Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Kuk Po is a Hakka village in Hong Kong with more than 300 years of history. In January, it welcomed a few thousand people eager to explore its heritage.
The Countryside Harvest Festival was Kuk Po’s first event to bring together cultural heritage, live music, art exhibitions and authentic food.
One of the attendees was Jason Lee, a South Korean exchange student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
The 21-year-old said he wanted to go beyond the usual tourist spots and explore the city’s traditions.
“Seeing local life up close – from the street food stalls to the fishing boats – was fascinating,” he said.
“Coming from abroad, these everyday scenes gave me a completely new perspective on Hong Kong.”
Boosting local tourism
The festival is part of a push to encourage visitors to explore rural areas. The event was organised by the Countryside Conservation Office.
Kuk Po is a quiet area in the northeastern New Territories near Plover Cove Country Park.
It was once a thriving village, but over the years, residents left as Hong Kong’s urban areas became more developed. Kuk Po’s only school closed its doors in 1993.
William Ip is a guide with over 10 years of experience with tours in Hong Kong’s rural areas. He praised the role of festivals like this one in Kuk Po.
“It’s a good thing because most Hong Kong people feel that city life revolves around things like watching films, having morning tea, travelling to mainland China or flying to Japan,” Ip said.
He said visitors were also interested in countryside experiences. He had welcomed many tourists who came to the city for hiking.
But Ip warned that it was important to balance promoting tourism and protecting the villagers’ way of life.
“For example, the villagers in [nearby] Sha Tau Kok don’t like it at all. That’s why half the area is inaccessible to us – we have to respect their preferences,” he said.
Breathing new energy into Kuk Po
Lee Muk-sing is Kuk Po’s village representative. He said the area’s beauty and scenery could help visitors feel calm.
“Kuk Po is home to unique natural wonders and historic architecture,” he explained.
“This village shows that Hong Kong is not just a bustling city but also a haven for countryside charm.”
The festival had a few exhibitions with photographs and artwork from different community members. It also invited 230 pupils to take part in craft activities to capture the village’s history.
Suggested answers
Stop and think: Kuk Po created this festival to encourage tourists and locals to visit the more rural parts of Hong Kong. It was an opportunity to learn about Hakka culture. It also let people experience Hakka food, art, and music.
Consider: During the twentieth century, Kuk Po was a vibrant, thriving village. However, many people left the village to live in more urban parts of Hong Kong as the city developed. Enough residents left that the village closed its only school in the 1990s.
Think about it: Ip reminded tourists and visitors that there must be a balance between protecting the village while encouraging tourism and education around Hakka culture. Some local villages do not like tourists, and it is important to respect their space, even though tourism might promote their culture and bring in money.
