Retired fisherman Cheung Sup-yee has a passion for showing visitors around Tai O, although he is not paid for it. Photo: Ricky Chung / South China Morning PostHONG KONG (South China Morning Post), February 11, 2008:
"Last fishing village threatened as young abandon ageing population", screams the headline of a report in today's edition of the South China Morning Post.
Beehaichun in the HoneyWood File, speaks of Rejuvenation of Tai O:
Tai O’s unique fishing and salt-making culture is diminishing, and diminishing fast, in accordance to the government’s survey The young generation wants to leave Tai O for better opportunity some of the age-old practices is in danger of dying out.
Tai O being inconveniently linked to the rest of Hong Kong worsen the situation and make it all more difficult to attract expatriate to live (like Cheung Chau and Lam Y Island) and also make it difficult to be developed as tourism spot.
It is inevitable that younger generation wants to get a taste of Asia World City, who can blame them? The government is promoting better quality of life and the attraction of turning millionaires by investing in the stock and financial market. All these promotions make it extremely difficult to preserve some of the old practices. The once prosperous fishing village will one day lose its unique cultural root. So what can we do to maintain a balance between the past and the vision for the future?
We should develop the eco-tourism and cultural preservation as ways to preserve these practices. We have to admit that these practices are no longer attractive enough for most of the younger generation. However incentive must be provided for those still wishing to maintain their unique cultural practices. Nature beauty of Tai O and the exhibitive nature of the practices may be linked together in some way to form a unique cultural experience as a tourism spot. Newly designed tourism attraction must be carried out with minimal natural intervention.
An official tourism promotion site tells us:
Tai O is one of the outlying islands west of Hong Kong, located southwest of Lantau Island. Nicknamed "The Venice of Hong Kong," it is one of the most famous outlying islands in Hong Kong. It is special not only in being a fishing village, but also not being polluted by urban life yet. Whenever you go to Tai O, you will always feel the relaxation and comfort you won't find in any other parts of Hong Kong.....Most families in Tai O have their own boat because the main means of transportation in Tai O by sea. Moreover, people in Tai O live in houses called 'pangwu', the bamboo houses or stilt houses, because of their appearance. These houses are made of wood and leaves traditionally, with circular roofs and are supported by stone columns. Later on, the stilt houses were rebuilt with wood and tin plates...
