The principal town/village on Lamma Island is Yung Shue Wan, or Banyan Tree Bay. The beautiful Chinese Banyan, not very different from its Indian cousin is very much in evidence on the island, and seems to be a favourite refuge for several birds, including an elegant species of flycatcher and bulbuls with red cheeks and jaunty pointed crests.

The roots of these strangler trees are commonly seen, and on steep hillsides they provide an invaluable service, holding the soil together and mitigating the effects of disastrous mudslides that occur frequently during the rainy season.

Banyan trees belong to the ficus family, and are related to the common edible fig, Ficus carica. Incidentally, the common name Banyan comes from the Indian word bania, meaning merchant or trader, or those who generally plied their trade in the shade of these trees.

We feel very privileged to live on Lamma Island, that is home to a relatively quiet rural community, just 25 minutes ferry ride away from the high rises, high life, high fashion and high prices on Hong Kong Island, adjoining Kowloon and the other mainland areas of the Special Administrative Region, as it is called ever since the transfer of sovereignty (referred to as “the Handover” by the English language international press, and “the Return” in mainland China) in 1997.

Our coming here adds to an ongoing problem for the local population, as new immigrants drive up land and housing prices; the age-old conundrum in every country that seeks added income through increased tourism or external investment. In this regard, Austria comes to mind as an exceptional country, where tourism is a large contributor to the economy that manages to raise the standard of living of the local population without pricing them out of the housing market. Opinions on this from some of my economist friends welcomed here!