[Explanation] Kumquats with New Year's wishes were thrown into the air, hanging high on the treetops, and the red wish paper was flying with the wind.
Every year on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, there are always crowds of people under the wishing tree located in Lam Village, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. This is a well-known wishing resort in Hong Kong. It is located next to the Tin Hau Temple built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty in the village.
[Concurrent] Zhang Zhenbang, Chairman of Lam Tsuen Wishing Plaza
In fact, the wishing tree is also related to the Tin Hau Temple near our Lin Village. The Tin Hau Temple is for the villagers of our village and the nearby fishermen to come here to make wishes and keep safe. Worship and make a wish.
On the way to Tin Hau Temple, we passed many big trees, and they all hung wishing treasures on the trees.
[Explanation] The wishing tree was originally a big banyan tree in Lin Village. It was regarded as a god by the local villagers. During festivals, the nearby people would light incense candles at the root of the banyan tree in addition to worshiping in Tin Hau Temple, so it is also called "Xiangzi" Tree".
If things go on like this, the people who come and go will also hang their handwritten wishes on the banyan tree to pray for good weather, prosperity and peace in the coming year.
[Concurrent] Zhang Zhenbang, Chairman of Lam Tsuen Wishing Plaza
Our action of throwing the wishing treasure was not used to throw it before, but some good people just hung it up after passing by, but later some believers or villagers (feeled) that the hanging was not high enough, and it might be higher than the top, so it became I have to throw it, but the wishing treasure itself has no weight, it is very light paper, so at the beginning, I tied a stone and a rope on the other side, and the higher the throw, the better.
But the stone has weight, and it will fall from the tree after a long time. At that time, our children had to go to school through this wishing tree, and they often "won the first prize".
Later, we all suggested to the villagers and believers that it is better to tie some fruits, which have weight, so we considered tying some oranges, oranges and other fruits.
Cantonese people take the meaning of "auspiciousness", so oranges are used, and red also represents great prosperity.
[Explanation] In 1998, the Hong Kong wireless TV series "It's better to make friends than to get rid of them" spread the village custom of "throwing treasures on the wishing tree", and tourists from home and abroad flocked to experience it for themselves.
In the end, the banyan tree in the village broke down during the Chinese New Year in 2005 because it could not bear the accumulated pressure.
Since then, it is forbidden to throw the wishing treasures on the tree trunk in the village, and instead set up a wishing stand for display.
In order to preserve the more than 100-year-old custom of people throwing treasures and making wishes, Lincun Township Office recently introduced a fiberglass trunk to imitate the ficus spp., and tied wish cards with lighter hollow plastic oranges for people to make wishes and pray for blessings.
【live sound】
(How can our wishing treasure be thrown high and accurately?) When we saw this wishing treasure, in fact, there was a wishing card on it, with various blessings already written on it, such as "grow up quickly", "Longma Spirit", "Physical Health" and so on, you can also write your own special wishes, the most important thing is to write your name and date. Here we see a wishing orange. This environmentally friendly orange is made of plastic and can be taken. down for recycling.
I think there is actually a little skill in throwing the Wishing Treasure.
(What skills?) Let’s roll it up and loosen it so that it’s easy to throw up. We’ll find a place with a lot of branches here, so you can see some tricks.
[Explanation] The wishing tree has made Lin Village famous, and it has also driven the development of the local tourism economy.
In recent years, supporting facilities such as wishing square, wishing stone and wishing pool have been built in the village, and the "Hong Kong Lam Tsuen Wishing Festival" is held continuously during the Lunar New Year, making this small village a "sacred place for wishing" in Hong Kong.
[Concurrent] Zhang Zhenbang, Chairman of Lam Tsuen Wishing Plaza
We see this now. The stone of the Lincun Wishing Tree was found here in Lincun when our Lincun Wishing Plaza was established. It was moved to this Lincun Wishing Plaza as a symbol. We inscribed the words "Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree" for us as a symbol.
[Explanation] With the gradual recovery of Hong Kong society, during the Chinese New Year in 2023, the "Lam Village Wishing Festival", which had been suspended for two years, will resume in Hong Kong. People from all corners of the country will gather together again and continue to write good wishes for the New Year in this ancient village.
Reporter Fan Siyi Liang Yuan reports from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]