How an abandoned village deep in a Hong Kong country park, inaccessible by road and poorly served by ferries, could be saved
- Chek Keng village sits on lowland facing East Arm Bay and used to be surrounded by 1.5 million square feet of farmland
- Rural body proposes revitalisation project which they say will be ‘win-win’
Hong Kong’s rural leaders have called for a government committee that would identify suitable abandoned villages in remote areas for housing or community services development in what they call a win-win proposal released on Tuesday.
They blamed the rigid land zoning policy, which restricts infrastructure development, for forcing many remote villages to become deserted.
Sai Kung North rural committee chairman Li Yiu-ban said: “It’s a waste of our scarce land resources.”
Li said rural leaders, government officials and experts should be represented on the committee.
“Don’t think that villagers are only motivated to make money by developing their land. If the government can come up with a good policy, villagers are more than happy to coordinate and offer land to the government for development.”
The idea was among a package of proposals contained in a report by the Heung Yee Kuk – a government recognised body that represents the interest of New Territories villagers – to revitalise Chek Keng village in Sai Kung.