Last October, Greenpeace organized the “Save The Lantau ” Photo Collection and Contest 2021. The public was invited to submit photo entries that depict the beauty and value of Lantau under the two categories: “Lantau Ecology” and “Lantau Scenery”. The result of the contest was announced in November 2021. The 16 winning entries were compiled in our “Save the Lantau Calendar 2022” as a way for our supporters to appreciate the beauty of Lantau throughout the year. We invited 12 awarded photographers to share with us their stories or journeys behind their winning entries. We hope that these stories resonate with you and can motivate you to continue to protect Lantau.
Photographer’s stories with Lantau
Yuna Chan： Lantau is my home, that is why I participated
Amateur photographer Yuna rarely participated in photo contests. She joined this contest because the theme was Lantau, a place she called home for more than 20 years. Her photo entry “Sunset and Lantau Constructions” recorded how the beautiful sunset in Lantau was besieged by the many tower cranes. Yuna noticed that the air quality in Lantau deteriorated and the construction works were never-ending. She feels bad for property owners as all the previously ‘ocean view’ flats have become ‘building views’ now. She felt like she was recording ‘evidence of guilt’ when she took her photos.
Yuna started taking photos of fiddler crabs around the Tung Chung area years ago and she witnessed the drop in the number of crabs over the years. And she could only express her feelings for her home through photography.
Leung Chi Hang： The old Yam O is gone
Leung is a retired newspaper photo editor. His winning entry was taken in 1982, back when the lumber factory was still operating in Yam O. Now that all is history. Leung recalled his many memories with Lantau, taking sunset photos at Yim Tin, the stilt houses in Tai O, fishermen casting nets… The culture and social customs of the old days were gone. Leung said he cherishes what remains today and that he is unwilling to see Lantau being urbanized too rapidly.
Louis Lo： Catch the sunset in Sai Tso Wan before development sets in
Louis has a passion for landscape photography. He thinks that natural sceneries like sunrise, sunset, and a sea of clouds are very comforting and relieving. Being into photography for 2 to 3 decades, Lantau has always been his go-to spot for photos. However, the place was taken over by more and more buildings and constructions. His winning entry was taken in Sai Tso Wan. After knowing that some construction works in the area will begin soon, Louis decided to capture the scene before it disappeared. Residing in Hong Kong for more than 50 years, Louis witnessed changes and restrictions brought by infrastructural development. He misses the old days when he could go camping and enjoy nature in Lantau.
John Chan： Capture the beauty of the Lantau night sky
John enjoys photography and outdoor activities. He loves hiking at the Lantau Trail and Sunset Peak. He specialized in astrophotography and found Lantau the best place in Hong Kong to shoot photos of the galaxy. “I cannot imagine the consequences if Lantau is to be developed like other urban areas.” John learned about the contest on Instagram and found the contest meaningful as it can inspire people to protect the natural environment of Lantau. John believes that photographers can contribute by using photos to raise environmental awareness.
Simon Leung： I am proud of Lantau, the place where I grew up in
Simon (IG) is proud to be growing up and living in Lantau. “I can grab my backpack and camera anytime and go take photos at any corners in Lantau.” The subjects of his works included mountains and forests, seashore, starry sky and the fishing villages of Lantau; all those beautiful sceneries he wishes that the future generations will still be able to enjoy. Through his lens, the scenery of Shek Pik Plateau and Kau Nga Ling is as breathtaking as the scenery in Switzerland.
Alex Ho： I am moved by the simplicity and tranquillity of Lantau
The Mangrove forest of Tai O gave Alex (IG) a sense of tranquillity. He used a simplistic composition to express his feelings and appreciation for the simplistic beauty of nature. He wanted to remind us that reckless development will destroy these sceneries. “If it is changed, the scenery will fade. The vitality of the Mangroves, be gone and turned into graves. For the greed of man, the beauty of nature is destroyed.”
Leung Yu-po： The beauty of Lantau, a new discovery
Leung loves hiking and landscape photography. He went hiking in Lantau but was not very familiar with the place. He learned more about Lantau and fiddler crabs after joining this contest and the “Walk with the Master” photography workshop organized by Greenpeace, where he had a tour of Pui O and did ecology photography. Leung majored in Earth System Science at university. He thinks that it is important to protect the environment and our planet. After discovering that there are still many undeveloped places in Lantau, Leung agrees that we need to protect Lantau.
Francis Ng： Treat nature like it is your own garden
Francis（IG）loves nature and animals. He, a social worker, revealed that he is not local and only moved to Hong Kong in 2005. But he has an urge to protect the environment of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a fast-paced city and even the environment changes very rapidly. He described the countryside as the same as the back garden of the community. Who would want their own garden to be destroyed?
Gilbert Ho： Protect the ecosystem, say no to unnecessary development
Gilbert went hiking with his family when he was small. He enjoyed the beauty of the undisturbed natural environment and was thrilled to encounter different insects, birds and animals. He is concerned with the “Tomorrow Lantau Vision” development plan as he foresees that the plan will impact the environment. He joined the contest as he wanted to deliver messages through his works that Lantau is worth protecting and that he is unwilling to see unnecessary development.
Ivan Fung： Fun time in Lantau for frog lovers
Ivan loves hiking and birdwatching. He is familiar with the ecological environment of Lantau and knows that it is a habitat of many special species. Ivan is especially fond of finding frogs in Lantau. Being able to find a Romer’s Tree Frog was a dream come true for him. His winning entry was taken in one of his frog finding journeys. That day, he searched and waited, hoping to see a Three-striped Grass Frog. It was only till evening, to his surprise, that he spotted an Asiatic Painted Frog and captured its seemingly sleepy face. Ivan treasures the uniqueness of Lantau and hopes that the peaceful environment will not be disturbed by future development.
Alan Liu： We are determined to protect Hong Kong, a city so small and so rich in biodiversity
Alan has lived in Lantau since 2003. He is in love with the natural environment of Lantau. Going for a walk near the mountains with his family, exploring nature and seeing all those little insects and birds have become an important part of his daily life. However, in recent years, he noticed that there are more buildings and constructions in the community and the place has become more crowded. He wishes that he can protect this community and that Lantau will still be a place for migratory birds to stop by.
Ling Yuet-fung： Discover and protect Lantau
Fung, an ecology student, developed an interest in fireflies a few years ago. The Chenghoiyan Ototretine firefly featured in her winning entry is a rare species unique to Hong Kong that is uniquely found in a forest in Lantau. However, their reproduction was affected by the light poles built nearby their habitat in recent years and now they are at risk of extinction. It is uncertain whether this vulnerable firefly can survive Lantau’s future development. Fung hopes that we can explore and appreciate more the ecology of Lantau and be concerned about the consequences of development to our countryside.
Tong Yat-long： Cherish nature’s gifts for us
Being an ecology educator and an amateur ecology photographer, Long often visits Lantau for expeditions. Unlike other conservation areas, Long finds that the relationship between man and nature is much closer in Lantau. He is concerned about how the development in Lantau will impact the natural environment. Through his photo entry, he wants to deliver the message that sometimes we might need to give nature “a break”. Long said nature clears his mind and gives him peace. It is a gift from nature that we should never take for granted.
Continue To Protect the Lantau
The “Save the Lantau” photo contest was completed, but protecting Lantau, our unique and precious island still requires our persistent and continuous effort. We encourage all of you to engage in protecting Lantau using different ways, for instance, voicing out your concerns. Spread the message and help our fellow Hongkongers to understand the importance of sustainable development. Please continue to follow Greenpeace’s Protect the Lantau project.