Tree Stories: The Red Kapok and “Feng Shui” Camphor

Just outside our apartment building grows a lovely (and to us) a most unusual tree. When we first arrived, it had what looked to us to be small hard fruit and very few leaves. In mid February, what we thought was fruit turned out to be woody flower buds and they started blooming – a vibrant vermillion hue. We would wake up each morning and check to see how many flowers had appeared. Soon, the red-whiskered bulbuls flocked to these flowers for sustenance. Since all this action was taking place right outside our little balcony, I would grab my camera, try to be as quiet as possible and begin taking photos of these lovely birds frolicking in the even lovelier flowers! Other bird species were also attracted to this sometimes noisy hot spot. I photographed drongos, the masked laughing thrush, as well as the white-collared starling. And the name of this beautiful tree? – the Red Kapok. In Malay, Kapok means cotton – I wonder if anything cottony will appear once the flowers fade???( I’ll have to post these photos another time, as I shot them on a raw format and am having trouble converting it for blog use.)

I have another tree tale. On a hike with some Lingnan folks to Lantau some weeks ago, we saw some very large camphor trees in a secluded part of Sha Lo Wan village. These special trees apparently have protective powers and are regarded as “Feng Shui” trees by the locals. Feng Shui is about well-being and the interaction of people and the environment. During the Second World War when the Japanese overran much of Asia, they were also in Hong Kong and on Lantau Island. The story goes that they cut down many trees on the Island for firewood but spared these old camphor trees because protective spirits and apparitions would appear by the trees frightening the soldiers off!

In Hong Kong, it’s not uncommon to find practitioners or Feng Shui masters who help people to decide things like where a boss should sit in his or her office, how to arrange a home for health and wealth and which would be an auspicious day to travel or to have a wedding. According to my guide book, the city of Hong Kong apparently has very good Feng Shui vibes because of its location. “It forms the end of the massive Southern Dragon coming from China, creating a unique landscape that concentrates energy in the harbor. Feng Shui practitioners describe this as a dragon turning its head to greet the ancestor.’” [Feng Shui Master, Raymond Lo]

Till the next time, yours in good Feng Shui,

Naseem and Robert