Culture and Sustainability in the Countryside

This section will explore how government and community groups are integrating ecological conservation with arts and culture to promote sustainable development in Hong Kong’s rural areas. In 2018, the Hong Kong Government established the Countryside Conservation Office to oversee habitat restoration and ecological conservation in remote rural districts, prioritising areas such as Lai Chi Wo and Sha Lo Tung. The Office also supports collaboration between non-profit organisations and villagers in organising activities. Meanwhile, in 2024, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden partnered with the Lost Child Project HK to present ÉLAN Eartheatre – Regain the Lost Wings, the first large-scale immersive theatre production to integrate nature and sustainability. The initiative successfully brought together the arts, natural ecology, sustainable development, and mental well-being in an innovative way.

Moderator: 

1. Professor Wong Kam-sing, Chair of Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation

Speakers: 

1. Professor Stephen Tang, Head of Countryside Conservation Office, Environmental and Ecology Bureau

2. Ms Josephine Woo, Head of Holistic Education, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

3. Ms Olivia Yan, Founder and Artistic Director of "Lost Child Project HK"

Respondent:  

1. Mr Lam Chiu-ying, Chairman of Hong Kong Countryside Foundation

2. Ms Molly Mok, Vice-chairperson of Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation Youth Committee

Language: Cantonese