Village with Possibilities – Kuk Po
Kuk Po Village was founded nearly 300 years ago in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which is rich in history and culture. In addition, the unique brackish marsh provides good breeding grounds and food for animals and plants. The Common Reeds in autumn is also a great sight.
Micro-renewal to Recreate the Ambiance of Organic Living
At present, a number of Countryside Conservation Funding Schemes are operating in Kuk Po. The project “Micro-renewal of Architectural Landscape for Ruin Gardens: Re-habitation of Tree-House Courtyards and Revitalisation of Communal Spaces for Lo Wai in Kuk Po Village”, proposed by Centre for Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, HKUrban Lab, Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong, aims to provide public access for cultural and ecological tourism in Kuk Po, promoting symbiotic relationships between architecture and landscape for traditional Hakka settlements.
Another project is “A Catalyst Project for Kuk Po Village: Restoration of Architecture and Built-Environment for the Annex Block of Kai Choi School”. The site is at the entrance of the village, it is a Grade III two-story historical building with large black characters, white facades, and arched porches. By rehabilitating the Annex’s roof structure, doors, and windows, the team will refurbish it into a place for exhibitions and lectures, which can be opened to the public and used as a community centre. At the same time, the surrounding environment will be improved, so that the entrance area of Kuk Po becomes a unique place.
From Valley to Plain: Conservation and Revitalisation from ‘Ng To’ to Kuk Po River and Plain via Multi-disciplinary, Educational and Action Research
The Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme also supports research in Kuk Po. The School of Architecture of Chinese University of Hong Kong takes Ng To, Kuk Po River, and Plain as the target sites to record the multiple eco-cultural heritages and reveal the human-environment interactions of these centuries-old Hakka settlements for more than 300 years.
“Reconnect Kuk Po: The Past, Present and Future Sustainability”
The project team of School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University uses oral history methods to record the history and life of Kuk Po village in the project “Reconnect Kuk Po: The Past, Present and Future Sustainability”. The research and record results will be transformed into visual communication, allowing traditional culture to be preserved, providing the public with an in-depth understanding of the evolution of Kuk Po’s history, and to further increasing the public’s emphasis on rural development and conservation. The team will combine the research with education programs to enhance young people’s understanding and learning of traditional village culture.