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SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1975
THE FISH POND, WHICH HAS A TOTAL AREA OF 15,000 SQ.FT., WAS FIRST OPENED IN JULY 1973. TO MARK ITS OPENING, ABOUT 100 BIG HEAD AND 300 COMMON CARPS WERE RELEASED INTO THE POND. THE FISH WERE FLOWN IN SPECIALLY BY AN ARMY HELICOPTER.
TALKING PROUDLY ABOUT THE POND, MR. NG SAID, +WE ADOPT THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF FEEDING FISH ON PIG MANURE. THE MAJORITY OF THE FISH ARE SOLD AT CHEUNG CHAU WHILE SOME ARE DROUGHT TO ABERDEEN,+
NEXT TO FISH-BREEDING COMES PIG BREEDING. THE VILLAGERS GOT THEIR FIRST PIGS THROUGH DONATIONS BY THE KADOORIE
EXPERIMENTAL AND EXTENSION FARM. DURING THE 1960S THERE WERE ONLY 350 PIGS BUT NOW THE NUMBER HAS RISEN TO OVER 1,000. MOST OF THEM ARE SOLD AT CHEUNG CHAU AND THE REST ARE BROUGHT TO KENNEDY TOWN.
ANOTHER EYE-CATCHING SCENERY ON THE ISLAND IS THE LONG STRETCH OF PINEAPPLE CULTIVATION ON THE HILLSIDE. PINEAPPLES WERE ALSO INTRODUCED DURING THE EARLY 1960S AND HAVE NOW BECOME ANOTHER +EXPORT ITEM FOR THE VILLAGERS.
VEGETABLES ARE ALSO GROWN ON THE ISLANDS BUT LIKE THE SMALL-SCALE POULTRY FARMING THERE, THEY ARE MOSTLY FOR THE VILLAGERS' OWN CONSUMPTION.
WHEN QUERIED ABOUT HOW THEY MANAGED TO TRANSPORT THEIR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND DAILY NECESSITIES TO AND FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, MR. NG SAID, WE DEPEND ON OUR MOTOR JUNK WHICH HAS ALREADY SERVED US FOR 10 YEARS. WHEN IT WAS NEW IT
COULD CARRY 19 PEOPLE BUT NOW ONLY EIGHT PASSENGERS ARE PERMITTED TO TRAVEL EACH TIME.
+THE JUNK GOES BETWEEN CHEUNG CHAU AND TAI AH CHAU FOUR TIME A WEEK.+
AS THE MOTOR JUNK IS TOO OLD TO CARRY HEAVY GOODS, THE VILLAGERS HAVE EXPRESSED THE WISH TO GET A NEW ONE WHICH, THEY ESTIMATED, WOULD COST ABOUT $30,000. THEY HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN TO THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION FOR FINANCIAL AID.
DESPITE THE REMOTENESS OF THE ISLANDS THE CHILDREN ARE WELL-PROVIDED WITH EDUCATION. THE ONE-CLASSROOM SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 1959 WHERE 28 PUPILS, ALL FROM TAI AH CHAU, ATTEND THEIR LESSONS.
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MRS. LUK, THE ONLY TEACHER OF THE SCHOOL, SAID+ +LESSONS TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOL RANGE FROM PRIMARY TWO TO PRIMARY FOUR, BUT BECAUSE A NUMBER OF PARENTS REQUIRE THEIR CHILDREN TO HELP WITH THE HOUSEWORK. THE PUPILS ARE OFTEN ABSENT. VILLAGE CHILDREN WHO WISH TO ATTEND HIGHER CLASSES HAVE TO TRAVEL TO CHEUNG CHAU.
THE MEDICAL