The Mini Great Wall of Cheung Chau

The Mini Great Wall Trail of Cheung Chau is an easy walk on the southeastern coast of Cheung Chau for under two hours.  It has acquired this name because of the trail’s stone-paved and stone-fenced features.  Another popular island trail is in Cheung Chau north, see here.

From the Cheung Chau Pier, we headed to the main market, where we found the enormous fish balls that are must-do in a Cheung Chau experience.  We stopped for a skewer each.

Photo above: Kam Wing Tai Fish Balls are Cheung Chau’s best known street food

Locking Hearts in Cheung Chau

Then we went into the heart-and-lock shed to investigate.  People write on wooden heart-shaped plaques and locks to express their devotion to each other.  What messages are the lovebirds saying these days?  Well, I happened to find my favorite message there:

Photo: In Chinese, it says, “f—k off, I am single!”

On the way to the beach, there were some quaint structures.  The arts and crafts shop welcomed visitors with its air conditioning (what drew us in), and a wide array of thoughtful, high quality design products there (what made us stay).  Together with the heart-and-lock shed, the handicraft store certainly brought forth a distinctively relaxed impression.  We could take our minds off the busy life of Hong Kong, as we entered into a dreamy world of alternative cultures in Hong Kong.

Photos: Views of Cheung Chau on our way to the Mini Great Wall Trail, a perfect getaway

The Rock Carvings of Cheung Chau

A point of interest in this part of Cheung Chau is the rock carving.  It lies right below the Warwick Hotel.  However, there seems to be some construction on site when we visited.  We were therefore not able to access the site.

There are a total of nine rock carvings in Hong Kong, and I have visited the one in Lung Ha Wan (Lobster Bay) on a previous occasion.  They are believed to be a few thousand years old, perhaps belonging to the Bronze Age.  Most of the rock carvings in Hong Kong are found on coastal areas.  This suggests that the earliest settlers in Hong Kong might have been seafarers.

According to internet sources, the two sets of carvings in Cheung Chau show similar motifs.  “The zoomorphic designs of Cheung Chau bear resemblance to the carving on the Big Rock Wave Disc at Big Wave Bay. The square spiral designs at Cheung Chau are evocative of the pottery designs from the 3rd and 4th century BCE found in the Hong Kong culture, leading one to believe the Cheung Chau culture may have had an influence on early Hong Kong artists.”

A geologist found the rock carvings of Cheung Chau in 1970.  It has been a declared monument since 1982.

The Mini Great Wall Trail

The Mini Great Wall offers a scenic excursion on the southeastern coast of Cheung Chau.  There are 16 named rocks on this scenic route.  Roughly from north to south: the Loaf Rock, the Rock of the Ringing Bell, the Eagle Rock, Fa Peng (vase), Rock of the Serpent, Goat Rock, Human Head Rock, Rock of the Sleeping Crane, Rock of the Skull, Elephant Rock, Rodent Rock, Rock of the Sleeping Cat, Yuk Saai Shek (the Rock of the Imperial Seal), Camel Rock, Zombie Rock, Tortoise Rock.

Photos: The Kwun Yam Temple at the beginning of the Mini Great Wall Trail

The natural assumption is that the rocks acquired their names in accordance with their shapes, but I could not draw the connection for most of them.  An interesting feature is that there are signs of erosion on these rocks, showing hollows in ostrich egg size in them.  They did appear to be a little eerie.

Photo above: the Rock of the Ringing Bell

Photos above: Fa Peng (The Vase)

I found it odd and also annoying that some of these rocks had paint on them.  Someone painted these rocks with the names of the rocks.  These prints were not professional, they almost looked like graffiti from spray paint.  I thought it was an eyesore.  What is the point of tampering with these views of nature with human handprint when an introduction stand would serve the purpose?  And there were quite a few such introductions on site too.

Photo above: Rock of the Skull

There are some ups and downs on the trail but no rigorous climbing.  It is very suitable for families with young children.

Photos above: Yuk Saai Shek (The Rock of the Imperial Seal)

Heading back down from the Mini Great Wall Trail, you will see the Kwun Yam Beach, which usually has significantly fewer visitors than the Tung Wan Beach a stone’s throw away.  The water there is clear and clean.

Photos: Views on the Mini Great Wall Trail and the Kwun Yam Beach

Authentic French Cuisine – The Pirate Bay Restaurant

Tucked away on the seaside of northern Cheung Chau, the Pirate Bay Restaurant has acquired the good repute for serving authentic French cuisine.  I have been there twice and in both occasions I had a wonderful time there.

Diners will find delightful, light French meals here.  While it is certainly not at the scale of seven-course classical French cuisine, the food here are distinctively French.  The owner and chef is French himself.  The cheese he serves are flown from France.  I always order the pig-and-cheese two-way.  The platter comes with two choices of cheese that the chef handpicks, and two homemade spread and cold cuts.  We ate these with plentiful and warm mini baguettes, which are also homemade.

Our platter came with a hard cheese and a soft cheese (camembert).  There was a cold pork cut and pate, with mini pickles and dried figs.  The soft and smoky-flavored camembert was my favorite.

For the main course, I like the Ratatouille.  There is a choice of pork, chicken, fish, lamb and vegetables for this dish.  It is a pot-stew type of dish that comes with fresh ingredients in a flavorful, but not overwhelmingly soupy sauce.  Because it is a stew, rice matches it better than crepes.

Other choices are sandwiches and (both savory and sweet) crepes.  There is also a roast chicken for main course.  The menu is slim, but that is its beauty: everything comes out delicious.

When we think of French cuisine, the impression is usually a lavish meal with lots of beautiful morsels.  This restaurant certainly brings to Hong Kong a more down-to-earth vision of French dining.  There are seats inside the restaurant and also at the patio.  The owners are also amicable hosts to the guests.  It is a petite establishment, but full of character and truly reminiscent of the delights of daily life in Europe.  Its simplicity is its elegance.

How to Get There

From Central Pier No. 5, take the ferry to Cheung Chau.  Then pass through the main plaza, toward the direction of the Tung Wan Beach.  Walk along the beach and arrive at Kwun Yam Beach.  The entrance to Mini Great Wall is near the Kwun Yam Beach.  Follow signs to see the rocks.

To the Pirate Bay Restaurant, allow time for a walk of 40-45 minutes from Kwun Yam Beach.  Stay on the coast and you will make your way northward to the restaurant.  Bon Appetite!

Photos: Views on our way to the Pirate Bay Restaurant

Sources

Cheung Chau Rock Carvings, megalithic.co.hk.

Declared Monuments in Hong Kong – Outlaying Islands, Antiques and Monuments Office.