How can painting a place help us understand its soul?

 

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In this hands-on project, senior students stepped into the winding lanes of Tai O, one of Hong Kong’s last remaining fishing villages, to explore the roots of local identity through watercolour. Surrounded by stilt houses, shrimp paste stalls, and sun-dried fish, students worked en plein air to capture scenes of traditional life — not just as observers, but as cultural documentarians.

 

Why Tai O?
In a city hurtling toward modernity, Tai O remains a living time capsule. This excursion challenged students to slow down, observe with care, and make visible what often goes unseen: the textures of tradition and the layers of Hong Kong’s cultural memory.

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Learning Focus:

Explore visual storytelling through outdoor sketching and watercolour techniques

Investigate Hong Kong’s heritage through the lens of place, community, and identity

Practice primary source collection through on-site sketches and photography

Reflect on personal and collective identity, especially for students navigating multiple cultures

Pre-Excursion Preparation:
In the weeks leading up to the trip, students practiced key watercolour and sketching techniques in the classroom. They studied light, movement, and urban texture, equipping them with the tools to capture fleeting scenes in an outdoor setting.

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On-Site Experience:
Students produced three observational sketches on-site and collected visual references through photography. The work served both as a stand-alone art experience and as the foundation for further development in their final pieces.

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Why It Matters:
For many students — especially those from multicultural or international backgrounds — understanding the place they live in is the first step to understanding themselves. This project was as much about art as it was about belonging.

 

 

 

DESTINATION OF VISIT

 

Lantau Island