Introduction
The content of this website is derived from “Participatory Action Research on Countryside Conservation and Revitalization at Mui Tsz Lam, Hing Chun Yeuk”, one of the first countryside conservation projects funded by the Environmental Protection Department since 2020. Launched in November 2020, this 22-month project comprises data gathering of Mui Tsz Lam, co-ordination between villagers and stakeholders, news sharing and recruitment of participants, all which aim to support countryside conservation through documentation and participation.
Research methodology:
- Literature review (History and policy)
- On spot observation
- Experience sharing
- Reproduction and documentation of seasonal celebrations
- Oral history
- Dialogues between villagers and major volunteers, regular review, and
- Documentation and analysis of “old stuffs/relics finding” from the three selected collapsed village houses
What is rural cultural landscape?
The “ICOMOS-IFLA principles concerning rural landscape as heritage” published by International Council on Monuments (ICOMOS) and Sites International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) in 2017 suggest the definition of “rural landscape as heritage” and argues rural landscape as a kind of cultural heritage. In human communities the efficient utilization of natural resources and energy leads to the establishment of a production and living system which encompasses both tangible and intangible heritage, including techniques, science, practical knowledge, and the relationship between man and nature. All these values from a rural landscape can be considered as cultural heritage.