve this precious cultural heritage in its entirety.
Shui Hau Village is an indigenous settlement with a long history and rich natural ecology. In 2015, some friends of mine independently conducted ecological research in Shui Hau, but the cultural and historical sides of things were not explored in depth. As I wanted to expand the scope of my urban research to include rural areas and better understand the significance of rural life to the city, I decided to visit Shui Hau and interview the villagers, hoping to document their way of life and history. At first, I didn’t know any of the local villagers. But fortunately, a writer friend who used to live there introduced me to Boss Wing (Chan Chau-wing) 1, the owner of Fung Wong Bungalow Store. Boss Wing was warm and welcoming. He shared all sorts of life stories and family history with me. He also introduced me to a bunch of villagers, including Mink (Chan Fung-ming)2 and Sister Chun (Fung Shui-chun)3. We’ve actually known each other for almost 10 years now, so I guess you could say we’re old friends.
I remember during one interview with an elderly villager, we struggled to understand what he was saying. It was only later that we realised he was speaking Wai Tau dialect! I had always thought Wai Tau dialect was only spoken by indigenous communities in areas like Sheung Shui and Yuen Long. I had no idea it was also spoken on Lantau. We were keen to document this endangered language. But we didn’t have the linguistic knowledge or resources to do that systematically.
Luckily, we found out that some elderly villagers sang rhymes in Wai Tau dialect. The songs revolved around village life and painted a picture of the traditional rural landscape. Like the dialect itself, these rhymes were passed down by word of mouth. If no one continues to sing them, they would eventually disappear. So, besides putting together the villagers’ interviews in the book Forgotten Lantau: Tales of Shui Hau, we also made a documentary called Rhymes of Shui Hau and printed a lyrics booklet to help preserve this precious cultural heritage in its entirety.
The last time we studied Shui Hau was nearly a decade ago. This time, our focus is on how
people live in harmony with nature. One of the biggest takeaways from the previous research
was realising how much the villagers care about environmental protection, since their lives are
closely linked to nature. In the past, the villagers relied on clams as a primary food source, so
they invented a tool called chi hau sickle. They insert it into the mudflats, using the hook of the
sickle to touch Asiatic hard clams — only the larger clams make a specific sound when struck.
So, those that make that sound are harvested, whereas the smaller ones are left behind to grow.
If the small clams are taken, there won’t be any left for next year. Also, using a chi hau sickle
doesn’t require digging up the sand, so it causes less disturbance to other creatures living on
the mudflats. The villagers understand that the only way to ensure a steady food supply is to let
the clams on the mudflats continue to reproduce. Today, we call this practice sustainability.
The villagers also gather herbs from the hills for medicine and to stay healthy. Similarly, if they pick all the herbs at once, what will happen if they get sick again? People in the city are so disconnected from nature and its importance is easily forgotten. The way the Shui Hau villagers live is a good reminder of how closely we are connected to nature. Living in harmony with nature is what sustainability is all about.
If we want to make people understand what sort of place Shui Hau Village is, simply talking about culture and history and its ecological value might come across as too abstract. By recording the stories of villagers, we try to help readers understand them, their way of life, and how their actions shape the community. Shui Hau villagers are no longer an ambiguous “other”. They are real, living people.
I’ve been doing research in Shui Hau for so long that I’m very close with the villagers now. Every time I return, it feels like going home. When I arrive, I always go to Fung Wong Bungalow Store to say hi to Boss Wing. If I bump into other villagers along the way, I’ll have a chat with them or even pop into their homes for a bit. I often lose track of time talking with them. One time, I was with Sister Chun. When I said it was getting dark and I had to head home for dinner, she told me to stay on and have dinner at hers!
Unlike 10 years ago, there are now various organisations in Shui Hau. They bring in more resources to support conservation efforts. For example, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society is doing recultivation work and natural conservation management, while WWF-Hong Kong is conducting research in ecological conservation. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has also partnered with Urban Diary for architectural and cultural preservation. These efforts allow the public to explore Shui Hau from different perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the village. Some villagers told us that the conservation work in recent years has strengthened their sense of identity, and they take pride in being Shui Hau villagers.
Today, Shui Hau Village is a pretty popular tourist spot, and as the government is planning to boost tourism in South Lantau, more visitors will come in the future. I hope the natural environment in Shui Hau can be preserved and the villagers’ way of life respected, so everyone can coexist peacefully.
The villagers also gather herbs from the hills for medicine and to stay healthy. Similarly, if they pick all the herbs at once, what will happen if they get sick again? People in the city are so disconnected from nature and its importance is easily forgotten. The way the Shui Hau villagers live is a good reminder of how closely we are connected to nature. Living in harmony with nature is what sustainability is all about.
If we want to make people understand what sort of place Shui Hau Village is, simply talking about culture and history and its ecological value might come across as too abstract. By recording the stories of villagers, we try to help readers understand them, their way of life, and how their actions shape the community. Shui Hau villagers are no longer an ambiguous “other”. They are real, living people.
I’ve been doing research in Shui Hau for so long that I’m very close with the villagers now. Every time I return, it feels like going home. When I arrive, I always go to Fung Wong Bungalow Store to say hi to Boss Wing. If I bump into other villagers along the way, I’ll have a chat with them or even pop into their homes for a bit. I often lose track of time talking with them. One time, I was with Sister Chun. When I said it was getting dark and I had to head home for dinner, she told me to stay on and have dinner at hers!
Unlike 10 years ago, there are now various organisations in Shui Hau. They bring in more resources to support conservation efforts. For example, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society is doing recultivation work and natural conservation management, while WWF-Hong Kong is conducting research in ecological conservation. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has also partnered with Urban Diary for architectural and cultural preservation. These efforts allow the public to explore Shui Hau from different perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the village. Some villagers told us that the conservation work in recent years has strengthened their sense of identity, and they take pride in being Shui Hau villagers.
Today, Shui Hau Village is a pretty popular tourist spot, and as the government is planning to boost tourism in South Lantau, more visitors will come in the future. I hope the natural environment in Shui Hau can be preserved and the villagers’ way of life respected, so everyone can coexist peacefully.
