explained signage marks landmarks along the way, including the Hung Shing and Yeung Hau Temples, the ancient Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (the only such example in Hong Kong), the Kun Ting Study Hall (used by students preparing for the Imperial Civil Service Examination during the Qing Dynasty), and the Tang Ancestral Hall (due to the clan’s historic wealth and power, this is one of the largest examples in the territory). As these are still working villages, the most unique part of walking the Ping Shan Heritage Trail is seeing a slice of Hong Kong as it once was: traditional, rural and dominated by clans. When you’ve finished your stroll through the city’s past, stop by the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery and Heritage Trail Visitors Centre. Built in 1899 in a colonial style, this charming two-storey building was once the local police station before being converted to its present use in 2007.
See: www.amo.gov.hk/en/trails_pingshan.php
Opening Times Daily
Address Ping Shan, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories
Getting There To reach the start of the trail, take the MTR West Rail line to Tin Shui Wai station, then follow the signs from Exit E
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
9 Tai O Village
Visit this village on stilts, the ‘Venice’ of the east
Located on the far west coast of Lantau Island, the fishing village of Tai O sits on the very edge of Hong Kong. Indeed, Chinese territory once extended up to its very shoreline, meaning British rule ended the moment you left land. However, the new Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) borders were redrawn following the 1997 handover, and the maritime boundary shifted roughly 2 km offshore. Tai O is known as the Venice of Hong Kong due to the large number of stilt houses built either side of a river that runs though its middle. Local residents feel such affinity for their housing style that when a devastating fire in July 2000 destroyed a majority of buildings, they refused the government’s offer to construct new homes away from the water, instead demanding that their old abodes be rebuilt. Because of its strategic position and sheltered harbour, during its history Tai O has variously been a base for Portuguese sailors, Qing Dynasty mandarins, British colonial officials, pirates and smugglers (due to its continued proximity to Chinese waters, the latter are still common, especially for cigarettes, narcotics and illegal immigrants). In addition, it was a main entry point for refugees fleeing the Chinese Civil War. Up until the 1950s, it was also famed for salt farms, the surrounding marshes proving perfect for the mineral’s production. These days, the village mostly relies on weekend tourism, when flocks of locals and foreigners descend to soak up the rural atmosphere. As well as purchasing bags of locally produced shrimp paste and salted fish, visitors also come for the ‘dolphin tours’, where a fleet of identical villager-piloted speedboats whiz you through the surrounding waters in a usually futile search for the endangered Pearl River Delta Chinese white dolphin. Better known as the pink dolphin due to its distinctive skin colouration, these shy animals are usually wise enough to steer clear of the small craft crashing through the waves. On the way out of the harbour, you may notice a small two-storey colonial building peeking out from the tree-line on your right. This was the old Tai O Police Station, which was reopened as the Tai O Heritage Hotel in 2012.
See: www.taioheritagehotel.com
Opening Times Daily
Address Tai O, Lantau Island, New Territories
Getting There From Mui Wo, take New Lantau Bus No. 1. From Tung Chung Bus Terminal, take New Lantau Bus No. 11
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily), www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
10 Sea Kayaking
Explore the territory’s stunning natural environment
Kayaking and hiking? In Hong Kong? The city’s great outdoors comes as a surprise to many visitors, though it shouldn’t considering that 40 per cent of the territory is designated as Country Park. While there are many ways to explore the green side of the territory, including on one of the hundreds of well-marked hiking trails, there’s nothing that quite comes close to exploring it by paddle power, which is where outdoor adventure outfit Kayak and Hike comes in. Run by long-time resident Paul Etherington, the company offers visitors a variety of unique water-borne activities that explore the Hong Kong coastline, mainly focusing on the National Geopark, which was opened in November 2009. Covering an area of almost 50 sq km, it incorporates eight distinct areas representing some of the territory’s most distinctive natural landscapes, including the hexagonal volcanic columns of High Island, the red rock of Port Island and the unusual outcrops of Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong’s easternmost island. The excursions usually run from 8.45 am to 4 pm, with the most popular being the Geo Park Kayaking Junk Trip. On this trip, participants take a scenic 40-minute boat ride to an old fishing village, explore caves and sea arches on a guided kayak trip in the ocean, walk to the top of a small island for spectacular views of the coastline below and snorkel over protected coral reefs. For around $100 they’ll provide a great Chinese lunch at a local restaurant, though you are welcome to bring a packed lunch and snacks to keep you going. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about a trip with Kayak and Hike is that it only costs HK$700 per person; for the equivalent of a Western meal in SoHo, you can have an experience of a lifetime. It means that the next time someone refers to Hong Kong as nothing but urban jungle, you’ll be able to set them straight. Advance bookings are required.
Opening Times Trips run 8.45 am–4 pm
Address Boat departs from Sai Kung waterfront
Getting There Train to Hang Hau MTR Station, take Exit B1, catch minibus No. 101 to Sai Kung; boat leaves from Sai Kung New Pier
Contact +852 9300 5197; [email protected]; www.kayak-and-hike.com
Admission Fee $700 per person
11 Hollywood Road
Walk along this street famous for its art and antiques
While today the name is synonymous with Californian glitz and glamour, Hong Kong’s own Hollywood (Road, that is) was actually founded almost half a century before its American counterpart. One of the first streets to be built in the then British territory, it is named after the English family estate of the colony’s second governor, Sir John Francis Davies. Hollywood Road was originally close to the water, before successive land reclamation works left it high and dry. It quickly found fame for its numerous antique shops, where, allegedly, sailors and merchants returning from China would sell the proprietors works of art they had ‘acquired’ north of the border.
