Plants, People and Village Life: Ethnobotanical Stories of Tai Mo Shan::Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

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Plants, People and Village Life: Ethnobotanical Stories of Tai Mo Shan

喚醒記憶：大帽山的民族植物故事 (1)

Ethnobotany is the study of the dynamic relationships formed between people and plants over time, typically focusing on the use, traditional knowledge, belief systems, management methods and classification of plants within certain societies, both past and present. In the absence of globalised, mainstream influences, indigenous people once developed cultural practices unique to their societies, reflecting both the breadth of ideas of importance to their lives and the materials available for their use. Furthermore, as the villagers’ rich ethnobotanical knowledge evolved, they often utilised natural products collected from their environs to support and enrich their daily lives, enabling their villages to thrive.

Nowadays, the use of local plants is slowly being forgotten, but some villagers still keep their memories in mind.

From February 2025 to January 2026, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) partnered with Koon Man Space to carry out an ethnobotany research project in Chuen Lung village, located on the mid‑slopes of Tai Mo Shan. The team conducted in‑depth interviews with Chuen Lung villagers to document the plants they use in various ways, the personal and community reasons for these uses, and the broader connections between people, plants and place that have evolved as a result. KFBG staff also conducted field surveys, aiming to situate the stories thus elicited within a contemporary understanding of Hong Kong's vegetation and flora.

Of the more than 40 species mentioned by villagers during the interviews, 10 were selected for their particular relevance to village life and the memories they evoke, and were featured in the book Plants, People and Village Life: Ethnobotanical Stories of Chuen Lung. Materials from the book, together with photographs and illustrations presented in multimedia form, were displayed in the exhibition Flow with Big Mountain at Koon Man Space and outdoors in Chuen Lung village from January to March this year. After the exhibition closed, the works moved to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, also located on Tai Mo Shan, so that the memories and cultural meanings of these ethnobotanical practices can continue to flow across the mountain. By displaying these materials at various locations throughout KFBG, we seek to realise a unique, site-responsive exhibition that connects native plants to memory, traditional use and lived relationships with the land as one of the principal interpretive anchors of the summer campaign.

Through diverse modes of presentation, the exhibition and book aim to raise public awareness of local plants and their cultural resonance within the changing environment – both natural and human – in the Tai Mo Shan area, while emphasising the importance of native species conservation.