A rich history stretching back more than 300 years disappeared beneath dense undergrowth when, in the 1970s, the inhabitants of a remote Hakka village abandoned it to move into urban areas or abroad.
Now, half a century on, Mui Tsz Lam in Hong Kong’s northeastern New Territories has sprung back to life after villagers and their descendants lovingly rescued it from the clutches of nature and recruited the help of CLP to reconnect it to the electricity grid.
Digging up the past
The project began in 2017 when villagers of Mui Tsz Lam and a cluster of other nearby Hakka settlements – who would return for ceremonies once a decade – decided to restore the village for cultural tourism.
“All the pathways were blocked by undergrowth and we had to climb through them,” village representative Tsang Yuk On recalls. Together with other volunteers, they gradually cleared the paths and planted fruit trees.
They then contacted CLP to ask for a power supply to be provided to complete the process of preparing the village for visitors. “Without electricity and water, our efforts would be futile,” Tsang says.
