Feng Shui Woods

I love to explore small villages in the New Territories.

Some date back hundreds of years, well before the British landed. In many ways a visit is like stepping into the past.

Most villages are now hybrids, with new buildings butting against the old. With few exceptions, the oldest houses are abandoned, condemned or in a state of collapse. Temples and ancestral halls are better-kept, though some are in disrepair. Initiatives have restored a number of these to their former glory.

View large image A recent 90-minute tour of a nearby village nestled against what's known as feng shui (or fung shui) woods was a photographic gold mine.

From Hong Kong Herbarium:

Southern China villages are typically set in exuberant woodlands. A formula that promotes harmony of man and nature, it creates a sylvan setting in which vegetation and village houses blend in perfect fusion. The fung shui woods that exist alongside rural communities fully illustrate the consonance between man and the natural environment. Believing that forests will bring good fortune, early villagers chose to settle in wooded areas. Another reason for building villages near fung shui woods was that they commanded great significance both religiously and pragmatically, and therefore called for preservation. In this backdrop, fung shui woods flourished in rural Hong Kong.

In the past, the New Territories were dotted with villages. Many of them were built beside fung shui woods. As urbanization slowly ate its way into the hinterland, the rural population dwindled, and some villages were abandoned altogether. Today, despite the end of an era, the important fung shui woods that witnessed the ups and downs of rural lineages continue to thrive. They create valuable habitats to support diverse wildlife. Once cultural icons of traditional Chinese villages, fung shui woods are now ecological treasure-houses.

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Given the beauty of the woods, as well as the peace and quiet, I look forward to future treks.

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