Exploring Nature and Enjoying Rustic Deliciousness in the Past

In the good old days, a child's classroom in Yim Tin Tsai was never confined to four walls. The moment the school bell rang and schoolbags were tossed aside, the real lessons began.

Villagers recall: "We often finished our homework before school ended. That's why we were free to go anywhere after school. Like little monkeys, we would go up to the mountain and down to the sea to go fishing and shrimping. When we were hungry, we would dig up and cook sweet potatoes that others have planted. We were also smart enough to put stones and water into milk powder tins to cook the fish and shrimps that we caught." (Full story: https://www.yttstorytelling.org/en/storymap#3)

Like monkeys let loose from their cage, the children dashed to the hills and the coast. They knew where to dig for sweet potatoes by the fields, gathering firewood to roast them to perfection. They also knew how to catch fish and shrimp along the shoreline, using empty milk tins as pots, stacking stones to make a stove, and cooking up a fresh, delicious seafood soup (similar to hotpot!)

In those days, there were no camping gadgets or fancy gear, but nature offered the richest pantry and the greatest playground. Every adventure to the mountains and the sea was a lesson in survival skills and teamwork.

Time has moved on. Today, Yim Tin Tsai has become an important site for nature conservation and environmental education. The familiar coastal neighbours of those childhood days still thrive in these waters, continuing their own stories.

If you encounter marine life during your visit, please remember: look with your eyes, not with your hands. We can all be guardians of nature by respecting their lives, not catching or disturbing them, so that this beautiful ecosystem may endure for generations to come.