Particular varieties of oysters can also be cultivated for pearls. Pearl picking in Tai Po was known to have started as early as the Tang Dynasty in AD8, with the pearls to be given as tribute to the imperial court.
某些品種的蠔也能養殖珍珠。大埔採珠的源頭可追溯至西元800年的唐朝。其採收的珍珠當作貢品獻給朝廷。
It was in 1956 that pearl oysters cultivation started in Hong Kong with the inflow of Japanese investment. However, by the mid 1960s, the industry had been plagued by fishermen disputes, pollution from nearby infrastructure and limitations in technology, leading to the closure of one pearl oyster company after another. The industry finally died out in 1980, although there was another attempt to revive it in the early 21st Century. Nonetheless, many of the villagers still living in Sam Mun Tsai, Tai Po today have memories of the industry, many of them having worked in it. Today, there is just one pearl farm left in Hong Kong - the Hong Kong Pearl Cultivation Association which is working on raising awareness about the history of pearl oysters while promoting its conservation and continuation in Hong Kong. You can adopt-a-pearl or volunteer for them at their farm in Sai Kung.
香港是在1956年開始養殖珍珠蠔，伴隨著的是日本投資的流入。但到了1960年代中旬的時候，這產業便受到漁民糾紛的困擾、附近基礎設施的污染、科技的侷限，導致一間又一間養殖珍珠蠔的公司關閉。這產業在1980年的時候終於滅亡，雖然在21世紀初期又有一次重振旗鼓的嘗試，卻無事於補。然而，還有很多村民還住在三門仔，而大埔今時今日還存留這產業的種種回憶，還有很多村民都曾經在這產業裡工作過。現在香港也只剩下一間珍珠養殖場 – 香港珍珠養殖協會。其協會致力於提高人們對珍珠蠔歷史的認識，也在香港推廣珍珠蠔的保護工作以及其工作的持續性。你可以參與他們的珍珠助養計劃或是在其位於西貢的養殖場當義工。
References:
- https://en.hkpearlca.com/
- https://www.travphotos.com/travel/detail.jsp?id=50450984
- Taipo Journ p. 34-49.