Thinking of a nature trip? Come to Ngau Tam Mei, a rural village Yuen Long set among hills and running streams, where you may enjoy a leisurely outing and learn at the same time about the local rural culture and discover another side of Hong Kong!

Located in east Yuen Long, the Ngau Tam Mei community is a suburb consisting of several villages, including Yau Tam Mei Tsuen, Wai Tsai Tsuen, Sheung Chuk Yuen Tsuen, Ha Chu Yuen Tsuen and San Wai Tsuen. The Salvation Army Ngau Tam Mei Community Development Project (NTMCDP) has been supporting the community since 1993 through providing services for villagers, coordinating villages to build their own mutual-help networks, and enhancing neighbourhood relationship and cohesion. In recent years, NTMCDP has also invited villagers to be tour guides, showing the public the history, culture and changes of the areas.

In Yau Tam Mei Tsuen (aka Ngau Tam Mei Tsuen), the largest village in the community, villagers used to make a living by growing rice and vegetables, as well as keeping fish, chicken and pigs. This village has managed to preserve its original appearances and now you may tour around the vegetable fields and fish ponds with the villagers, exploring the rural life through experiences of fertilizing, weeding and harvesting. You may also learn about the Hakka culinary culture by making traditional Chinese snacks such as Cha Guo (glutinous rice dumplings) and rice pudding with elderly Hakka women. The Salvation Army has been working with many different organizations in organizing activities such as flea markets and eco-friendly workshops. We even bring community art to the village by inviting artists and students to create murals together with the villagers on little known stories about the village. To learn more about our latest updates, please contact NTMCDP or visit our ‘Ngau Tam Mei Community Development Project’ facebook fan page.

Guided tour enrolment and enquiries

Tel: 2482 7175

Web: ntmcdp@ssd.salvation.org.hk

Fee: $30 per person

Remarks: Minimum 5 persons, maximum of 20 persons

The remarkable history of Yuen Longlong grain rice

The most fragrant and tasty white rice does not necessarily come from Thailand or  Japan. The crops of Yuen Long, the home of rice, were once the pride of Hong kong! Ngau Tam Mei is the origin of ‘Yuen Long long grain rice’, which used to be offering for emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After World War II, this rice was not only sold to local wealthy families, but also earned its international fame through overseas sales to San Francisco! The popularity of Yuen Long long-grain rice went into a decline later but is having an upturn recently when some farmers resumed planting this breed and started promoted local organic rice.