Yantian Zi. 20 years of revitalization of the village

After the torrential rain, the barefoot uncle in the salt field smiled wryly and couldn't demonstrate how to dry the salt today. The salt field was full of rainwater and needed to be cleaned up thoroughly.

Another example of the salt drying field is that in the sky blue plastic plate, salt crystals are buried and stacked in a star shape. The visitor asked: "When the salt crystals are formed, they are already star-shaped?"

Uncle Salt Farm: "No, the crystals are irregular in shape."

The visitor asked, "Who are the stars in that plate...?"

The uncle of the salt field: "I can do whatever I want."

The tourist said, "You are very artistic!"

Uncle Yanchang smiled shyly.

Is natural sun-dried salt a type of agriculture? They also look at each other's food, and are affected by environmental and weather factors, which are full of uncertainty. Why did people decide to dry salt in Yantianzi? Perhaps only an agricultural embodiment of the sloping way.

In Yantianzi, the Chen clan cultivated fields, raised livestock, planted forests, felled bamboos, made handicrafts, and dried salt is part of the overall living culture. The revival of Yantian has always been the long-cherished wish of the village chief Chen Zhongxian.

This article is a reduced version, please click the link below to watch the changes in Yantianzi from 2011 to 2022
https://www.patreon.com/posts/67327234

One square kilometer of living miracle

If you are interested in ancient heritage, cultural relics and ecological conservation, Yantianzi is an example not to be missed. A conservation program organized by the private sector on a small island of less than one square kilometer, twice recognized by UNESCO.

The street is crossing the bank, and the wharf is full of Chinese and foreign tourists, Mandarin, English, Cantonese, and several tour guides holding pennants of various colors to lead the tourists, either waiting for the boat to leave, or just starting to visit. The same scene is commonplace in the lively Yau Tsim Mong famous stores, remote artificial attractions on Lantau Island, and theme parks in a lonely corner. Today, the "Eight-Power Allied Forces" have actually appeared in the waters of Saigon, a small village island with an area of less than one square kilometer.

I visited Yantianzi for the first time in 2011. At that time, eco-tourism was first familiar to Hong Kong people. According to the Datai Travel Program, Yantianzi became famous, but there were not many tourists. The Kaidu has been restored, and a guided tour is required to enter the village. Five years ago, the salt fields were deserted and almost wanted to be rebuilt, and volunteers were hard to find; the houses were deserted, and the building materials were lacking;

Abandoned century-old salt fields resurrected

In late 2011, about half a year after my visit, the villagers of Yantianzi Village invited the contractor to survey the environment as a prelude to the restoration of the Yantian. However, just after the prelude was played, the song almost ended. The contractor's price ranged from 20 million to 200 million, far exceeding the expectations of the villagers. The only way for the villagers to reconsider the squareness of the restoration plan is from area planning, material resources to manpower. After overcoming many difficulties, Yantian could finally be put into production, but no workers could be found. Between chance, this scene "the film director participates in the reconstruction of the Yantian live show" appeared.

By the wind and the sun, the seawater is evaporated and dried into sea salt. The principle is simple. The zero raw material cost is full of bitterness: the salt field is not yet perfect, and it needs to be repaired while testing; a rain will destroy the salt pond that has been exposed to the sun for many days. Without textbooks, without the guidance of skilled craftsmen, I crossed the river by feeling the stones, and finally the sea salt was released according to the wishes of the heavens, but I had to face the real problem - the chemical salt in the market costs a few yuan per kilogram, and it takes manpower and material resources to make salt by hand. And time, there is no way to compete... So, a bottle of very small amount of salt, with a little simple decoration, sells for 30 yuan. Dismantling the bottle and comparing the salt grain by grain with the super market salt, the sea salt in Yantian Zi is astronomical.

The 30 yuan of sea salt contains the blood, sweat and thoughts of countless volunteers. (Press: The price in 2022 is 50 yuan).

What I saw on the day of the revisit, in addition to the original villagers, there were also several foreigners in the volunteer group. Inspired by the village chief, the original villagers gave up rest and travel on holidays, returned to their own or their ancestors’ birthplaces, steamed tea cakes at Xiangyi Teahouse, or pruned grass and trees to restore their old houses. Foreign volunteers introduced the historical value and restoration work of Yantian to foreign tourists. Everything is well organized and tacitly rich. It's hard to imagine that five or six years ago, this place was just abandoned and muddy.

Rebuild my temple! Because it's about to fall!

Chen Mengde, the ancestor of Yantianzi Village, moved here from Shenzhen in the 1700s. At the time, it may have been a helpless decision. The life of the Hakka people has always been difficult, and there is a tradition of immigration. In the 18th century, Hakka people had migrated to Taiwan and southern China in large numbers. The wealthy and agricultural plains of Hong Kong were occupied by Wen, Deng and other families as early as the Song Dynasty. They only settled on small islands not far from the land. With the development of the city, most of the villagers have left Yan Tin Zi, either to work or live in the city, or to emigrate abroad.

Yantianzi Village is also known as Yantianzai, "Zi" means nostalgic for the hometown. As for Yantianzai, perhaps because Yantian is small and the villagers are humble, it has this nickname.

The ruins before 2011 are now a spiritual place. The village chief, Chen Zhongxian, returned to Hong Kong and never thought of becoming the village chief. When I was chosen by chance, I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse at first. Yantianzi is separated from the mainland by a huge sea, and the place is not big enough to be converted into a container terminal, and the land for sale and building of houses is not located along the railway line. What is the value of this barren land that officials and businessmen look down upon?

The mayor of such a village should have been very good. Do less and make fewer mistakes, do not do well, just hang on to a name, and life will still be like that. However, Chen Zhongxian is determined to repair this small island where his ancestors took root and spread their branches and leaves. Settle down on your own, clean up weeds and trees, open roads, and restore street crossings. Ten years later, the original villagers and the descendants of the Chen surname have been infected, and the village has been rebuilt by brainstorming. The abandoned primary school was converted into a museum, displaying Hakka daily necessities and introducing the details of people's daily life in the old days; the reconstruction of St. Joseph's Chapel allowed villagers to continue to worship in their hometowns.

The conservation of Yantianzi is largely related to religious beliefs. The villagers are all Catholics, and the restoration of St. Joseph's Chapel is the result of the support of the Catholic Diocese. Through the restoration of the church and the connection of faith, the villagers are encouraged to gather. After the church, a series of restoration projects such as the old residence, salt fields and mangroves are in full swing.

From the point of view of religious belief, the revitalization of Yantianzi is indeed an arrangement of God. However, I am more concerned about how a 20-year-long revitalization project, which was entirely initiated by the people, achieved unprecedented results—not the result of "rebuilding a small village", but an honor awarded by the United Nations, twice.

Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme

• news.gov.hk: Yantian restoration project wins cultural heritage conservation award (1 May 2015)

In May 2015, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, attended the "UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Award for Outstanding Project Award" award ceremony. In his speech, "by the way" the revitalization project of YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel, and "by the way." The first phase of the "Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme" was mentioned. I looked through the partners of the revitalization plan, and the current status:

The Revitalising Historic Buildings Partnership Scheme has so far launched four phases, with a total investment of $1.1 billion in public funds. What's more, the "Tai Kwun" co-operated by the government and the Jockey Club is estimated to cost 1.5 billion yuan - before it collapses.

What about Yantianzi? There is an entrance fee of 10 yuan before entering the village, 8 yuan for tea cake after entering the village, and 30 yuan for a bottle of natural sea salt. In addition to the entrance fee, other options can be purchased. Volunteers do not sell, and before receiving money, they will remind them: "This is for the conservation of the village." Before 2011, there was no sea salt in the village. After 2016, I think the 40 yuan is worth the money.

What revitalization does Hong Kong need?

The goal of "revitalisation" of a building is to continue the social utility of the building. The activated building itself is equivalent to a sleeping volcano, and its survival depends on how people use it. We probably shouldn’t quantify the results from the revitalization projects, such as how many job opportunities will be created, how many tourists will be attracted, and how much consumption will be stimulated.

As an ordinary citizen, we should probably be concerned about the activated project. We have visited it once, are you interested in visiting it a second time? Or forget it after sightseeing and feel that it has nothing to do with you. Foreign tourists come to Hong Kong, are we willing to recommend him? Do you despise it every time you pass by, and criticize it for collusion between officials and businessmen? Do the relevant groups value the projects they undertake and take pride in, promoting the history of buildings to the public, promoting education and community connection? Or close the door and wall, and non-employees are not allowed to enter?

As a result, the villagers of Yantianzi showed their demeanor beyond national borders. Tourists from all over the world are welcome. Not only the restoration sites and semi-abandoned Hakka villages, but also their living patterns and restoration work are opened. Everywhere you go, you will hear the tour guide saying how it was in the past few years, what the current state is, what state you hope to restore in the future, and what kind of ecological education and historical review it will give people. As a result, we will see mainland tourists who visit obediently not smoking in the mangroves; Hong Kong people who take the elevator desperately to wait for the street crossing in an orderly manner; volunteers give up their holiday leisure and selflessly go to Yantianzi to serve... The small island, which was originally neglected, has twice won awards from the United Nations to encourage and recognize their revitalization and conservation work.

2022 Revisit Notes

After five or six years, I revisited Yantianzi. Compared with the revitalization project of commercial capital intervention and a lot of media attention, Yantianzi is slow and quiet, and it is easy to be forgotten. However, the revitalized complex here is far more resilient than the urban center.

In another five years, the island has gradually rebuilt from the revival of Yantian into an outdoor art space. Vegetation builds plank roads and rainbow art bridges. The road leading to the Yudai Bridge in disrepair has also been repaired. Everyday Hakka items scattered around the Chengbo School and left to be touched by the public are now well sorted and displayed with display instructions. The scale of the small museum is no less than that of other small government exhibition halls.

A new art space based on salt crystals has been set up in the salt drying field... If there is a skylight, it should be a good place for stargazing. A road to sanctification device was installed at the site of the old St. Joseph's Chapel to describe the history of Yantianzi and the achievements of missionaries.

All of these are gradually constructed by the villagers of Yantianzi, and are open to the public to watch, participate and understand. After changing other projects in the market, either hold a grand opening ceremony to satisfy the public's desire to understand the desires, and idlers are not allowed to enter; or sell dog meat with a sheep's head, and promote gentrification in the name of revitalization.

Yantianzi is the real community reconstruction in my eyes. It is not profitable, but it has been ridiculed by many friends. Many people oppose the government's confiscation of land in the suburbs for urban development, and they also oppose the return of young people to farming and self-sufficiency in the village.

Is it not the most romantic thing in this forgetful city to be neglected and still persevere unremittingly?

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