Field Study of Five “paradises” within Kam Shan Country Park

Abstract

Communities of early morning walkers in Hong Kong have built private gardens and recreational facilities in the countryside, which was Crown property, before these were designated as Country Parks in 1977. There are signs showing morning walkers’ persistent occupation of the land they have enclosed which they call “paradise.” Using aerial photos, oral histories, and documentaries, this report provides information about the basic features of five of these paradises found in Kam Shan Country Park and of the communities of early morning walkers who built them. The Kirznerian-Foss theories of entrepreneurship and some basic property rights theories are used to structure the discussion. The aim of the report is to stimulate interest in the issue, which has never been systematically studied, as well as provoke further research on planning innovations with regard to recreational squatting by early morning walkers, and possibly their participation in military heritage conservation, provided the necessary conditions and innovative solutions are available