The Former Fishing Farm at Po Kwu Wan
Po Kwu Wan is a small bay west of the neighboring High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung. The ruins of a concrete enclosure of a former fishing farm turns it into a moon-shape bay. It is quite an experience to “walk on the ocean” on the semi-circle concrete ruins.
The Trail to Po Kwu Wan
It takes an easy walk of about an hour to arrive at Po Kwu Wan. We began by first having lunch in Sai Kung Town. After lunch, we took green top minibus Route 7 at the minibus station. Getting off at the Sheung Yiu stop, watch out for the signs pointing to the Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail. That is the entrance to the trail.
At this crossroads, take the direction to Hei Tsz Wan Village, on the left.
At this crossroads, take the path on the left.
If you choose to digress by going right and down the stairs, you will come to a little pier (photo below). It is a good spot for pictures. Now go back to the crossroads and head to the path on the left as shown on the photograph above.
But going left at the crossroads above, you will reach Po Kwu Wan. On this section, watch out for the hiking ribbons on your right. This will lead you to Po Kwu Wan. You will soon come across a T section, it does not matter whether you take the path on your right or your left. You will loop on the concrete enclosure at the former fish farm and back to the same point for exit.
To return, go back the same way.
Photos above: Views on the Trail.
The Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
Unfortunately, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum is currently undergoing renovation. It should remain closed for most of this year. I will therefore just refer to the website of Hong Kong Heritage Museum for a brief introduction.
Located inside the scenic Sai Kung Country Park and occupying an area of 500 square metres, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum was originally a Hakka village built in the late 19th century. The village and its neighbouring lime kiln were gazetted as monuments in 1981. After it was restored, the village was opened as a museum in 1984.
The Sheung Yiu villages were of Hakka origin, with the surname Wong. They have settled down in this area of Sai Kung since the 19th century, but deserted their village homes around 1965 or so. Perhaps a decade ago I have visited this museum on a hike. I remember just a bit of information. The villagers have mostly gone abroad and they donated the village homes for preservation by the government. I look forward to it reopening so that I can revisit it to revive my memories.
The Ruins of Lime Kiln
Very close to the museum lies the ruins of the lime kiln. Both the village homes and this lime kiln are Grade 1 historic buildings.
The Wong’s of Sheung Yiu built this lime kiln with bricks and rubble stones. The kiln was fired with straw and wood. Corals and shells yielded lime after several days of burning. Lime was a common material in those days for agricultural-use fertilizers and mortar. Lime-making was once a prosperous industry in the villages of Sai Kung. However, with the advance of modern-day brick and cement making, trade and production of lime declined.
Hei Tsz Wan Village – A Hypothesis on Pang Shing Tong
Besides the graded historic buildings, this trail will also lead you to some pretty interesting ruins along the way. The only indication of the history of this village is the signage of “Pang Shing Tong” (Pang Shing Hall) on one of the structures.
It is natural for anyone to assume that the villagers must have been of the Pang lineage. However, a quick search online yielded an alternative hypothesis, although for which I am not able to fact-check.
Pang Shing, in ancient Chinese history, refers to the Liu descendants from the ancestor Liu Ren. (In Cantonese, the surname Liu is pronounced as Lau). During the late Warring States period, Liu Ren moved to Fengyi, at the time belonging to the Wei Kingdom. He founded his family there. His grandson, Liu Bang, would become one of the best known statesmen in Chinese history. Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the glorious Han Dynasty.
Fengyi was also known as Peng Cheng (in Cantonese, Pang Shing). Originally this became the Tang Hao, a way of address to a direct lineage within a clan, for the descendants of Liu Bang. In more modern times, those of the Lau surname liked to take on “Pang Shing” as a way to share in the proud heritage of Liu Bang.
Perhaps this then indicates that the village in ruins on the Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail was rather of the surname Lau.
The Views of Po Kwu Wan
Once you are at Po Kwu Wan, head on over to walk the concrete enclosure. You will enjoy 360 views of Po Kwu Wan Bay and the mountainous views afar.
Photos above: A Panorama of the Concrete Enclosure of the Former Fish Farm
Reminders
The concrete enclosure of the former fishing farm is in ruins. There are three sections of the ruins that are somewhat broken, and requires extra care for one to walk through. I “sat and slid” through two of them. They are certainly wide enough for one to walk upon, but it seemed dangerous to me. My advice is perhaps to go with someone, just to watch out for each other.
There is also a chance that, at high tide, the water will submerge part of the concrete enclosure, therefore blocking the way. My suggestion is to visit the site in the afternoon, when the tides are low.
Throughout this part of the walk, there is no climbing involved at all, if Po Kwu Wan is your only destination. There are branching trails in the area, but beware that they are not as clear as the Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail, which is a standard trail. Therefore, if you plan on taking detours from the Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail, be sure to look up the map on your hiking app.
Sources
Historic descriptions on-site.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum on Sheung Yiu Folk Museum.
Baidu Hong Kong on Pang Shing Tong (Chin).
How to Get There
From Sai Kung town, take green top minibuses Routes 7 or 9, or bus Routes 94,96R, 289R. Get off at the Sheung Yiu Stop. To leave, perhaps 289R is the best choice as it takes you directly back to Shatin.
By private car, park at the car park at Sai Kung Country Park Visitor Centre. If you are to go on the weekend or a public holiday, it may fill up quite early. Then walk about five, eight minutes on Tai Mong Tsai Road (the area past the gate is restricted, you may not drive on that section), and arrive at Fat Kee Store, with signs pointing you to the Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail.