A new wishing tree transplanted to Tai Po has boosted the hopes of Lam Tsuen villagers that they will see more visitors arriving with best wishes on their mind.
More than a thousand villagers and visitors broke into excited cheers yesterday morning when they saw their new wishing tree arrive on the back of a truck.
Obtained from a private park in Zengcheng, Guangdong province, the 11-metre-high banyan tree was planted next to the original wishing tree near Lam Tsuen's Tin Hau temple, which almost died three years ago under the weight of offerings thrown onto it
Tai Po district councillor Cheung Hok-ming said he expected the new wishing tree would help promote tourism and the village's wish-making culture.
'It took us a long time to look for a proper tree,' he said. 'Yet as soon as we saw this one, we knew this was the tree we wanted.'
He and several experts searched for the tree in Guangdong last year. The banyan tree, which is more than 100 years old, is part of a tourism-revival plan involving construction of a 'wishing square' in Lam Tsuen, which will cost about HK$2 million.
Plans for the square include construction of a 'wishing tower', 12 'wishing statues' featuring Chinese astrological signs, and a museum that will showcase wish-making traditions in different countries and regions.