Vignettes of the World
We would be going to Bukhara on a private car in a five-hour drive from the Syyod Camp. We bid farewell to the staff at the camp and headed over to see the two wonders of Uzbekistan: the Kyzylkum Desert and Lake Aydarkul. Its sheer …
Before arriving in Buhkara, we would also be making a stop at the town of Nurota to see some ancient ruins. This part of the journey was simple. We went up to the Nur Fortress to see what was supposedly a military installation built at …
We were greeted with exceptional hospitality as soon as we arrived at Bukhara. By the time we checked in to the Oasis Boutique, it was dusk hour. On our way to the restaurant, we met a group of ladies from four generations of a family. …
Vietnam
Hoi An, Vietnam
I needed a getaway and decided to go local this time. I booked a hostel in Lantau Island for a two-day one-night stay.
With anticipation I embarked upon my journey. The first stop was Bathers at Lower Cheung Sha Beach for a beachside lunch.
I have written about the Lower Cheung Sha Beach before. It is a very large beach and exceedingly popular for Hong Kong swimmers. The water there is not too bad, but I heard that the Tong Fuk Beach is cleaner still. Therefore this time I only wanted to have lunch at Bathers. With a mocktail in my hand I sipped the cool goodness and savoured the views at the beach. The day was very hot indeed.
I then took a bus and headed over to Tong Fuk Tsuen Village. The Blue Sky Hostel is right at the entrance of the village, not far from the bus stop.
It was newly renovated not long ago. I got a room with sea view. It was quaint, clean and cute at the hostel. The amenities were basic and minimalist but it served all my purposes.
From the Blue Sky Hostel I walked just a little over five minutes to reach the Tong Fuk Beach.
All along this short way I noticed a small stream, and indeed it would meander itself into the sea through the sandy stretch of the beach.
Where the stream was crossing into the ocean, I dipped my feet there for a bit of a natural spa.
As it is reputed, the beach is clean, with fine black sand and beautiful water. The waves are mild and there was almost no one there in a hot summer afternoon.
On Google Map, I noticed that there is an indicator of a Tin Hau Temple not far away. I made my way out there to see the temple. The entrance is at the parking lot right by the bus stop. The Tin Hau Temple was not much to speak of, but the views there on a higher vantage point was very nice.
At that time I resolved to see the sunrise there the next morning, as it faces east. However, I never rose early enough to see the sunrise as I had hoped.
The Wikipedia has a short introduction of Tong Fuk Tsuen Village. “The original Tong Fuk Tsuen was composed of indigenous inhabitants of Chan and Tang clans who settled in the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty. The Chan coming from Sea Lo Wan in North Lantau, whilst the Tang originated from Tuen Mun. Most of the indigenous inhabitants were fishermen and farmers who worshipped Hung Shing.” And indeed, I would be visiting the Hung Shing Temple the next day. It was a whole lot more established as a place of worship than the little altar of Tin Hau set up by the beach.
Tong Fuk Tsuen Village is a small village and in terms of food options it is a little tricky. There is a proper, the only proper, restaurant called Tak Bo, serving local Chinese food (and its food is good). However, at 5pm I was told by the staff at Blue Sky Hostel that Tak Bo closes at 3pm every day. That means there would be no proper dinner in the vicinity. I opted for a bowl of quick spam and egg ramen at one of the small stores along the main road. That would have to do, as I simply could not be bothered to take a bus ride to Mui Wo for dinner. I had a long day travelling from the North District to Lantau Island. I would rather clock in some much-needed sleep.
Early the next morning I paid a visit to the Hung Shing Temple of Tong Fuk Tsuen Village. It lies a bit further southwest, right by an old pier.
Like Tin Hau, Pak Tai and Tam Kung, Hung Shing is the patron deity for the islander and fishermen communities of South China. This Hung Shing Temple of Tong Fuk Tsuen Village was built in the 7th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty (1802). In other words, it has had more than two hundred years of history. The structure is well-kept as it stands.
As the place of worship this Hung Shing Temple was once the very lifeline for the people of the Tong Fuk Tsuen Village. It was in here that children had their education, fishermen boarded their fishing boats, and traders treaded the waters to do business. Therefore the fate of the pier, and the village, was closely tied with the very temple itself.
Finally, the water at the pier was clear under a beautiful, perfectly blue sky. Its serenity today must have been unimaginable to those hardworking villagers that frequented this part of the village for the sake of their livelihood.
For breakfast, I stopped by Tak Bo Restaurant, which is the only proper dining establishment in this village. The food was not bad at all.
The plan for the rest of the day was to visit the Tai O Heritage Hotel to see the beautiful heritage there, a former police station.
Sources
The Wikipedia on Tong Fuk.
Descriptions on site at Tong Fuk Tsuen.
isletforum.com, Tong Fuk Hung Shing Temple in Lantau Island (Chin).