CPD Event:	Understanding Cultural Landscapes –Fishpond landscape in Hong Kong Tai Sang Wai (大生圍) & Ma Tso Lung (馬草壟) Guided Tour
Date:	26 November 2022 (Saturday)
Time:	9:30am – 2:30pm
Speakers:	Katie Chick and Martin Wong (Hong Kong Bird Watching Society)
Venue:	Tai Sang Wai and Ma Tso Lung, Deep Bay
CPD Points:	3 CPD hours
Language:	English (supplemented by Cantonese)
Fee:	HK$ 180 for HKICON Member; HK$ 200 for Non-HKICON Member; Limited to 25 participants
Supporting Organisations:	The American Institute of Architects Hong Kong   Professional Green Building Council   The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects   The Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage
Remarks:	Precautions Please arrive at the assembly point on time; To avoid mosquito and snake bites, it is recommended to wear long-sleeved tops, trousers, sports shoes or hiking shoes, not sandals; Pay attention to personal safety and be careful of dogs in the fishpond area; Please bring at least 500ml of drinking water and waterproof gear; The fishponds are private land, no damage to any objects, littering is allowed; Please keep quiet and do not startle birds or any animals; Do not photograph the interior of the villagers’ houses or leave the tour without authorization; The conference will provide sterilized binoculars for participants to use by rotation; and The conference will purchase HK$100,000 life insurance and HK$2,000 medical insurance for the participants. Severe Weather Arrangements  If the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning or Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory two hours before departure, the activity will be cancelled. The tour will be changed or cancelled according to the actual situation. Special Circumstances – Epidemic Arrangements  In view of the fact that the novel coronavirus epidemic has not been fully controlled in Hong Kong, the HKBWS  or HKICON will formulate guidelines in accordance with the latest anti-epidemic measures announced by the government for participants to follow, and decide whether to cancel or not according to the prevailing situation.  On the day of the activity, the activity will be carried out in small groups, with a distance of 1.5 meters between each group; To protect participants, we will provide hand sanitizer during the event to reduce the risk of spreading the virus;  Participants are required to bring their own masks and wear them during the activity; they also need to measure their body temperature before going out and when gathering, and fill in a health declaration form; and If there are symptoms such as fever or cough, the Association reserves the right to refuse participants to continue the activity.

About the Site Visit

There are more than 1,000 hectares of fishponds in Deep Bay area. Most of the fishponds are managed by local fishermen using traditional methods of raising freshwater fish. It is the most extensive cultural landscape existing in Hong Kong that is still undergoing organic evolution. In addition to providing fresh fish products for local market, it is also an important foraging and breeding habitats for local biodiversity, particularly for birds. 

This tour will visit the Tai Sang Wai fishponds which were originally Gei-wais (基圍) in the 1950s and turned into fishponds during 1970s. The tour will also visit Ma Tso Lung, the northeasternmost fishponds in Deep Bay area. Ma Tso Lung is adjacent to Shenzhen River. It used to be a frontier closed area and has been opened up since 2013. The opening up has brought about significant environmental changes. In addition to the new development plan of the Lau Ma Chau Loop and surrounding areas, the fishpond landscape of Ma Tso Lung is suffering from various alternations and damages. 

This guided tour includes the history, culture and ecology of freshwater fish farming, and also the threats and landscape changes in the Deep Bay, etc. It is led by Katie Chick, a local expert on agricultural cultural landscapes, and Martin Wong, a tour guide from the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society which is operating conservation management works in the Deep Bay area. Fishermen from Tai Sang Wai is also being invited to share their story and demonstrate the operation of fishponds.

Itinerary

About the Speakers

Katie Chick

Katie is currently the Assistant Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at the University of Hong Kong. She is an academically trained conservation professional of natural and cultural resources. She has been responsible for various cultural landscape projects in Hong Kong, including Long Valley, Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong, among which the Lai Chi Wo project was awarded the “UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage – Conservation Award for Special Contribution to Sustainable Development” in 2020.

Martin Wong

Martin is a tour guide from Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. He has many years of experience in guiding ecological and cultural tours. He graduated in Anthropology in the late 80s. And since 2011, Martin has devoted himself for learning local ecology and started to participate in guiding historical, cultural, ecological tours, hoping to discover more interesting things of Hong Kong and share with others.