Nature Writer Human Ip Moves from Urban Life to Rural Revival at Lai Chi Wo
HK01 · 1 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
Ip Hiu-man (Human), once a typical Hong Kong urbanite, has emerged as a pioneering figure in the city's rural revival movement. Selected for the prestigious International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 2024, she represents a new generation of Hong Kong writers who draw inspiration from nature and village life. Her transformation from city center to rural periphery began in 2019 through a rural revitalization art project in Mui Tsz Lam, Sha Tau Kok, and culminated in her establishing Hidden Mountain Farm in Lai Chi Wo in 2021.
Key Points
- Ip Hiu-man was selected for the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, participating from late August to October 2024, an international literary program established in the 1960s
- She established Hidden Mountain Farm in Lai Chi Wo in 2021, adopting a "semi-farming, semi-X" lifestyle combining farming with cultural creation
- Since 2022, she has taught a master's course on "nature writing" in the Chinese Department at Lingnan University, taking students to Lai Chi Wo for field studies
- She has published multiple books including "尋花——香港原生植物手札", "尋牠——香港野外動物手札", and co-authored "邁向碳中和 香港人和事" with former Environment Secretary Wong Kam-sing
- The Bridging Foundation, a charitable organization, joined the Lai Chi Wo Natural Management Agreement project in 2025, introducing a rural revitalization workstation in partnership with Tsinghua University
- She appeared as protagonist in two documentaries: "Never Too Late" documenting four Hong Kong residents choosing to connect with nature, and "Almost Home" tracking three Hong Kong writers exploring the meaning of "home"
Why It Matters
Ip's journey from urban Hong Kong to rural revitalization illustrates the potential for urban-rural integration central to the Northern Metropolis development plan. Her dual role as nature writer and farmer, combined with her academic influence through Lingnan University, positions her as a catalyst for developing distinctly Hong Kong forms of pastoral literature and environmental education that could reshape how the city engages with its countryside and natural heritage .
Ip's journey from urban Hong Kong to rural revitalization illustrates the potential for urban-rural integration central to the Northern Metropolis development plan. Her dual role as nature writer and farmer, combined with her academic influence through Lingnan University, positions her as a catalyst for developing distinctly Hong Kong forms of pastoral literature and environmental education that could reshape how the city engages with its countryside and natural heritage .