The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has recently collaborated with Salesians of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui (SDBNSM) Secondary School to visit Kwong Pan Tin village residents in July. Kwong Pan Tin village is one of the places in Tsuen Wan having rich and interesting cultural history, with beautiful wall murals and famous jackfruits being the well-known attractions nowadays.
As part of the Department’s ongoing community engagement project, we are very grateful to have had the support from the village’s welfare association once again, helping us in the coordination and arrangement of the visit. SDBNSM was also generously supported by local voluntary organisations to offer packages containing daily necessities, such as canned and dried food, as well as anti-pandemic supplies like face-masks and antiseptics, to the village residents.
The visit was completed on two Saturday mornings, with a total of twenty-three Form Five students from SDBNSM, as well as seven undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Education and three students in the Master of Arts in Leading Experiential Learning Activities (LELA) programmes from the EdUHK. The visit was conducted in small groups, comprising students and teachers from different levels. Students had valuable chances to talk with residents of various ages to understand more about the origin, history, and past lives in the village. The unique background and living environment also raised students’ curiosity regarding the actual village experiences here, leading to an in-depth and interesting conversation between the residents and the students. For instance, one resident shared that even though the village might not be the best place to live in terms of convenience, accessibility, and surrounding public infrastructures and facilities, she could find free space to grow different plants and fruits for leisure, or practice sustainable living. The conversation also covered a number of topics, ranging from the impact of the pandemic on learning and daily life, to personal goals and hopes in the near future of the students.
After the group visits to different families, students dived deeper into the village’s past stories and developments by interacting with some of the more senior residents. We were particularly honoured to have Mr. Yim, the famous ‘prince of jackfruit’ and a local resident of more than thirty years, to introduce the reasons behind the emergence of jackfruits in the village. Students were all amazed to learn that the biggest jackfruit ever harvested was about twenty-five kilogrammes in 2018, which was later shared among all participants in the annual Jackfruit Festival held in the village. Members from the welfare association have expressed their wish to rekindle the Festival this year. To all the residents in the village, the Festival is not only a time for gathering all the neighbours, families, and friends who have moved out, but also, an important event for promoting the village’s cultural history and embodied values to the wider public.
The visit was concluded by a large-group sharing and reflection on the collected traces of sensory experience that each team could find from the investigative journey. Some highlighted the contrast of auditory sounds they could hear in the village, between the tranquil living environment and the bustling road near the village, while some others described the colourful sights of murals that one could witness when first entering the village. We would like to thank SDBNSM and Kwong Pan Tin village for co-creating the meaningful visiting experience with the EdUHK students on both days. Please also stay tuned for more updates about the pending Jackfruit Festival in the village this year!
