World geopolitics and the birth of Ap Chau
The story of Ap Chau begins with the True Jesus Church (「真耶穌教會」). ♦ The True Jesus Church initiated its missionary efforts in mainland China at the start of the 20th century. Before the outbreak of World War II, missionaries founded churches and offered medical assistance in the Sha Tou Kok Market (Tung Wo Hui, 東和墟) […]
Tools | Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in Villages
Dwarf Mountain PineBaeckea frutescens The branches of the plant can be tied together to make brooms. They grow on hillsides facing the sun. The crushed leaves of the plant smell of White Flower oil. They can be used to produce aromatic oil and tannin extracts. Sandpaper vineTetracera asiatica Both the top and the bottom surfaces […]
Clothing | Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in Villages
RamieBoehmeria nivea The ubiquitous plant grows everywhere but it is also very functional. The leaves can be used as pig feed or made into hakka rice cakes named ‘coarse-leaf tart’. Its stems can be made into rope, clothing, and shoes after being soaked and torn. Dioscorea cirrhosa Lour. The ball-shaped rhizome of cirrhosa reveals its […]
Food | Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in Villages
Chinese MugwortArtemisia argyi The Hakka people believe that Chinese mugwort has the properties of removing dirt and filth, and the plant grows exceptionally well near Ching Ming Festival, thus Chinese mugwort leaves are added into Hakka rice cake as an ingredient near Ching Ming times. The Chinese mugwort Hakka rice cake, also referred as ‘Ching […]
Utensils | Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in Villages
Phrynium capitatum The leaves of the plant are large, glabrous, and structured. They are suitable for wrapping glutinous rice dumplings and steaming rice cakes. When rice cakes are steamed, clean, fresh leaves are used to line the base and sides of bamboo steaming baskets. Slurry is poured into the basket after lining. The stiff leaves […]
Rituals | Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in Villages
Pomelo Citrus maxima People bathe in fragrant water made by boiling pomelo leaves in hot water on Chinese New Year’s Eve. The practice can ward off negative energy and improve one’s luck. The leaf has an invigorating aroma. The correlation between pomelo leaf and luck might be related to how the plant’s name sounds like the […]