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SCMP Reporter

The unique culture and traditions of Tai O - Hong Kong's last fishing village - are in danger of disappearing as its population ages and young people move away.
The latest data from the Census and Statistics Department shows that more than half  the village's population is elderly, raising the question  whether there is enough manpower to implement a government initiative to restore operation of the abandoned salt pans.
Government plans to rejuvenate the village by turning it into a tourist attraction have been thrown into doubt by the data, which shows that Tai O is facing a serious ageing problem and a drastic decrease in its working population.
People aged over 55 comprise about 51 per cent of Tai O's total population of 2,951. Twenty-two per cent of the village's population, or 651 people, are over the age of 75.
More worrying is that the number of adults aged 20 to 34  has fallen by almost half in five years -  from 507 in 2001 to 275 in 2006.
Local groups have  warned that age-old practices were in danger of dying out unless the elderly salt makers passed on their traditional skills to the younger generation.
Tai O was famous for salt-making for centuries, but the industry has since died out and the salt pans have  lain idle and overgrown since the late 1960s.
Most of the elderly people in Tai O are retired fishermen who have lived there  all their  lives. There are also some retirees who moved there from other parts of Hong Kong because of the fresh air and  lower cost of living.
Frederick Chan Chi-hung, of the YWCA Tai O Community Work Office, said  young people were  leaving the village for better job  opportunities.
'The size of the working population in Tai O is diminishing - it is a fact supported by statistics and my own experience,' he said.
'There used to be some families [from other parts of Hong Kong] moving into Tai O a few years ago. But many of them relocate to Tung Chung whenever they have the chance, given that there are better transport links in there.'
His observations are supported by the low occupancy rate at Lung Tin Estate, a public housing estate in Tai O. Although the Housing Authority boasts that 63 per cent of its 552 flats were let out, the South China Morning Post found that many of the flats - especially the larger ones - were empty.
Wong Wai-king, of the Tai O Cultural Workshop, said poor transport links  were one reason  families were reluctant to move into Lung Tin Estate.
'The trend of expatriates and families moving to live on the outlying islands has not happened in Tai O,' she said. 'While Mui Wo or Cheung Chau are all accessible by one boat journey of about an hour, travel to  Tai O takes up about two hours  on average.'
Ms Wong said  young people needed to be attracted to Tai O to facilitate its sustainable development as a community and tourist spot.
Mr Chan agreed, saying the government should devise plans to maintain the cultural vitality of Tai O.
'In terms of creating the area as a tourist attraction, we need to consider who is going to participate in traditional events in the future. We are now depending on the aged to uphold the traditions and practices.'
Thomas Bauer, assistant professor at the Polytechnic University's department of hotel and tourism management, said it was a common phenomenon in Hong Kong for young villagers to leave their native homes for better opportunities.
He said  it was important  for the community  to come up with ways to save itself.
'It may not necessarily be the government's responsibility to solve the problem,' he said. 'It is always possible for the old people to teach the young their tradition and history on Sunday afternoons.'
A Home Affairs Department spokeswoman  said the government had published a book, New Faces of Lantau, introducing ecotourism on  the island, and  tourism guides were updated last year to promote the tradition and culture of Tai O.
A spokeswoman  for the Development Bureau said a three-month design competition seeking views on ways to revitalise Tai O was planned to be launched next month.
It  was hoped that the design proposals would seek to engage local residents and non-governmental organisations by providing services in the area, she said.



Last fishing village threatened as  young abandon ageing population