Greens see red as Tai Po village’s dazzling field of yellow rapeseed flowers draws 10,000 visitors a day
Environmentalists question why villagers have planted rapeseed in an ecologically sensitive site
A dazzling field of rapeseed that has drawn in tens of thousands of visitors – half of Hong Kong Disneyland’s daily footfall – is the subject of a feud between local conservationists and villagers who stake a claim to the protected area.
The popular yellow flowers now in bloom in rural enclave Sha Lo Tung have replaced what was once a field of wild plants hosting fireflies and dragonflies in a defiant move made by individuals claiming to be indigenous villagers who have been criticised for compromising Tai Po’s biodiversity.
“This area has high ecological value and we are concerned [that what is being done here] is unsustainable,” said WWF head of biodiversity and regional wetlands Dr Michael Lau Wai-neng, describing how the act of transforming the foliage could harm local flora and fauna.
“This is a designated conservation area according to the government’s plans.” he added.
The scenic spot on a mountainside in the northern New Territories is abandoned farmland, close to rivers and lush vegetation which makes it the perfect breeding ground for insects and plants integral to the area’s ecology.