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Forest Walk, Healing Talk
Artist: Human Ip
Artwork: Plant Appreciation Map
"How
long
is
a
piece
of
string?
The
Gardens
was
the
first
public
park
which
opened
in
1871,
where
flowers
have
bloomed,
leaves
have
fallen
and
century-old
trees
with
buttress
roots
have
stood
for
longer
than
the
life
of
you
and
me.
Would
you
like
to
take
a
break,
and
read
their
stories?"
Artist
Human
Ip
brings
a
sketchbook
to
explore
the
Gardens
to
capture
as
drawings
the
unique
forms
of
its
flora
from
different
angles
as
well
as
to
document
in
words
the
growth
of
these
plants
from
their
cultural
and
scientific
perspectives.
Pieced
together
into
a
plant
map,
these
illustrations
and
anecdotes
guide
visitors
on
a
custom-designed
tour
of
this
forest
in
the
city.
In
the
short
walk,
visitors
can
perceive
through
their
different
senses
the
existence
of
each
old
tree,
each
flower,
each
leaf
and
even
each
dew
drop
at
close
range.
Nestled
in
the
embrace
of
nature,
one
may
be
inspired
by
the
plants'
tenacious
vitality.
Download
here:
Forest
Walk,
Healing
Talk
Map
(9.78MB)
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Artist Biography
Ip is a painter and writer who won the novel champion for "Youth Literary Awards" in the open category. Using illustrations and text, her interest in exploring natural ecosystem is embedded in her works which are of elegancy and delicacy. Her works have been published in various newspapers and magazines, picture books and poetry collections, and displayed at exhibitions. Her publications include In Search of Flora in 2014, In Search of Flora 2 in 2016, In Search of Fauna in 2017 and Hermit in situ in 2019. Latest exhibitions include "Flora and Fauna in the Urban Jungle" in the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong in 2018, "In the hills — Notes on Hong Kong Plants and Animals" in the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong in 2019 and "The Practice of Everyday Life" at Oi! in 2020.
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Plant Map Tour
(Text provided by Human Ip)
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1.
Scarlet
Dombeya
(Dombeya
wallichii)
You
are
now
in
the
Visitor
Centre.
Right
in
front
of
you
is
the
Fountain,
and
you
can
see
the
spray
that
moistens
the
air
around
it.
This
is
probably
the
spot
where
you
can
command
the
most
panoramic
view
of
the
Gardens.
Exit
the
Visitor
Centre
and
take
a
few
more
steps
forward.
On
your
left
are
tall
Y-shaped
Traveller's
Trees,
thus
named
for
its
cup-shaped
leaf
sheaths
which
can
hold
ample
water
to
quench
the
thirst
of
travellers
in
the
desert.
Under
the
Traveller's
Trees,
you
will
see
a
cluster
of
shrubs
-
this
is
the
first
of
the
beauties
on
the
list
I
am
going
to
introduce
to
you.
Do
they
blossom?
They
are
called
Scarlet
Dombeya,
also
known
as
Pinkball.
Every
year
they
bloom
gloriously
without
fail
from
December
to
March.
The
fluffs
of
hanging
flowers
in
lovely
pastel
pink
remind
one
of
hydrangea
in
a
bridal
bouquet.
The
dense
verdant
branches
are
a
favourite
hiding
place
for
birds.
The
Scarlet
Dombeya
is
a
kind
of
nectar
plants
with
a
sweet
scent.
That
is
why
when
it
is
in
full
bloom,
it
can
attract
lots
of
bees
and
butterflies
to
come
for
its
nectar.
Set
among
heart-shaped
leaves,
its
demure
pink
tugs
at
my
heartstring.
2.
Formosa
Sweet
Gum (Liquidambar
formosana)
Turn
around,
follow
the
map
and
walk
towards
a
rather
winding
and
upslope
stretch
of
the
path.
Now
in
front
of
you
are
two
rows
of
tall
trees
standing
erect.
Their
dark
brown
tree
trunks
feature
pretty
and
intricate
patterns
and
their
leaves
are
palmately
trilobed.
Some
of
the
trees
bear
a
tag
that
gives
their
name
- Formosa
Sweet
Gum.
Would
they
appear
red
or
green
in
this
season?
The
leaves
of
Formosa
Sweet
Gum
generally
begin
to
turn
red,
dry
up
and
fall
off
towards
the
end
of
December;
come
humid
misty
March,
verdant
shoots
will
sprout
anew.
The
wind
blows
off
withered
leaves
which
in
turn
nourish
the
soil.
Towards
the
latter
part
of
the
viewing
season
for
this
species,
leaves
are
more
numerous
on
the
ground
than
on
the
trees.
Why
is
this
tree
"sweet"?
Try
pick
up
a
Sweet
Gum
leaf
that
is
reddish
brown
and
crispy
dry,
crush
it
lightly,
hold
it
in
your
palm
and
smell
it.
A
waft
of
sweet
scent
will
greet
your
nostril,
and
you
will
know
why
it
has
got
this
name.
3.
Dendrobium
Now
take
a
leisurely
stroll
through
the
Sweet
Gum
trail.
Those
with
a
sharp
eye
would
notice
the
Bronze
Statue
of
King
George
VI
at
the
top
of
the
steps.
The
original
statue
in
this
location
was
that
of
Sir
Arthur
Kennedy,
the
seventh
Governor
of
Hong
Kong,
but
it
was
transported
to
Japan
and
smelted
during
the
Japanese
Occupation.
Turn
right
at
the
end
of
the
Sweet
Gum
trail,
and
you
will
reach
the
Green
House
which
houses
mainly
rare
herbaceous
species
such
as
bromeliads
and
carnivorous
plants.
Yet
the
most
glamorous
of
all
are
the
orchids.
The
Dendrobiums
are
probably
blooming
at
this
time
of
the
year.
In
Chinese
culture,
the
orchid
is
one
of
the
Four
Noble
Ones,
the
other
three
being
plum,
chrysanthemum
and
bamboo.
In
as
early
as
the
Spring
and
Autumn
period
(770
–
476
BCE),
Confucius
once
remarked
that
"The
orchids
grow
in
the
woods
and
they
let
out
their
fragrance
even
if
there
is
no
one
around
to
appreciate.
Likewise,
men
of
noble
character
will
not
let
poverty
deter
their
will
to
only
abide
by
high
principles
and
morals."
Orchids
grow
in
the
mountains
where
they
are
not
noticed,
but
they
still
let
out
a
sweet
fragrance,
thus
truly
worthy
of
the
name
of
the
virtuous
"Noble
One".
In
Hong
Kong,
native
dendrobiums
in
the
wild
have
become
very
rare
due
to
illegal
uprooting,
so
much
so
that
they
approach
being
"extinct
in
the
wild".
In
a
similar
vein,
in
contemporary
society,
those
with
"noble"
character
are
also
becoming
few
and
far
between.
4.
Burmese
Rosewood
(Pterocarpus
indicus)
As
you
leave
the
Green
House,
you
can
almost
see
immediately
this
stately
Burmese
Rosewood.
It
is
easily
identifiable
as
it
has
a
tag
on
it.
The
Burmese
Rosewood
is
one
of
the
most
treasured
wood
materials
in
the
world.
There's
a
saying
that
"one
inch
of
Burmese
Rosewood
is
worth
one
inch
of
gold".
Due
to
non-stop
logging,
the
Burmese
Rosewood
has
been
included
in
a
list
for
protection
by
the
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature.
This
wood
is
purplish
black
and
lets
out
a
faint
sweet
scent.
It
features
beautiful
grain
patterns
with
a
sheen,
and
has
a
quaint,
deep
aura
about
it.
In
China,
this
wood
was
used
in
as
early
as
the
last
decades
of
the
Eastern
Han
Dynasty
(189-220).
In
Gu
Jin
Zhu
(Notes
to
Things
Old
and
New)
by
Cui
Bao
of
the
Jin
period,
the
Burmese
Rosewood
was
described
like
this,
"Zitan
is
grown
in
Funan;
it
has
a
purplish
colour,
hence
its
name."
Zitan
literally
means
"purple
rosewood",
and
Funan
is
Phnom,
which
is
Cambodia
today.
The
Burmese
Rosewood
has
a
well-developed
root
system
with
buttress
roots
at
its
base,
anchoring
it
firmly
to
the
ground.
But
not
all
Burmese
Rosewood
trees
are
as
fortunate
as
the
one
in
this
"urban
forest",
as
it
is
still
strong
and
healthy
at
100
years
old
—
due
to
a
huge
commercial
demand,
the
average
Burmese
rosewood
usually
cannot
make
it
past
adulthood
before
it
is
cut
down.
5.
Thitmin
(Podocarpus
neriifolius)
Turn
right
at
the
"Aviary"
sign,
and
you
will
see
the
hornbills
which
have
been
designated
an
endangered
species.
In
another
aviary,
eye-catching
American
flamingos
on
slender
long
legs
and
making
low
cackle-like
calls.
Then
stroll
down
to
the
dark
green
octagonal
Pavilion
constructed
out
of
cast-iron
pillars
with
a
wooden
roof.
Take
a
seat
on
the
stone
bench
and
let
the
cool
sensation
give
you
a
zesty
lift.
On
the
railings
are
old
photographs
which
depict
Hong
Kong
in
the
past
100
years.
If
you
look
carefully
enough,
you
will
notice
in
front
a
Thitman
tree
which
is
quite
rare
in
Hong
Kong.
The
tree
has
a
beautiful
form,
with
flaky,
taupe-coloured
bark
scales.
One
special
feature
of
the
tree
trunk
is
the
wave-like
pattern,
with
the
curved
lines
resembling
at
times
surging
waves
and
at
times
ripples
at
the
rim
of
a
lake.
6.
Camphor
tree
(Cinnamomum
camphora)
Continue
a
few
steps
downwards,
and
you
will
see
the
massive
Camphor
tree
just
a
little
distance
from
the
Pavilion.
Chinese
Herbal
Materia
Medica
gives
the
origin
of
the
Camphor
tree
thus,
"The
wood
grain
shows
a
lot
of
patterns,
and
hence
the
name
zhang".
The
grains
are
clear
and
the
wood
is
heavy
and
hard.
It
lets
out
a
strong
camphor
scent
which
has
a
cooling
effect.
Its
pungent
smell
wards
off
insects
and
prevents
rotting;
it
can
also
clear
away
mildew
and
dampness.
It
has
been
deemed
a
valuable
wood
species
since
ancient
times.
Every
tree,
like
humans,
is
a
separate
entity.
This
tree
is
trilobed,
with
other
vegetation
thriving
on
it
-
the
verdant
and
delicate
stems
and
leaves
suggest
they
may
be
flowers
of
the
dendrobium.
The
lower
part
of
the
tree
trunk
shows
signs
of
a
cracked
tree
hole,
so
it
must
have
suffered
a
wound
and
later
healed.
Time
has
healed
the
wound,
leaving
a
unique
grain
as
the
scar.
The
sturdiness
of
a
tree
helps
other
species
to
thrive.
7.
Kassod
Tree
(Senna
siamea)
Now
go
through
the
Time
Tunnel
and
look
at
the
photos
taken
in
the
garden
over
the
past
hundred
odd
years.
Then
follow
the
map
to
find
the
Kassod
Tree
some
distance
away.
It
has
four
forks
and
its
leaves
are
small
and
delicate.
Fern
are
growing
on
it.
The
literal
meaning
of
the
Kassod
Tree
in
Chinese
tie
dao
mu,
is
"iron
chopper
tree".
There
are
two
versions
for
the
origin
of
its
name.
The
first
is
that
the
name
should
be
a
homophone
which
means
"rail-track
bed
wood",
as
it
was
often
used
for
laying
the
rail
track
because
of
its
sturdiness
and
weight.
The
other
explanation
highlights
its
impenetrable
density:
even
an
iron
chopper
cannot
cut
it
open.
If
we
are
to
give
it
a
personified
character,
we
can
say
this
species
is
"defiant
to
the
very
end".
Even
when
it
is
being
sawn,
it
puts
up
a
last
struggle
with
its
physical
property
by
letting
out
an
allergen
that
can
cause
irritation
to
the
eye
and
skin.
That
is
why
when
arborists
are
cutting
the
Kassod
Tree,
they
need
to
put
on
goggles
to
prevent
the
splinters
from
entering
their
eyes.
8.
White
Jade
Orchid
Tree (Magnolia
×
alba)
Our
walk
is
about
to
end.
Go
straight
ahead
along
the
level
path
for
another
five
minutes
and
you
will
be
leaving
the
grounds
of
the
Gardens.
But
don't
leave
yet!
Slow
down
and
take
in
the
lush
vegetation
around
you
and
their
interesting
details.
Even
though
you
think
you
are
looking
at
just
greenery
around
you,
there
are
subtle
shades
of
green
to
it.
At
the
exit
is
a
White
Jade
Orchid
Tree.
Over
a
hundred
years
old,
it
has
a
sizable
crown
with
dense
verdant
leaves,
and
an
impressive
height.
This
tree
has
stood
proudly
for
over
a
century,
thriving
in
this
narrow
gap
of
a
breathing
space
between
a
complex
configuration
of
city
and
forest.
White
Jade
Orchid
blossoms
emit
a
sweet
fragrance.
This
makes
them
a
favourite
natural
perfume
worn
by
Chinese
women
of
South
China,
a
habit
that
still
stands
to
this
day.
Yet,
flowers
do
not
bloom
for
human
purposes;
they
have
their
own
cycles
of
growth.
Herbaceous
plants
live
for
one
year,
subshrubs
two
or
three
years,
arbors
several
decades,
Camphor
Trees
several
hundred
years,
and
the
Buddhist
Pine
up
to
3,000
years.
Three
quarters
of
Hong
Kong
land
are
green
zones
while
one
quarter
is
developed
areas
where
the
concrete
jungle
spreads.
The
"urban
forest"
where
we
are
now
can
be
likened
to
moss
and
lichen
that
thrive
along
the
footprints
of
"civilisation"
—
its
light
rusty
green
hue
tells
the
story
of
our
city
in
a
gracious
and
subtle
way.