Hansen's Hikes
Fan Lau
(Saturday)
It is a long walk and we are going far away, but this is a wonderful day out where you will visit parts of Hong Kong that even
many locals have never heard about.
Going first by ferry and then by bus, we finally get to stretch our legs when we reach the dam at Shek Pik Reservoir. At first
we walk along a gently climbing catchwater for about an hour while enjoying the views over the So Ko Islands. This is
followed by a rather steep descent towards the Fan Lau peninsula crossing streams and passing banana groves.
Fan Lau might be remote, but it does have quite an interesting history as witnessed by the fort and temple there. The
fortifications at Fan Lau originated in the Ming dynasty, but the actual fort, whose remains you will see on this walk, was
built in 1722 and was only abandoned by the Chinese authorities in 1900 – 2 years after the signing of the treaty that
included Lantau into the expanded British colony…
These days only a handful of people live in Fan Lau, but as late as in 1956 the population was significant enough for the
government to build a new school. Sadly, this closed in the seventies when the younger villagers moved away.
Leaving Fan Lau, the trail rises and falls as we cut across a couple of promontories on our way northwards. Occasionally
dropping down to a quiet bay, this part of the trail is rich in shrubs and flowers. Approaching Yi O, we are reminded, once
again, that not too long ago there was a thriving community in this now “remote” area. The crumbling buildings, abandoned
fields, overgrown terraces and remains of pig sties and chicken pens are all signs that it was only a couple of decades ago
that the lifestyle and education opportunities in bigger places, like Tai O, became attractive enough to warrant moving out.
From Yi O, it is a relatively flat walk to Tai O. As we pass the abandonned salt pans, check out the many big birds foraging
here. Our walk ends in Tai O, sold by the Hong Kong Tourist Board as “The Venice of Hong Kong” due to its houses built on
stilts. Traces of the big fire that swept through Tai O a couple of years ago can still be found, but many of the traditional stilt
houses have been rebuilt and you are able to catch a glimpse of what life in Hong Kong used to be like.
We will finish our day by inspecting Tai O from the waterside - and even go a little out to sea to try to catch a glimpse of the
endangered Chinese White Dolphin (which actually is pink).
To end the day on a relaxed note, we leave Tai O by boat for Tung Chung, where we change to the MTR for the ride into the
centre of Hong Kong.
(Saturday)
It is a long walk and we are going far away, but this is a wonderful day out where you will visit parts of Hong Kong that even
many locals have never heard about.
Going first by ferry and then by bus, we finally get to stretch our legs when we reach the dam at Shek Pik Reservoir. At first
we walk along a gently climbing catchwater for about an hour while enjoying the views over the So Ko Islands. This is
followed by a rather steep descent towards the Fan Lau peninsula crossing streams and passing banana groves.
Fan Lau might be remote, but it does have quite an interesting history as witnessed by the fort and temple there. The
fortifications at Fan Lau originated in the Ming dynasty, but the actual fort, whose remains you will see on this walk, was
built in 1722 and was only abandoned by the Chinese authorities in 1900 – 2 years after the signing of the treaty that
included Lantau into the expanded British colony…
These days only a handful of people live in Fan Lau, but as late as in 1956 the population was significant enough for the
government to build a new school. Sadly, this closed in the seventies when the younger villagers moved away.
Leaving Fan Lau, the trail rises and falls as we cut across a couple of promontories on our way northwards. Occasionally
dropping down to a quiet bay, this part of the trail is rich in shrubs and flowers. Approaching Yi O, we are reminded, once
again, that not too long ago there was a thriving community in this now “remote” area. The crumbling buildings, abandoned
fields, overgrown terraces and remains of pig sties and chicken pens are all signs that it was only a couple of decades ago
that the lifestyle and education opportunities in bigger places, like Tai O, became attractive enough to warrant moving out.
From Yi O, it is a relatively flat walk to Tai O. As we pass the abandonned salt pans, check out the many big birds foraging
here. Our walk ends in Tai O, sold by the Hong Kong Tourist Board as “The Venice of Hong Kong” due to its houses built on
stilts. Traces of the big fire that swept through Tai O a couple of years ago can still be found, but many of the traditional stilt
houses have been rebuilt and you are able to catch a glimpse of what life in Hong Kong used to be like.
We will finish our day by inspecting Tai O from the waterside - and even go a little out to sea to try to catch a glimpse of the
endangered Chinese White Dolphin (which actually is pink).
To end the day on a relaxed note, we leave Tai O by boat for Tung Chung, where we change to the MTR for the ride into the
centre of Hong Kong.
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| ... exploring Hong Kong's other side... |
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