Village life in Hong Kong or Britain? Why both will always hold magic for me after growing up in London

The roaming buffalo, scent of flowers and relative tranquillity of Lantau Island far outweighed the inconveniences of Hong Kong country life for Cliff Buddle

Now back in the UK after 28 years, country life involves village fetes, cricket, ‘waggiest tail’ competitions and cow pat bingo – and is just as appealing

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People play cricket on the village green in Evenley, in the English country of Northamptonshire, on a sunny May afternoon in 2022. It’s a far cry from country villages in Hong Kong, but Cliff Buddle finds magic in both. Photo: Getty Images

A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff Buddle began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the Post.

Published: 2:15pm, 1 Jul 2023

Not many people expect to live in a village when embarking on a new life in Hong Kong. But for me, country life in Mui Wo, on the eastern coast of Lantau Island, was a delight for a decade after my arrival in 1994.

This meant living in often-dilapidated “small houses”. There were no roads between the villages. Handcarts were used for transporting everything from groceries, to wine, to kids.

It was not the most convenient location. I would catch the 7.15am ferry to work. Cycling in a suit during the summer storms was not much fun. There were run-ins with snakes and I was bitten by a dog.

But after growing up in London, I loved the magic of rural living – the roaming buffalo, the scent of the ginger flowers, the flash of a kingfisher and the relative tranquillity.

Buffalo roam a beach in Mui Wo, on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. Photo: Shutterstock

Mui Wo seen from the hills above Silvermine Bay Beach. Photo: SCMP

It is no surprise, therefore, that on returning to Britain, I opted to live in the countryside. This time, my village is typically English.