Let’s Colour came to Hong Kong to participate in preserving its ancestral village with love and art.
Let’s Colour Hong Kong transformed communities in Kam Tin, a rural area with over 500 years of indigenous history. With her passion for art and Hong Kong culture, art teacher Ms. Jess Kwok came up with the idea of using mural painting to enrich the empty spaces of Kam Tin and bring residents together.
What is Kam Tin Village Mural Project?
Besides transforming Kam Tin into a tourist destination, the main goal of this project is about educating people, promoting creativity and raising public awareness of preserving rural heritage.
Funded by Hong Kong Teachers Dream Fund, this project is sponsored by Dulux Let’s Colour with high quality eco-paints, throughout Let’s Colour initiative. This 10 year action aims to spark revitalization efforts by developing the visual appeal of Kam Tin and its surrounding area, raising the profile of the region as an arts destination to create sustainable cultural and financial opportunities for local residents and businesses in the long run. All designs revolve around the theme “Love”, the murals strive to connect the once isolated and “walled village” to the rest of Hong Kong and to transform the communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places.
If you need some more information about the project, check out Kam Tin Village Mural Project Facebook page.
Why here?
On the alluvial plains north of Tai Mo Shan, in the valley of Kam Tin in the New Territories, life moves at a slower and more relaxing pace. With no single apartment estate or gleaming office tower in sight, this community is worlds apart from the frenetic city atmosphere that Hong Kong is known for.
The first indigenous settlers of Hong Kong built and lived in walled villages (圍村). High brick walls, sometimes complete with defensive towers, protected the inhabitants from roaming bandits, pirates, and wild animals. Within these walls, densely packed brick houses and narrow alleys formed a tight-knit community.
In Kam Tin, there are three well preserved walled villages in close proximity to each other, all built around five centuries ago. Well off the beaten path for casual tourists (and even local city dwellers) these are worth a visit for a taste of Hong Kong’s colorful past.
Symbol of love, diversity and unity
Kam Tin is an extremely diverse and liveable spot – besides native Chinese, Africans, South Africans, and Caucasians have gradually moved in and called this place a home. Since the opening of Kam Tin metro station, the village has become more connected to the city centers which bring in more visitors and favorable opportunities.
Our mural celebrates the diversity of the society – through joint efforts, people with different nationality and background have come together to form a strong, unified community. The idea was to create a sustainable development project through balancing social, economic and environment to benefit the community in the long run. Using ‘love’ as the central theme, the murals strive to connect the once isolated village to the rest of Hong Kong and transforming the city into a more harmonious place.
Most volunteers are youngster recruited from secondary schools. This project provides them with a meaningful art experience, gives them an opportunity to connect with Hong Kong’s past and history, as well as inspires them to give back to the community.
A must-see for locals and tourists
With the tremendous help and support from hundreds of volunteers, artists and local residents, more than 15 murals have been painted within a half year (and much more are coming in the future). The murals brought the village to life, attracting many tourists and locals to visit on weekends, turning it into a place for people to bring friends and take pictures, making a nice memory of their visit. It is now part of the tourists’ route and their must-see list in Hong Kong suburb!
Find out more about Dulux in Hong Kong.
