Spring Tour: Long Valley Rice Paddies
Slow Food Hong Kong is excited to bring to you this spring, in collaboration with The Conservancy Association, an eco-tour to the rice paddies in Long Valley! The exclusive English tour will be a rare chance to learn about the production of Long Valley Eco-Rice and traditional rice farming being practised in Hong Kong. We will see how agriculture and local ecology conservation are closely connected.
The Conservancy Association runs the Ecopaddy Co-operative Society, an initiative that cooperates with farmers in Long Valley to manage the paddy fields. The traditional wetland rice farming practices are followed, yielding two harvests of rice a year (early season: Apr-Jul, late season: Aug-Nov). The rice production involves various aspects from rice planting, fertilizing, harvesting, granule drying, rice milling to ecological monitoring.
The huge wetland habitat in Long Valley (塱原) and Ho Sheung Heung (河上鄉) attracts numerous wild birds and amphibians. It is one of the most important local ecological hotspots and a rural conservation landmark. The yellow-breasted bunting (禾花雀) is a key protected species of the wetland. The bird is over-exploited as game meat. With favourable habitats dramatically decreasing, its population is dropping fast in the past decades . In 2017, the bird was listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List. Rice farming brings the conservation that is urgently needed for the survival of the species.
Details
Date: 7 April 2023 (Fri, public holiday)
Time: 1:30pm to 5:30pm (approx)
Meeting point: Sheung Shui MTR station
Cost:
- HKD200 for Slow Food members
- HKD250 per person for non-members, includes 1 year membership to Slow Food
- The cost does not cover transportation. We will take the minibus or taxi to the site from Sheung Shui MTR station.
- Kids aged 6 or above may attend if accompanied by adults. The full cost applies to each kid.
This event is first-paid, first-served. Those who register without making payment risk forfeiting their spots. For those who have paid but wish to withdraw, refund is not available unless there are special circumstances.
Register Here
Fully booked!