Field Study of River Handbook for Tour Guides

Content

Page

1. Notes to Field Study of Rivers 2

2. Lai Chi Wo River and the fieldwork sites 3

3. About Lai Chi Wo River 4

4. Ecology 6

5. Cultural Heritage 7

6. Fieldwork site A: Estuary 8

7. Fieldwork site B: Lai Chi Wo Hakka Walled Village 10

8. Fieldwork site C: Fung Shui Wood 12

9. Fieldwork site D: Chu Mun Tin (Fei Keng Stream) 14

10. Fieldwork site E: Weir 16

11. Fieldwork site F: Coastal Heritiera and Derris Forest 18

12. Fieldwork site G: Viewing Point 20

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 1

1 Notes to Field Study of Rivers

Safety Measures 1. Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers to prevent mosquito bites and cuts caused by plants;

2. Wear slip-resistant shoes; and

3. Leave the vicinity of the river immediately if there is a sudden rise of the water level or an increase in the turbulence and turbidity of the stream flow.

Code of conduct

1. Protect the countryside and its natural landscapes, do not pollute rivers and litter;

2. Do not disturb vegetation, wildlife and their living environment;

3. Respect villagers, do not damage private properties, crops and livestock.

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 2

2 Lai Chi Wo River and the fieldwork sites

Map 2.1: Lai Chi Wo River and the fieldwork sites

The fieldwork sites (refer to 2.1)

A • Estuary (河口) B • Lai Chi Wo Hakka Walled Village (荔枝窩客家圍村) C • Fung Shui Wood (風水林) D • Chu Mun Tin (Fei Keng Stream) (珠門田 (飛頸河)) E • Weir (水堰) F • Coastal Heritiera and Derris Forest (銀葉古林及白花魚藤) G • Viewing Point (觀景台)

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 3

3 About Lai Chi Wo River

1. About Lai Chi Wo River

Lai Chi Wo (荔枝窩), located in the northeastern , is where a traditional Hakka village with a history of over 300 years is situated. The headwater of Lai Chi Wo River is located at Tiu Tang Lung (吊燈籠). The main stream begins at the northern slopes of Tiu Tang Lung, and then flows northeastward into the gentle river valley. It joins another major tributary near Lai Chi Wo village before entering Yan Chau Tong () (印洲塘). The length of Lai Chi Wo River is about 2.6 km, with a catchment area of around 2.7 km2.

Figure 3.1: Lai Chi Wo River

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“Heritage and River – Story of Lai Chi Wo River” https://bit.ly/2C4UNAG

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 4

2. River Management

Lai Chi Wo River has abundant flow and excellent water quality. For more than 300 years, the villagers of Lai Chi Wo relied on the river for water.

Irrigation

Lai Chi Wo River is the major water source for villagers. An irrigation system was built decades ago by villagers who farmed for a living, with weirs to store water and divert river water to fields. Nowadays, the weirs can still be found at Lai Chi Wo.

Drinking Water Source

In the 1960s, villagers of Lai Chi Wo built a reservoir on the hill to collect river water from the upper reaches of Lai Chi Wo and rainwater. Water pipes were installed to transport water from the reservoir to the village. At present, villagers still rely on the water of Lai Chi Wo River for potable use.

Figure 3.2: One of the weirs at Figure 3.3: Irrigation channels on Lai Chi Wo the farmland

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4 Ecology

Situated in a remote area of the territory, the landscape of the Lai Chi Wo River catchment has remained largely undisturbed. The natural river, an ‘Ecologically Important Stream’ designated by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, has exceptionally high ecological value. According to a study conducted by the Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL) of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of (2018), 46 species of freshwater fish were recorded in the river. Besides, its river mouth is a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI) where the largest seagrass bed in Hong Kong can be found. Moreover, the Fung Shui Wood behind the village has been designated as a ‘Special Area’ owing to its high biodiversity. Over 100 plant species were recorded.

Figure 4.1: Flat-headed Loach Figure 4.2: Dwarf Eel Grass (Oreonectes platycephalus) (Zostera japonica) (© Henry Lui)

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Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 6

5 Cultural Heritage

The abundant water supply of Lai Chi Wo River has provided a favourable condition for agricultural development. Around 300 years ago, people began to settle and cultivate in this catchment, and a substantial Hakka settlement was subsequently established. In addition to Lai Chi Wo village at the lower course, villages like (蛤塘) and Mui Tsz Lam (梅子 林) at the upper course were also established. In order to maintain a close relationship among clans in different villages, a village alliance, known as Hing Chun Yeuk (慶春約), was formed among Lai Chi Wo village and six other Hakka villages (namely (鎖羅盆), (三椏), Mui Tsz Lam, Kop Tong, (牛屎湖) and Siu Tan (小灘). Lai Chi Wo village, being the largest village, is the centre of Hing Chun Yeuk, and various activities such as Da Jiu Festivals (太平清醮) have been held there.

At present, a number of cultural heritage sites have been preserved within the catchment of Lai Chi Wo River. Most of them are located in Lai Chi Wo village, such as the Hakka walled village, Fung Shui Wall, Hip Tin Temple and Ho Shan Monastery, showcasing the rural lifestyle and customs of the in the old days.

Figure 5.1: Lai Chi Wo Hakka Figure 5.2: Hip Tin Temple and Walled Village (© Lau Kin Ming) Ho Shan Monastery

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6 Fieldwork site A: Estuary

Ecological value and conservation of the estuary The estuary of Lai Chi Wo River is a part of Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. Apart from the mudflat and mangrove habitats, the most extensive seagrass bed of Dwarf Eel Grass (Zostera japonica) in Hong Kong, can also be found at the beach, providing shelter and food for a wide variety of marine wildlife, especially the larvae of fish and crustaceans. Given its significant ecological value, the estuary has been designated as a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI).

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site A: Estuary]

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Map 6.1: Field study site at Estuary

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 8

Figure 6.1: Mudflats at the estuary of Figure 6.2: Mangroves at the estuary Lai Chi Wo River

Figure 6.3: Dwarf Eel Grass (Zostera japonica) (© Henry Lui)

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 9 Fieldwork site C: Lai Chi Wo HakkaWalled 7 Village

Lai Chi Wo Hakka walled village Lai Chi Wo village, located in the northeastern New Territories, is a Hakka walled village with a history of over 300 years. A semi-enclosed Fung Shui Wall was built in the front of the village, and there are over two hundred houses and three ancestral halls, constructed mainly with blue bricks and mud bricks. Houses have been arranged along nine horizontal and three vertical lanes. It is one of the few traditional Hakka walled villages in Hong Kong which has its layout preserved intact.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site B: Lai Chi Wo Hakka walled village]

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Map 7.1: Field study site at Lai Chi Wo Hakka Walled Village

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Figure 7.1: Lai Chi Wo Hakka Figure 7.2: East Gate of the Fung Walled Village (© Lau Kin Ming) Shui Wall

Figure 7.3: The layout of Lai Chi Wo Hakka Walled Village

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8 Fieldwork site C: Fung Shui Wood

Fung Shui Wood is found at the hillside behind Lai Chi Wo village. Thanks to its extraordinarily high ecological value, it is designated as a Special Area and is under legal protection. More than 100 plant species have been recorded, which includes rarely found species like Artocarpus hypargyreus and Artabotrys hongkongensis. In particular, three ancient trees with distinctive features are preserved and listed in the Register of Old and Valuable Trees. They are the “Hollow Tree”, the “Marriage Tree” and the “Five-fingered Camphor”.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site C: Fung Shui Wood]

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Map 8.1: Field study site at Fung Shui Wood

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Figure 8.1: The “Hollow Tree” Figure 8.2: The “Marriage – Autumn Maple Tree Tree” – an Autumn Maple entangled with a Banyan Tree

Figure 8.3: The “Five-fingered Camphor” – Camphor Tree

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Fieldwork site D: Chu Mun Tin (Fei Keng 9 Stream)

The river section near Chu Mun Tin area belongs to the middle-upper course of Lai Chi Wo River. The river has remained largely pristine with extraordinarily high ecological value, and its middle course has been designated as an “Ecologically Important Stream” by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. An ecological study carried out by the Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL) of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (2018) has recorded 46 freshwater fish species at the river, including Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica) and Indo-Pacific Tropical Sand Goby (Favonigobius reichei), which are listed as ‘Endangered’ and ‘Near Threatened’ in the IUCN Red List respectively.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site D: Chu Mun Tin (Fei Keng Stream)]

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Map 9.1: Field study site at Chu Mun Tin (Fei Keng Stream)

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Figure 9.1: Stream near Chu Mun Tin Figure 9.2: Stream near Chu Mun Tin (towards upstream) (towards downstream)

References for the Ecology of Lai Chi Wo River:

Hau, B. C. H., Lo, K. W. F., & So, K. Y. K. (2018). Living Water and Community Revitalization - An Agricultural-led Action, Engagement and Incubation Programme at Lai Chi Wo: Biodiversity Baseline and Management Plan of Freshwater and Terrestrial Habitats of Lai Chi Wo. Hong Kong: Policy for Sustainability Lab, Faculty of Social Sciences, The

University of Hong Kong. https://bit.ly/2UPcPy1

Field Study of Lai Chi Wo River: Handbook for Tour Guides 15

10 Fieldwork site E: Weir

Irrigation Lai Chi Wo River is the primary irrigation water source for villagers. An irrigation system was built decades ago by villagers, with weirs to store water and divert river water to fields. Nowadays, these weirs can still be found at Lai Chi Wo.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site E: Weir]

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Map 10.1: Field study site at Weir

E

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Figure 10.1: One of the weirs at Figure 10.2: Lai Chi Wo River section Lai Chi Wo at the weir

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Fieldwork site F: Coastal Heritiera and 11 Derris Forest

At the lower course of Lai Chi Wo River, more than a hundred Coastal Heritiera (Heritiera littoralis) were grown next to the village, forming the largest and oldest Coastal Heritiera wood in Hong Kong. White-flowered Derris (Derris alborubra), a native climbing species in Hong Kong, can also be found twining around the mangroves. They grow side by side with the Coastal Heritiera wood, forming a unique natural landscape.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site F: Coastal Heritiera and Derris Forest]

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Map 11.1: Fieldwork site at Coastal Heritiera and Derris Forest

F

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Figure 11.1: Coastal Heritiera (Heritiera Figure 11.2: Fruit of Heritiera littoralis littoralis) is a mangrove species

Figure 11.3: White-flowered Derris (Derris alborubra)

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Fieldwork site G: Viewing Point 12

The Viewing Point is located in the southeast of the Lai Chi Wo village, overlooking the village and the estuary of Lai Chi Wo River. Besides, Yan Chau Tong and nearby islands such as , Fun Chau etc. could also be seen.

‘My River, My Community’ – WISE Choice

[Site G: Viewing Point]

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Map 12.1: Field study site at Viewing Point

G

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Figure 12.1: A bird’s-eye view of Lai Chi Figure 12.2: An overview of Yan Chau Wo estuary from Viewing Point Tong from Viewing Point

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