IT looks like a derelict backyard with crumbling walls covered with ivy. It is in fact the interior of an old Chinese village house tucked away in Shalotung, situated in the countryside above Tai Po beneath the peaks known as the Eight Immortals. Further down the narrow village street the wooden front doors of another abandoned home are barred. Above the doorway and the faded posters of the two guardian gods a fung shui mirror hangs. Such images have been captured by F8, a group of amateur photographers who ventured into this ''dying village''. Their works can be seen at Shalotung: End of the Road , a monochrome exhibition of moody, artistic photographs of three old agricultural villages and communities: Ping Shan Chai, Lei Uk, and Cheung Uk, The show starts at the Fringe Club on Thursday and runs until November 3, coinciding with Image Hong Kong, the premier photographic event of the year in which photographers from all over the world gather in the territory. ''With all the photographs taken in black and white, there is an old fashion feel to the exhibition,'' said Janet Stott, whose works will be displayed with 50 other pictures. F8 comprises seven amateur photographers, all expatriates living in the territory and members of the Royal Photographic Society in Britain. Stott said the idea of taking pictures of Shalotung originated from a trip to a gold rush town in California where her husband was taking landscape shots in monochrome. ''Then we came back and thought why not do the same in the New Territories. I suggested Shalotung and when we were there, we just fell in love with the place, '' she said. Another F8 member, Kim Aplin recalled his visits to the villages which, despite strong protests from environmentalists, are likely to come under the bulldozers to make way for a new golf course. ''When you walk around the abandoned villages there is a feeling of disquiet, almost as if the place is haunted,'' he said. ''The villagers move out with little or no packing, leaving many of their belongings and furniture. Personal mementoes are left including wedding and family photographs, clothing, beds made up, bowls and chopsticks ready for the next meal.'' Aplin added that some articles are attractive and fall prey to souvenir hunters and the number and quality of the relics fall with each visit. ''This adds to the meaning of the photographs when you notice an artefact of interest on an earlier visit is missing.'' Stott said the villages had little future as the younger generation left long ago to work in the city, leaving behind the old houses, the elderly and memories. ''The old folk were very kind and receptive. They offered us tea when we were there. ''Some of them still work on their land. I don't think they'll be unhappy. . . they'll be given money to buy other villas and houses elsewhere,'' she said. ''There is nothing left here. We have found a lot of damage done to the properties and some of the houses have already been broken into. ''Also, nature seems to have taken over some premises.''