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CUHK hosts Shui Hau Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market to promote rural revitalisation and cultural conservation
The Shui Hau Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, jointly organised by the School of Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), CUHK’s Centre for Sustainable Placemaking and Urban-Rural Regeneration (SPUR) and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, recently took place in Shui Hau, a 400-year-old Waitau village in South Lantau. As part of the Lantau Conservation Fund-supported project Regenerating Shui Hau, this community event was led by Professor Thomas Chung Wang-leung of CUHK’s School of Architecture. It aimed to showcase local farming, artisan products and cultural experiences, highlighting the achievements of rural revitalisation and promoting the village’s agricultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship.
Renowned for its historical rice cultivation, Shui Hau’s recent restoration and revitalisation of the Grade III historic building House No. 49, as well as the Grain Store, carried out by CUHK’s School of Architecture, provided the backdrop for the market curated by the school. The event attracted over 210 attendees, who enjoyed a bustling marketplace featuring fresh, seasonal produce, local handicrafts and traditional snacks such as cha guo made with rice grown in Shui Hau. In addition to Shui Hau farmers, vendors from neighbouring towns and villages Tai O, Pui O and Mui Wo participated, highlighting the island’s abundance by showcasing locally grown roselle, cabbage, daikon and turmeric, as well as wampee soda, butterfly pea tea, and coffee crafted and roasted in South Lantau.
Visitors also engaged in hands-on activities and workshops, immersing themselves in the farming culture and history of Shui Hau, including:
- Guided cultural tours of historical sites, such as No. 49 and the Grain Store, underscoring the villagers’ cultural conservation efforts through architectural restoration.
- Eco-tours to the rice paddies of Shui Hau by Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
- A workshop on mushroom cultivation using coffee grounds, allowing participants to create cultivation bags and learn sustainable practices.
- A musical workshop held on the farmlands of the village, inviting attendees to explore various instruments in the open fields.
Miss Christina Wong Ming-kei, Research Assistant at CUHK School of Architecture and project manager of Regenerating Shui Hau, said: “By supporting local farmers and crafters, this event makes local products more accessible to the public, stimulates the local economy and fosters a stronger community spirit. It also encourages public participation in sustainable agriculture and traditional crafts, while fostering appreciation and awareness of village culture among residents and visitors alike.”
The Shui Hau Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market attracts many visitors, including families from neighbouring villages and others travelling from farther away.
An indigenous villager and farmer sells her homegrown vegetables and other agricultural products made in Shui Hau.
On an Architectural and Cultural Guided Tour by CUHK’s School of Architecture, visitors gather outside the old cottage factory owned by Fung Wong Industry Co. (1984-2002). The factory was adapted from the old residential house No. 46, a typical traditional vernacular architecture dwelling made of stone bricks with a pitched roof featuring Chinese pan and roll tiles. The factory showcases the socio-economic history of Shui Hau as it transitioned from an agricultural economy to a modern one with the decline of farming in the 1970s.
Shui Hau is known for its mudflat, where villagers have harvested clams for centuries. Visitors test their clam-finding skills using the traditional harvesting tool “chi hau lim”, guided by an indigenous Shui Hau villager.
The Restored Grade III historic building No. 49, features a display of indigo-dyed items from Indigo 11.50, a workshop located in Tai Long Wan, a village neighbouring Shui Hau.
The Regenerating Shui Hau Team from CUHK’s Centre for Sustainable Placemaking and Urban Rural Regeneration and its School of Architecture.
The Regenerating Shui Hau Team with the villagers of Shui Hau: village head Chan Yuk-kei (2nd left) and Regenerating Shui Hau project manager Miss Christina Wong Ming-kei (2nd right).
