Dyeing Yam

Hidden in the shaded corners of Mui Tsz Lam is a curious plant—shaped like a dinosaur egg, but when cut open it resembles beetroot, or even a block of luncheon meat. This is dyeing yam.

The plant’s sap is rich in gelatinous substances and tannins, which protect fishing nets and sails from seawater corrosion. According to the village representative, villagers once hiked up to the hilltops to collect dyeing yam and sell it to fishermen, who used it to make dye for treating nets and sails. Tanka fishermen would even apply a layer of fresh egg white onto hemp nets that is already dyed, creating an extra protective coating.

In recent decades, no villagers have harvested dyeing yam for sale, and the plant has gradually spread—from the hilltops down into the abandoned terraced fields on the mid-slope.