This paper discusses the use of field research methods in the study of local history. In asserts that there are three types of materials which can be obtained only in the field: (1)written documents, such as account books and inscriptions, which are created in the course of people's daily activities, (2)historical remains, buildings and local social groups which reflect the activities of the local society, and (3)people's memory of the past and their interpretations of the present traditions, their ways of living and their social activities which are known only through interviews or participant observation conducted by the researcher. These written and unwritten materials collected in the field supplement inadequate official and literati descriptions, which are not only scare but also second-hand sources that do not reflect directly the life and activities of the local people. These materials can also help researchers to understand how the people of a local society use their language and ways of thinking to express their own culture and history. Using Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong and the Qianmei district in Chaozhou as examples, the paper attempts to demonstrate that (1)historical documents and materials collected through participant observation re meaningful only within the social and cultural contexts of the local society, and (2)history and traditions are always adjusted and changed. Therefore, to understand the present tradition of a local society, one has to understand how local people interpret their own culture and tradition in different historical periods.