Rhymes of Shui Hau

The village of Shui Hau is 300 years old. It is bounded by Lantau Peak to the north and the South China Sea to the south. In Chinese, “Shui Hau” means the mouth of a waterway, which explains its geographic location. The village, or rather the island where it is situated, must be understood with an appreciation of the sea. Lantau Island is part of an archipelago separating the Pearl River and the open seas. The waterway connects Lantau to the Soko Islands, Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Macau and other cities and settlements in the Pearl River Delta. Recent human settlements in Lantau can only be understood from the perspective of the sea and its seafarers.

“Rhymes of Shui Hau” features three elderly women from the village. Their stories, and the rhymes they hum in Wai Tau Waa, an age-old dialect that many can no longer comprehend, offer a glimpse of Hong Kong before its industrialisation and urbanisation. If their rhymes open a window to the city’s past, they are also a peephole into our future. If development and urban expansion are given free rein, we will soon forget the vernacular heritage that has been lost.

*The documentary will screen for 50 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. The audience may come earlier to see an exhibition on Shui Hau, displayed in the same room of the screening.

Language: Chinese with English subtitles
Age limit: Nil
Duration: 90 minutes