A Walk in Po Toi Island
Po Toi Island is known locally as the “South Pole of Hong Kong.” For Po Toi Island is the southernmost inhabited island within Hong Kong’s waters.
The History of Po Toi Island
According to the Wikipedia, the Chinese word “po” means “floating,” and therefore the name Po Toi means a “floating platform.” It is believed that the island acquired its name due to its relatively flat terrain (which turns out to be somewhat untrue, as its peaks are almost 400 meters high, see below). Also, the word “toi” could have referred to the seaweed that the islanders used to harvest.
The existence of the Rock Carving (see more below) suggests that early settlement in Po Toi Island goes as far back as 3,500 years. In modern times, the residents of Po Toi Island lived by fishing, seaweed harvesting and farming. In the 1950s, residents numbered 500. At one point, two schools on the island educated the children. However, by the 1980s, due to population decline, the schools both closed.
Due to the lack of facilities in the island, most residents have moved out to live elsewhere. We asked the people there if they still live in the island. They told us that very few stay overnight. Although there are still signs of business activities that cater to the visitors.
The Trail
From the Po Toi Island Pier we headed over the Route No. 1, which is the Po Toi Island Country Trail, to begin our journey. We first came upon the Mo’s Mansion.
The Mo’s Mansion was home to a rich family. Mr. Mo built this mansion in the 1920s. There are rumours that it is now haunted. As the story goes, the Mo’s disappeared from their home in one night. The true story is probably a lot more sensible. One night, the pirates ransacked the mansion when the residents were watching a show. Upon returning, the residents decided to pack their bags and leave the house for good. Thus they “disappeared” overnight.
The first part of the route is a steady incline from Po Toi Pier to the Ngau Wu Teng Pavilion. We detoured a little to seek a way to see the two peaks, Tai Pai Tong Teng (372m) and Tong Tau Teng (392m).
Photo: View on our detour, but we decided to head back the standard path.
However, the tracks are not well-trodden so we went back to the standard path. We soon arrived at the Ngau Wu Teng Pavilion for a short break.
Photo: View of Ngong Chong Hill at the Ngau Wu Teng Pavilion
The trail then proceeds to a steady descent onto the hill of Ngong Chong. At the ferry, the crew announced that the ferry would be departing Po Toi Island at 2:30pm that day. We figured that we did not have enough time to see the hill of Ngong Chong. The special sites there include Lighthouse 126, the Palm Cliff (Buddha Hand Rock), the Tortoise Climbing Up the Mountain, and the Supine Monk.
So we headed back to the direction of the pier. Our final stops were the Rock Carving at Nam Tam Wan, Kwan Kee for a snack and the Tin Hau Temple on the western coast of the island.
The Geology of Po Toi Island
The Po Toi Country Trail shows very picturesque views of a rocky terrain. The Hong Kong Government’s CEDD has a very technical introduction on the mostly granite formation of Po Toi Island. Suffice to say, the granite formations of Po Toi Island are considered relatively young in Hong Kong with 140 million years behind them. They share the same age and formation as the granites of Cape D’Aguilar, Stanley, Shek O and Beaufort Island.
The surfaces of the granite at Po Toi Island are coarse and medium- to fine- grained. “On the coast the granite forms cliffs of pink to light brown, slightly to moderately weathered rock.” Indeed, the spectacular rocks on the hill of Ngong Chong are the results of erosion.
The Rock Carving of Po Toi Island
At the end of the trail, along the southern coast of Po Toi Island lies the Rock Carving of Po Toi Island. This is one of the nine rock carvings found in Hong Kong. In previous occasions, I have visited the Lung Ha Wan Rock Carving, the Big Wave Bay Rock Carving, and the Cheung Chau Rock Carving.
The Rock Carving of Po Toi Island was discovered in the 1960s. There are two groups of carving on-site. One showing spiral patterns, another showing straight and curved lines that are “more abstract.”
The existence of these rock carvings on the coastal areas of Hong Kong suggests that the very early settlers of Hong Kong were sea-faring people. These patterns on the carving were probably meant to elicit the power of the ocean. There is no settled view on the date of these carvings. However, because of their similarity to the patterns of bronze vessels of the Bronze Age, it is perhaps good enough to say that they were of the Bronze Age.
Like all other rock carvings in Hong Kong, the Rock Carving of Po Toi Island is a declared monument.
Food
Po Toi Island is known for its seaweed. Back in the old days, seaweed harvesting was a main industry in the island. I bought a pack of locally-harvested kombu and it was very good.
We stopped at Kwan Kee, which was the first restaurant that we came upon at the end of the trail. Naturally, they serve food with the famous seaweed. We had spam and egg noodle with a generous bunch of seaweed. The drinks are also quite special, I ordered a bottle of lemonade with China Barley.
There is a proper seafood restaurant along the beach, close to the pier. We did not stop by for a seafood meal, and maybe we can do it on a next visit.
The Tin Hau Temple
Like so many other inhabited islands in Hong Kong, Tin Hau is the resident deity in Po Toi Island. For Tin Hau is the Goddess of the Sea. On this day that we visited, however, the temple was undergoing renovations. I only managed to snap a quick picture outside.
The Tin Hau Temple has existed since the 12th year of the Daoguan Reign (1832). The floral tribute grabbing contest takes place on Tin Hau’s birthday each year. It is unclear whether the islanders have continued this tradition today.
Reminders
There is usually just one ferry on schedule to Po Toi Island on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Similarly, there is also only one ferry on schedule to return to Hong Kong Island. Please study carefully the ferry schedule here. On different days the ferry either departs from the Aberdeen Pier or the Stanley Pier.
Because there is really only one scheduled ferry to Po Toi Island, be sure to arrive at the pier a little earlier than the scheduled departure. We went on a Tuesday and when we arrived at the pier at 9:45 or so, the ferry was almost full. Once the ferry is at full capacity it will sail away.
On this Tuesday, we boarded the ferry at 10:00am and arrived at Po Toi Island in less than an hour. The ride from Stanley would take about half hour.
Sources
Historic Descriptions On-Site at Po Toi Island.
The Wikipedia on Po Toi Island.
The Wikipedia on Po Toi Island (Chin).
“Hong Kong’s South Pole” with Thousand-Year-Old Rock Carving (Chin), Unu Travel;
The CEDD on Po Toi Granite.
The World of Geology, hktraveler.com.