Duling Educational and Cultural Centre / Project Mingle, The University of Hong Kong

Our journey began in the quaint Hakka village of Duling, nestled in the verdant countryside of Guangxi, China. Duling is a place where time seems to slow down and the air thrums with the rhythms of rural life. This village, home to a community of around 3,000 Hakka people, is a place where the values of hard work and education are deeply ingrained in the fabric of everyday life. Nestled amidst a land blessed with ample rainfall, but suffering from a scarcity of fresh water, the village faced a paradoxical challenge. The villagers, who witnessed rain showers on a regular basis, found themselves reliant on a meager supply of well water due to the absence of a water infrastructure. This deficiency gave rise to hygiene concerns that threatened to endanger the health and well-being of the community, particularly the vulnerable younger generation.