You can learn a great deal about a city and its people by looking at the trees, said singer-songwriter Chet Lam Yat-fung, who asked his fans to e-mail him pictures of their favourite trees to feature in his upcoming concert.
Next month's The Storyteller Concert revolves around the theme of trees as Lam wants to remind people of their important role in our lives.
'Trees are a quiet and forceful presence. They are witness to time as well as stories [that happen around them],' says Lam, who has been fascinated by trees since he read the 1964 children's book The Giving Tree - by American poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein - in secondary school.
The tale concerns the relationship between a young boy and a tree that is a loyal witness to his life.
'Hong Kong people are very busy, and we only realise the importance of things that we normally neglect once they are gone, such as the Star Ferry clock tower,' said Lam.
'These things [trees and the clock tower] are what I refer to as a quiet presence. Their presence doesn't necessarily serve any practical purposes, but they are there to remind us of the things that are related to us spiritually.'
Lam said during the concert he would project a collage of the tree pictures that he has taken over the years or receives from fans onto a screen to turn the concert venue into a forest. 'It will be like putting many life stories together,' said the singer, who has received hundreds of fan photos.