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Tourists in Hong Kong flock to the 300-year-old village of Kuk Po, whose decaying mansions and reed fields provide a respite from the city’s famously frenetic pace. The seaside village was once home to the Hakka people of southern China, but was mostly abandoned in recent decades, even as gleaming high-rises sprang up across the Chinese border in nearby Shenzhen.
But the Hong Kong government is encouraging visitors to venture off the beaten path and has loosened entry restrictions to the city’s northernmost neighborhood of Sha Tau Kok – making it easier to visit Kuk Po via speedboat. On a recent January weekend, tourists flocked to the picturesque sites of the village, surrounded on three sides by gentle valleys.
Hong Kong’s countryside attractions unveiled
“When people talked about Hong Kong, it was about the skyline, the downtown area, the financial hub,” Singapore exchange student Kevin Choy, 24, told AFP. “Very few people talk about the countryside,” he said. “This side of Hong Kong is something I never imagined.” Lillian Lee, whose family has deep roots in Kuk Po, said her parents returned there during the Covid pandemic to enjoy the allure of village life—a choice that may resonate with stressed-out city residents .
She began welcoming visitors to her family’s two-story ancestral home—built nearly a century ago—in 2022. “The world outside is very stressful and chaotic … but here you can relax and be at ease,” the 30-year-old told AFP. “It’s a beautiful environment that should be treasured ( And) our family came together to share this space with more people.”
Sustainable tourism and the future of Kuk Po
The Hakka – whose name means “guest people” – are known for their long history of migration and have transformed Kuk Po into a market town, although their numbers dwindled after Hong Kong became urbanized in the 1960s. Tour organizer Paul Chan said sustainable tourism was driving more tourists to visit the near-planned city. “When the public is interested, it creates a virtuous cycle: to restore houses and monuments, and to revive cultures,” Chan said.
The Hong Kong government hopes that eco-tours can promote nature conservation while generating cash for the city. Kuk Po was one of the rural townships listed in a tourism policy blueprint last month. But despite the increase in interest, Lee said it was difficult to economically sustain revitalization efforts that included tours, tasting events and workshops, and he hoped the city would invest more in sustainable tourism.
“I hope that the village will not turn into a tourist attraction just for sightseeing, but to follow an educational approach,” she said. “Many villages and their histories in Hong Kong are slowly disappearing… I hope these things can be passed on.”
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