Berry Chu | Orchid Fever

Berry is the chairman of Hong Kong Artistic Orchid Association, and before retirement, a Chinese teacher. Now he devotes all his time to orchid contemplating, breeding, and promotion to Hongkongers. Berry first got in touch with the Centre when he approached us to co-organize the Hong Kong Local Orchid Exhibition (香港原生種蘭花展覽) in 2009. He was our ambassador in 2017 for two terms until he became fully committed to the preparation of his new book A Guide to Hong Kong Orchids (香港野外賞蘭札記).

Berry: I was raised in Cheung Chau, and back then we had to burn dry sticks to make fire, so the hills were all deforested and plain; then I moved to Prince Edward and Tsuen Wan – while Shek Lei Pui Reservoir was full of monkeys, and there were even rumours of brigands hiding in Tai Mo Shan, I didn’t dare to hike them frequently; later on I moved to the Mid-Levels, and Lung Fu Shan is where I truly call home. I love taking photos of orchids but their flowering period is very short. In the past we had to wait for a day with good weather and hike 3-4 times in order to take photos of orchids in full bloom on the mountain. Now everything goes online, so whenever a friend posts online “such-and-such orchid is blooming”, I can simply walk a few steps to Lung Fu Shan and Victoria Peak to take photos. Don’t they sound like my private backyard?

Hong Kong has recorded 130 local orchid species in total, which accounts for 1/10 of China’s orchid species. If you want to prove Hong Kong’s rich biodiversity, the orchid is definitely a representative of that! There are lots of orchids around Lung Fu Shan and Victoria Peak, such as the Purple Bulb Orchid and the Bottlebrush Orchid. Their distribution here is more concentrated than in Kowloon and the New Territories, and is indeed a very nice place for beginners to start with orchid observations.

It is unfortunate that Hongkongers still do not know much about orchid conservation. Many people overemphasize the economic value of orchids and try to own rare species. If the exact locations of such rare species are publicized, they will get harvested without doubt. One does not have to illegally pick wild orchids in order to own one – there are many other ways to do so. The Hong Kong Artistic Orchid Association offers courses every year to teach members orchid-breeding techniques. Through “playing with” orchids and witnessing their growth, one can cultivate more positive values, which is exactly what stressed-out Hongkongers need! Real orchid-lovers treasure wild species, and in order to protect them, it is best not to publicise their locations.

I hope to continue promoting orchid conservation in Hong Kong, starting with introducing species and habitats in seminars to slowly build Hongkongers’ knowledge of orchids. I also want to breed orchids in Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens’ greenhouse so the public can observe them in person. Other than teaching Hongkongers to become more familiar with wild orchid conservation, my long-term goal is to build an orchid reserve like those in the UK or in Australia, where visitors can appreciate orchids with a guided map, ultimately educating them to value local species.

➤ Berry’s new book A Guide to Hong Kong Orchids (香港野外賞蘭札記) https://bit.ly/2JppWSv

*Accordingly to the law of Hong Kong, wild orchids are under conservation and are only for viewing and photoshooting. It is illegal to pick wild orchids.

from left

1. Phantom Orchid at Lung Fu Shan (Photo Credit: Tai)

2. Club-spurred Tentacle Orchid at Lung Fu Shan (Photo Credit: Tai)

3. Green-flowered Rattlesnake-plantain at Lung Fu Shan (Photo Credit: Tai)