With a sensitive and tender heart, you can sense the temperament and character of a tree.

Trees have their own lives and secrets.

Humans like to use trees to express themselves, sometimes causing discussions, sometimes evoking melancholy.

The hollows of trees conceal people's secrets.

When a tree falls, if you are willing to open the gates of memory, you can reunite with your past self from fifty years ago.

Even if you have experienced tumultuous times, trees can regenerate or decay, allowing you to rediscover their serene composure.

Resembling a large garden for its residents, the Garden Estate is comprised of Phases 1 and 2. Phase 1 consists of seven residential blocks named after flowers, while Phase 2 has five blocks named after birds, and therefore once dubbed "Seven Flowers and Five Birds".

Built by the Hong Kong Housing Society in the 1960s, the Garden Estate is the first public housing estate in Kwun Tong. In the 1980s, Phase 1 was redeveloped into the current Jade Lotus Towers and redevelopment of Phase 2 will commence in 2026/27 at the earliest.

There is a remarkable Indian Banyan tree planted near the playground in Phase 2 of the estate. Over the past decades, the tree has witnessed changes of the residents, from newly-wed couples to three-generation households. As redevelopment is about to commence, the residents take stock of their precious memories, recounting how the constant presence of the tree is woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Trees are like amiable friends in our neighbourhood, not because they can talk to us, but because they quietly stay in their places, watching the residents and the community grows.

"Dear Tree, how are you doing?"

A simple greeting, a caring sentiment. To encourage people to pay more attention to the trees around us, illustrator Connie (Maoshan) set up a mailbox for Hong Kong's trees on a social media platform, collecting letters written to the trees, and then illustrating them.

Her illustrations are often not just about a tree, but focus on the relationship between trees and people, and the community. Therefore, trees are also an important element in maps she draws of the community, hoping to make people rethink the importance of trees and the complex relationships between trees, people, communities, and urban development.

Patcy has been passionate about outdoor activities and nature from a young age. After secondary school, she studied Tree Management and Horticulture, Arboriculture and Landscape Management. During school, she became fascinated by tree climbing and met a group of like-minded friends. This experience initiated the idea of becoming an arborist, also known as a "tree doctor", and tree climber. It is with the encouragement and guidance of her teachers that she is determined to fulfill her dream step by step.

“You can hear the song of trees in the forest,” said Wyee, a bassoonist who loves nature and believes that people living in the city often overlook the messages from Mother Nature. Her dream is to hold a concert in the woods in which the audience can listen carefully to the sounds of nature.

Wyee wants to know more about trees, so she joins the Forest Guards established by a green group. Kami and Pui-sze, founders of the Forest Guards, have been working on tree conservation for years. They have hit various nature trails and planted numerous seedlings in the countryside. However, their concerted efforts would be wasted overnight due to devastating wildfires.

Writer Helen Yip grew up in Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island. She finds joy in admiring the ever-changing beauty of trees throughout the seasons. Ten years ago, she began writing a blog about Hong Kong’s trees to express her love and appreciation for the natural world and its ecology. Through words and images, she hopes to share about the trees she treasures and capture the beauty of life and nature.

Surrounded by lush greenery, a secondary school blessed with the gift of trees provides students with a delightful learning environment that allows them to come in touch with nature. Every tree in the school is not only a valuable life, but also passes on messages of love and hope.

Besides teaching mathematics, Mr Lam serves as a coach of the tree climbing team in the school. How does he unleash his students’ potential and broaden their horizons through tree climbing?

Tree climbing has nurtured an interest in trees among the members of the climbing team. Some former members of the team choose to study tree management after going to university, while others go into the profession related to arboriculture after graduation from school. What lessons have the students learnt that encourage them to flourish like the trees and open up more possibilities in the future?

Hong Kong generates 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of yard waste each year, among which only 3% of them would be collected for recycling while the rest would end up in landfills.

Ricci started getting in touch with local trees recycling in 2018. Starting from scratch, he has become a self-taught start-up founder taking part in wood processing, wooden product design and production. He is the first designer in town who recycles an entire tree.

Ricchi hopes that people in Hong Kong would treasure the toppled trees that once stood tall in their neighbourhood and by bringing home products made from recycled wood to give the trees a second life.

If one were to design one or two urban tree-watching paths in the concrete jungle of Hong Kong...
Architectural designer Alfred Ho sought out various tree-watching spots and walked with us to connect the dots.

Along the way, we crossed paths with trees,
perhaps they unfolded tales of architectural spaces, community lore, and even whispered fears;
perhaps an ancient and valued tree or even an unremarkable one was transformed by its connection to an elderly;
perhaps the scent of flowers evoked childhood memories, carried on the wind;
perhaps some offered a canopy like an umbrella, coexisting in harmonious accord with their surroundings, a purely visual pleasure.

So, we followed Alfred from Sai Wan to Admiralty,
and then from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tai Kok Tsui,
watching trees and embracing the city from a novel perspective.

Near the hustle and bustle of Tsuen Wan is a small village of Kwong Pan Tin. It has been 60 years since the village was founded by the first generation of residents in the 1950s. Sam Chan was born in the village. Having worked in planting related occupations for over 30 years, he has made friends with trees and plants. Planting brings him joy, and he wants to share that joy in the same way. With the idea of "resource sharing" in mind, he shared his seeds and plantation methods. Villagers' personalities and preferences affect planting outcomes and meaning. Sam did not expect the small village would become so different through planting.