Awakening of Memory –
KFBG 70th Anniversary
Throughout 2026, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) celebrates its 70th anniversary — seven decades of nurturing life, learning, and connection at this mountain sanctuary. Founded as Kadoorie Agriculture Aid Association (KAAA) in 1956, its mission has evolved to respond to the challenges of our times: from ‘helping people help themselves’ to ‘creating harmony between humans and nature’.
Over these years, countless memories have taken root in the soil, flowed through the streams and echoed in the calls of animals and the rustle of trees. This anniversary is an invitation: to return, to remember and to share the stories that connect us to this living landscape.
To awaken memory is to reconnect with our place in nature – to recall the sensory moments that remind us we are part of a larger community of beings. It is also a call to honour the wisdom of our human communities, preserving the local traditions and practices that sustain balance and well-being in an ever-changing world.
Yet memory is not only about the past. It’s about how we live in the present and the future we shape together – how we continue the dialogue between people and nature, guided by our love for the land, and carry this shared legacy forward.
To celebrate KFBG’s 70th anniversary, we have invited four esteemed elders to share their wisdom that has shaped the organisation’s educational philosophy and approach over the past decades: Claire Elouard, Colin Campbell, Jhon Kwano and Satish Kumar. Through their guidance, we connect with the energy of nature, learn from indigenous knowledge, engage life with elegant simplicity and cultivate unconditional love for the Earth. These teachings are at the heart of a series of activities curated to deepen our connection with nature. Guided by the theme ‘awakening of memory’, we invite you to join us and remember our place within the greater community of beings.
History about KAAA
The Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA) was established in 1951 by brothers Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie as a response to the influx of impoverished refugees arriving in Hong Kong after the Second World War, many fleeing the Chinese Civil War. Seeing the plight of these immigrants, many of whom survived on subsistence farming, the Kadoorie brothers established the KAAA based on the philosophy of ‘Helping People Help Themselves’.
It was conceived not as a charity, but as a unique tripartite partnership between the KAAA (providing funding), the government (providing expertise), and the people themselves (providing hard work). The association's key programme provided essential aid, initially focusing on livestock distribution to establish refugee families as pig or chicken farmers, as well as providing seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and interest-free loans for sties and feed.
Transition to KFBG
With the decline of Hong Kong's agricultural industry due to urbanisation and the changing economy, KAAA evolved in 1995 to become Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), incorporated as a non-profit organisation and designated as a conservation and education centre by adapting its focus to contemporary environmental issues.
Located on the northern slopes of Tai Mo Shan in the New Territories, with a diverse landscape that includes streams, woodlands and vibrant gardens, KFBG not only promotes ecological awareness but also serves as a centre for sustainable living practices.
KFBG’s three core programmes, focused on nature conservation, holistic education and sustainable living, are constantly evolving as they strive to harmonise humanity’s relationship with nature. As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, we remain dedicated to inspiring hope and improvement through collaborative efforts that protect our shared future.