Hong Kong CNN —Thick roots tumble across a dilapidated house, the snake-like trunks of a banyan tree framing where the front door once stood. “These villages have existed in Hong Kong for hundreds of years, way before the colonial period,” explained Irvine. In the 1950s and ‘60s, as Hong Kong grew as an industrial hub, many people migrated to the rapidly expanding urban centers for better working opportunities. Stefan Irvine / Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong“There were calendars on the wall, school certificates in drawers — it’s quite poignant,” said Irvine. Stefan Irvine / Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong KongHeritage valueWhile most of the villages Irvine photographed are abandoned, he was surprised to discover not all were.

---

Persons: Stefan Irvine, ” Irvine, “ It’s, ”, “, Irvine, Wong Chuk, Lai Chi Wo, they’ll, Tung Ping Chau, Yim Tin Tsai, Luk Keng, Lai, they’ve, Hong, Wo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, steely, Hong, HK, Irvine, Blue Lotus Locations: Hong Kong, Malaysian, India, Irvine, New Territories, Accounting, Hong Kong’s, London, Tai Peng, Lamma, Lai Chi, Queen's Hill, Fanling, Tung, Shenzhen, China, “, Mau, Lai, Hong