Nestled deep in the Plover Clove Country Park of the North-East New Territories is the quiet village of Lai Chi Wo.

This is Fong, I stuck up a conversation with her when she caught my eye with her smile as I walked past her stall. She’s had this stall since the 1980’s, just over thirty years she tells me.

There are no air conditioners here; in fact, there are no air conditioners in any bamboo theatres.

This is Luk Gor, he was in charge of the Chun Kwan section of the Bamboo Theatre in Tsing Yi. Days before their opening date, final inspections had to made to ensure the safety of the structure and environmental concerns were met and that’s when I met him.

“We’ve been doing this for thirty years. We work while our bodies still can, there’s nothing special to it. We’re simple people, I’ll be happy here once we’re done and having a beer”

Under the canopies that shield the village streets from ravaging winds, blistering sunshine and unforgiving rains, exists a tight web of small businesses ranging from clothing boutiques to massage parlours.

Surrounded by the towers of housing units, I found Mr. Pang playing his flute in the little hillside park next to my village.

In the weeks leading up to the Lunar New year, Miao orders tangerines and water lilies to sell. Lined up across the open space at the village administration office the tangerines create a sea of orange in the village.

Back in 2020, on one warm November morning I sat down with my Uncle and Aunt and recorded their take on the history of Chung Mei Village in Tsing Yi.

In hopes of being able to pass down my knowledge or learn from others I’m inviting to join my campfire and read some of my stories.