We initiated the first attempt to plant mid-season rice (Chinese: “Dragon Boat Festival” season rice) in Shui Hau. During the selection of rice species, we learned from the villagers that Shui Hau used to be renowed for its production of black glutinous rice. When the villagers spoke of black glutinous rice, their eyes sparkled with immense pride; thus, we decided to choose a larger field to focus on planting black glutinous rice.
When the black glutinous rice thrived and grew, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the whole field emitted a rich aroma of rice even before the rice began to head (head: refer to the flowering part of the rice, specifically the panicle). Some villagers even reached out to us to inquire about this aroma. In this way, black glutinous rice inadvertently became our ambassador, garnering us a considerable number of supporters. The growth of black glutinous rice was more upright compared to other rice varieties, and it remained resilient even in strong winds and heavy rains, winning the affection of the farmers. Next to the black glutinous rice, we planted ivory germ rice and pearl rice that we had experimented with last year to provide a hearty meal for the migratory birds in autumn and winter.
After enduring typhoons and several instances of flooding, we finally welcome the long-awaited harvest time. On the day of the harvest, the weather was perfect—sunny and calm. We collaborated with the villagers to finish the whole process of harvesting and threshing of rice. Some were busy cutting the rice, while others helped transport a pile of paddy, and those by the field meticulously organised bundles of rice for the threshing specialist. As we neared the end of harvesting, everyone eagerly took photos with the bountiful black glutinous rice, capturing the moment of Shui Hau’s successful revival of black glutinous rice.
Figure 1: The village representative and us holding black glutinous rice for a photo.
Figure 2: Villagers harvesting black glutinous rice.
Figure 3: Villagers placing the harvested rice on a mat to wait for threshing.
Figure 4: Organising the harvested rice into bundles to speed up the threshing process.
Figure 5: A group photo of the colleagues from the Shui Hau project.
Figure 6: The very upright black glutinous rice.
Figure 7: The uncovered ivory germ rice and pearl rice next to the black glutinous rice for the birds to enjoy.