Sham Shui Po & Tuen Mun Walk Tours: Rediscovering communities through breathing

On 14 and 21 October, we collaborated with Kaifing Tour to hold walk tours in Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun respectively.

Participants learned about the local histories, while opening up their sense of smell to savour the changes in the air along the way and observe the connections between various sources of air pollution and community activities.

The tour, entitled “Discovering clean breaths”, ended with a breathing exercise, in which the participants, led by an instructor, took a slow and mindful walk in the quiet Garden Hill and Tuen Mun Park, focusing on each and every breath, contemplating on the importance of “breathe right”.

Tsz Kwan, a participant of the Sham Shui Po tour, said that the tour gave participants a new perspective on air issues. She was most impressed by the visit to Sham Shui Po Fabric Market, where she discovered that fabrics emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pollute the air, and the discussion at the Pei Ho Street Cooked Food Centre on how different cooking methods impact air quality differently.

Zanna, who joined the Tuen Mun tour, appreciates the tour for connecting the community with the environment, enhancing her knowledge about air issues. She also reflected on how air quality, which is essential to our existence by constantly being overlooked, could be improved in an urban environment.