Nestled in the heart of mist-covered mountains, with verdant farmland and mangrove-lined shores, Lai Chi Wo seems worlds away from the urban landscape of Hong Kong. Yet, this 300-year-old village is one of the city’s oldest and most biodiverse settlements, embodying traditional values of sustainability and nature conservation.

A Legacy of Sustainability: Feng Shui in Practice

Lai Chi Wo’s location is no accident. Built by the Hakka people, one of Hong Kong’s pre-colonial indigenous groups, the village is rooted in the philosophies of feng shui — a design practice that integrates natural elements to promote harmony. In Lai Chi Wo, a feng-shui forest is preserved to shelter the village from typhoons, prevent landslides, and manage temperature extremes.

Susan Wong, the village chief, and a lifelong resident, explains, “We maintain the feng-shui forest to protect the village. Our ancestors passed down the tradition to not let anyone cut down the trees.” These trees are more than just a natural buffer — they are a symbol of the bond between the villagers and their environment.

Decline and Abandonment

By the 1960s, the rapid industrialization of Hong Kong led many villagers to seek opportunities elsewhere. Farming, once the backbone of the community, was no longer a sustainable livelihood. “We didn’t even have shoes or clothes to wear,” recalls Wong, who moved to the UK at the age of 15.

As many families emigrated or passed away, Lai Chi Wo became a ghost town. By the 1980s, its homes were crumbling, farmland overtaken by weeds, and wildlife roamed freely.

A Vision for Revival

Despite its abandonment, Lai Chi Wo wasn’t entirely forgotten. In 2009, Chiu Ying Lam, head of the Hong Kong Countryside Foundation, visited the village and was surprised to find several homes well-maintained. “I realized these absentee homeowners were still connected to their ancestral land,” Lam says, sparking the idea of a revitalization project.

In collaboration with NGOs, universities, and government agencies, the “Sustainable Lai Chi Wo” program was born. This decade-long effort has aimed to restore both the village and its surrounding biodiversity. Over HK$100 million ($12.8 million) has been invested in restoring farmland and rebuilding homes, helping to revive the village’s rich cultural and ecological heritage.

New Beginnings

The project not only sought to bring former residents back but also welcomed newcomers. In 2015, Ah Him Tsang and his wife, who were not Hakka, became one of the first families to move to Lai Chi Wo. Seeking a life closer to nature, they raised their son in the village and became active in its agricultural and tourism ventures.

Tsang grows vegetables and cash crops on a small farm, while also offering “Hakka Experience” homestays and a store serving locally grown products, including tea, coffee, and homemade vegan ice cream. “You can really feel the quietness, the serenity of nature here,” says Tsang, emphasizing the slow pace of life that has become the village’s unique charm.

The Return of the Original Residents

The revitalization has encouraged many former residents to return. Susan Wong, after retiring from the UK, came back to Lai Chi Wo in 2019 with her 103-year-old father. “I’m very happy because I love this village,” she says. Together, they now manage a small organic farm, growing a variety of crops, including mandarin oranges, lemons, and vegetables.

The project has also introduced new crops like coffee, grown in the shade to preserve the surrounding forest. With over 700 coffee plants now spread across several farms, Lai Chi Wo has become Hong Kong’s largest coffee-producing region, an unexpected agricultural success.

Revitalization Beyond the Village

Lai Chi Wo’s transformation is not just about restoring buildings and farms. It’s also about integrating modern farming techniques with traditional practices. The University of Hong Kong has partnered with local farmers to experiment with agroforestry and value-added products such as pickles, jams, and seasonal delicacies like radish cake. These products are sold at local farmers’ markets and through supermarkets, helping to support the community’s economic growth.

While Lai Chi Wo’s economic sustainability remains a challenge — largely due to the small-scale nature of farming — the village has become a model of sustainable revitalization. “The village may not be financially independent, but as long as people are living here and making a living, it is viable for those individual households,” says Ryan Siu Him Leung, senior project officer at the University of Hong Kong.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite the project’s successes, it hasn’t been without its difficulties. Some original villagers have expressed concerns about being excluded from the redevelopment process, and the village still relies on external funding, including government subsidies. Farming on a small scale is not always profitable, so many residents, like Tsang, have diversified their income streams, working remotely or in creative industries.

However, Lai Chi Wo’s story is a beacon of hope, proving that a harmonious relationship between nature and community can be restored. The project has even caught the attention of UNESCO, which recognized it in 2020 for its efforts in cultural heritage conservation and sustainable development.

Lai Chi Wo’s revitalization has inspired the Forest Village Project, launched in 2024, which aims to apply the lessons learned from Lai Chi Wo to neighboring villages, Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong. These smaller hamlets, with their own feng shui woodlands and diverse ecosystems, hold potential for eco-tourism and sustainable development, creating a network of revitalized villages.

“We hope to build a more comprehensive region of revitalized villages that can become a bigger attraction to the Hong Kong community,” says Leung.

Lai Chi Wo is not just a village coming back to life — it’s a model for sustainable community development, preserving heritage, protecting nature, and fostering a harmonious future.

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As the world grapples with rising temperatures and volatile climate conditions, agriculture faces unprecedented challenges. Farmers struggle to keep their crops cool, especially in regions prone to extreme heat. A breakthrough innovation developed in Saudi Arabia might offer a game-changing solution.

Revolutionary Technology for Cooling Greenhouses

A Saudi-based startup, Iyris (formerly RedSea), has introduced SecondSky, a greenhouse technology that reduces interior temperatures by up to 7 degrees Celsius without compromising sunlight exposure. The innovation leverages nanotechnology embedded in plastic polymer sheeting to filter out near-infrared solar radiation.

This cooling effect significantly reduces the need for mechanical cooling and allows crops to be grown with up to 30% less water.

Developed by Derya Baran, an associate professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the award-winning design has been commercialized and adopted in 15 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE—regions seeking to boost local food production and reduce reliance on imports.

Global Adoption and Impact

SecondSky has quickly gained traction beyond the Middle East. Farmers in the United States, Latin America, Mexico, Europe, South Africa, and Morocco are now using the technology.

“This isn’t just future-proofing—it’s current-proofing,” said Iyris Executive Chairperson John Keppler, emphasizing the urgency of adapting agriculture to current climate realities.

The technology has already demonstrated its potential to mitigate the effects of extreme heat, which, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, contributed to 2023 being the hottest year on record.

Challenges in Agriculture Due to Heat

Extreme heat events can devastate crops by:

• Drying out plants, leading to crop failure.
• Increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases.
• Demanding more resources, such as water and energy, for cooling.

SecondSky addresses these challenges by creating a controlled environment that minimizes stressors on crops.

SecondSky Integration and Sustainability

The technology has been integrated into flexible polyfilm, used for polytunnels, greenhouse plastic sheets, and netting. Unlike traditional solutions such as applying white chalk to greenhouse films, SecondSky’s additive doesn’t shorten the lifespan of the plastic.

Iyris has partnered with major plastics manufacturers, including SABIC in Saudi Arabia, Hyma Plastic in Egypt, and Armando Alvarez in Spain. To date, over 4.5 million square meters of SecondSky materials have been sold globally.

Tackling Regional Challenges: A Case Study

In Saudi Arabia, where less than 1% of land is arable, water demands for agriculture are three times the global average. To combat these challenges, Iyris collaborated on the National Food Production Initiative, creating a 0.75-hectare farm in Bada, a desert region with summer temperatures averaging 40°C (104°F).

The farm uses SecondSky and other agritech innovations to grow crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and herbs. The success of this project has inspired local cooperatives to explore similar models.

A Broader Fight Against Desertification

Desertification poses a significant threat, with 100 million hectares of healthy land lost annually, according to the United Nations. Sustainable agritech, like SecondSky, plays a pivotal role in reversing this trend by:

• Saving water through protected agriculture.
• Increasing land and water productivity.
• Reducing environmental stressors on marginal land.

Greenhouses equipped with SecondSky can yield up to five times more than open-field farming while using seven times less water.

Future Plans and Scaling Innovation

With $16 million raised in Series A funding, Iyris plans to expand SecondSky’s applications by 2025. The company aims to help greenhouses worldwide beat the heat internally, contributing to solutions for the broader climate crisis.

By enabling sustainable agriculture, SecondSky demonstrates how innovation can transform food production in a warming world.

“The sooner we deliver drop-in solutions for agriculture, the better off we’ll all be,” said Keppler, summarizing the urgency of adopting scalable, sustainable technologies.

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