Hong Kong Stories

My Home is My Oyster (44x2)

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Lau Fau Shan is renowned throughout Hong Kong for its abundance of fresh oysters. It turns out that the art of oyster farming originates in Shajing, Shenzhen. Today’s Lau Fau Shan is still mainly inhabited by people of Shajing descent. Many residents of the neighbourhood come from the same hometown. The central figure of this episode, Auntie Cheung, officially moved from Shajing to Hong Kong some 40 years ago. She hails from a long line of oyster farmers. The Shajingnese have been farming oysters in the waters of Shajing and Lau Fau Shan since the ancient times, working in both regions simultaneously. Due to rapid economic development and land reclamation, there are no longer any oyster beds in present-day Shajing. However, the village’s unique oyster farming techniques and history have been carried forward by the Shajingnese of Lau Fau Shan. Apart from the art of oyster farming, familial ties and ancestral home sentiments are also being passed on from one generation to another. Uncle and Auntie Cheung’s family has remained tightknit for generations. Despite having settled in Hong Kong for more than 40 years, their bonds with their relatives in Shajing and Lau Fau Shan are as solid as ever. The entire family of close to 100 come together every Lunar New Year, while an annual visit to the family’s ancestral home is also an obligation, all in the hope that the next generation can sustain these connections.