Vignettes of the World
I was intrigued by the Lau Village Houses in Tung Shing Lei, Yuen Long after seeing photographs online. Upon some research, I learned that the property was the subject matter in a highly contested court case. Therefore I will draw on the case to report …
Ever since I visited Chek Chau (Port Island), I have been fascinated by sceneries of red earth in Hong Kong. From fellow bloggers I learned that the seaside at Hung Shek Mun presents stunning views of such. I debated for quite a while, because the …
I was looking for easy hiking trails in Tin Shui Wai and found sources online discussing Lam Hang Shan. It is a small hill in northwestern Hong Kong. The location presents wonderful views of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor (Route 10), which includes the Shenzhen Bay Bridge. Certainly, the Deep Bay (Shenzhen Bay) and skyline of Shenzhen are also in full view there.
I parked at Tin Chak Estate. After exiting the carpark, I went toward the jogging and biking trail by the drainage channel. There is an overpass northward, providing the way over the drainage channel. On the overpass, if you look west (straight ahead), Lam Hang Shan is right there.
Photos from left to right: the jogging trail west of Tin Chak Estate; Go up the overpass; View on the overpass; Lam Hang Shan in view.
Photos above: Views of the drainage channel on the overpass.
I turned left at the end of the overpass and descended onto ground level. Right there you will see a somewhat obscure opening onto the motorway (Tin Ying Road). Although it does not look like an official exit, do take this path and cross the motorway. Beware of oncoming traffic on both directions. It is not a proper road crossing.
Photos above: Once at the end of the overpass, turn left and descend onto ground level. You will notice this somewhat obscure opening on your right. Go through it, and then cross Tin Ying Road (photo on the right), be very careful.
Because Lam Hang Shan is not a standard trail, things do not seem official but the paths are clear. This is the entrance into Lam Hang Shan.
There are a number of ways to go up the hill, and I took the quickest shortcut. I went straight and headed up the mountainous path. After these steps (the photo far right), I turned right.
This is the view of the path on the right (photo on the left). Very soon I came upon this path on my left (photo on the right). I started climbing it.
However, this way is somewhat challenging, especially if you are going with children. If it is too rugged, please do not turn left and keep on going on the path (photo on the left) and it will eventually lead you to the top of the hill.
Allow 40 minutes to 1 hour of walk from Tin Chak Estate to the top of Lam Hang Shan.
When you are up on the hill, you will see 360 degree views of Tin Shui Wai’s heavily-populated housing estates, but with nature as its background.
Photos: Left – Views of the south in Lam Hang Shan. Right – Views of the north.
Looking west, there are unobstructed views of Shenzhen’s skyline, seemingly extending to eternity. And this would be the perfect backdrop for the sunset watching.
There were many photography enthusiasts there on the day that I visited. A photographer that I met told me that it is actually better views when there are clouds. It was a clear sky that day. Next time I know what day to pick.
I think it suffices to simply quote the Wikipedia on Route 10:
Route 10 is the newest trunk route in the Hong Kong Strategic Route and Exit Number System. It is a 10.9 km dual carriageway with three lanes in each direction, consisting of the Kong Sham Western Highway (formerly Deep Bay Link) and the Shenzhen Bay Bridge of the Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Corridor, connecting the Yuen Long Highway (Route 9) in Lam Tei to Shenzhen via border checkpoint Shenzhen Bay Port. The trunk route is the only[citation needed] one in Hong Kong that terminates at a border crossing (and is partly built within the area of Shenzhen Municipality).
See Wikipedia’s entry on Route 10 here.
Bus Routes 265B, 265M, 276A stop at Tin Chak Estate. By rail, Light Rail Route 706 stops at Tin Yat Estate and you can walk about 10 minutes to Tin Chak Estate from there.
Perhaps bring a good flashlight with you if you plan on visiting Lam Hang Shan for sunset watching. In March, the sun sets around 6:30pm. But if there are clouds, they will remain colorful for a while. Some people stay for a little longer to watch the majestic colors of sunset. However, there was no such view on the day that I visited.
The quick shortcut that I did going up would not be suitable for coming back down. Therefore go down via another safer path. There are many pathways there that will lead you back to ground level reasonably safely.
Many villages in the New Territories only come into the media spotlight when the government takes action to resume the land. Such is the case of the Ping Yeung Village in Fanling, where villagers painted murals in the village as part of their effort to …
We are finally seeing sunny days in Hong Kong and I seized the day for a short walk. The itinerary was originally just the loop at Shek Lei Pui Reservoir. But I decided to do a further loop at the Kowloon Reception Reservoir in the …
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The trail of the day is a 5km walk on the Smugglers’ Ridge. I decided to head from the Kam Shan Country Park (also known as Golden Hill Country Park), then to Smugglers’ Ridge via the Smugglers’ Pass. I exited through the Shing Mun Reservoir. …
A busy schedule has prevented me from regular hiking during the first two months of 2022. I took some time from the busy schedule to walk the Pik Shan Path with a friend for a quick and easy stroll in Hong Kong Island. The plan …
A review of the stage performance 100% Hong Kong is long overdue.
We booked the tickets to the 100% Hong Kong show back in June for a showtime in late October. And it was worth the long wait.
100% Hong Kong was going to make its debut in 2019. Both production and performance ceased because of the social events that year. Due to its somewhat political nature, it did not rehearse again until the political climate in Hong Kong has become more settled, albeit a lot more draconian, two years later in 2021. I really commend the producer and performers for putting together this show.
The idea of the 100% show originated from Rimini Protokoll, a theatre production group in Germany. The 100% Hong Kong show is a collaboration with the local theatre production group On & On Theatre Workshop.
100% Hong Kong gathers 100 non-professional actors for a series of question-and-answer sessions, in which they all express their preferences by “voting,” or “polling” in different manners.
These 100 performers possess characteristics that are 100% representative of Hong Kong’s demographics. This suggests that the collective preferences expressed on the show on various (and sometimes sensitive) questions are representative of Hong Kong people’s preferences and experiences.
The original show was scheduled for 2019. The events of 2019 called for a stop of this show. Thereafter, 50 out of the original 100 actors dropped out. The producers had to redo the whole recruitment again. Even before 2019, it was going to be very difficult to get 100 Hong Kongers to invest time in rehearsing for a somewhat impromptu show. Due to the political climate in Hong Kong, the expression of ideas, namely the asking of questions, had to be predetermined and well-rehearsed beforehand as well.
The casting proceeds by recruiting the first member on the show, and I do assume that it is Robert Chung (see below). Then that person has to recruit another one, with some certain characteristics that meet a stated profile. This next person then recruits another one, and so on, until 100 actors agree to perform. According to the programme, this process is “an artistic work in and of itself.”
The original 100% show debuted in Berlin, named 100% City. It staged with 100 Berliners between the ages of 6 months and 90 years. The cast performed in five cities, and not one question asked was repeated in all five cities.
Art is a creative expression of ideas. Although art often serves as the proper channel for politics, a stage performance that features the opinion poll as the art form itself is unusual. What gives form to the expression of ideas is a series of voting exercise.
Perhaps some details will illustrate it better. Someone in the group of 100 performers ask a question. Then every performer will express his or her preference by voting. They can “vote with their feet” (literally) by walking to the “yes” or “no” group. In another session, they can raise color cards to express their choice, and the audience can judge the popularity of a certain choice by seeing the color distribution on stage. In still another session they do “anonymous voting,” whereby they simply light up their phones to their preferred choice in a dimmed stage. The questions asked in this session were, properly considered, “more private matters.”
So this is about a fusion of politics and art, and it sounds mighty serious. When the show begins, I did think it would get heavy and perhaps even a little tedious. But this is truly an exceptional group of lay performers.
First of all, the key performer, the first person that does the opening, is the well-known statistician Robert Ting Yiu Chung. He heads the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. He does the longest self-introduction of the group, and his status as the head of Hong Kong’s most notable polling agency is very apt for this type of creative venture. It is heartwarming to see him on stage, especially after the events of 2019.
What follows then are 99 people, all non-professional actors, who were recruited to the show one by one through referral. Each comes on stage to do a self-introduction. Quite a number of them bring a token of identification. Some bring a toy, some dress up. For example, the newspaper delivery man brings a newspaper with him on stage, so that the audience can identify him among the group.
And the ways with which they introduce themselves are very humorous. The self-introduction session strikes immediate rapport with the audience. As we learn about the actors one by one, we could see that like them, we are the ordinary Hong Kong, and 100% so. It also surprises me how much I remember these individuals during the show when they vote or when they ask questions.
After the introduction, the show proceeds to some basic demographics of the group to establish the fact that these one hundred people possess the characteristics that represent 100% of Hong Kong’s demographics. They present questions such as the region where you live, your age and others on the basic characteristics of the group.
There are humour points throughout the show. For example, someone asks the question of whether you have a crush on someone in the group during this whole time of rehearsal together. Then someone asks if you absolutely detest someone in the group. We can gather the uneasy sense that there is a clear split of opinions in terms of the actors’ support or opposition to the social events of 2019.
At some point, the audience is engaged in the show. The audience is asked whether there is any question that you must not ask in this creative venture. Some actually say yes to that.
Then comes some more sensitive questions. Have you previously participated in the protests of 2019? Should Hong Kong allow more immigrants from China? Have you served a sentence in jail before? Have you had unconsented sex?
I think this show is a great success, especially at this difficult time for Hong Kong. The air of free expression is felt throughout the show. My mind can breathe as I watched. According to the programme, “100% Hong Kong is a gathering that is a city, a group beginning to experience itself, one body with 100 minds, assembled into ever-changing new group pictures –fleeting portraits of belonging and separation, an assembly that celebrates diversity and life.” I do think the group has shown this aspect amply throughout the show.
Perhaps a point of lesser importance is the venue. It is my first time visiting the Xiqu Center, and surely it is grand and beautiful. This type of show was probably more fitting in the Freespace. Indeed, it was the intended venue for the show originally. But the Xiqu Center is just as good.
The 100% Hong Kong Programme, published by the organizers of the performance.
It was due to the Covid-19 pandemic that Chestnut Writers had to take on a new direction for Chestnut Journal. When Chestnut Journal began its first chapter, we have meant this blog to be mostly about international travels. Although we did intend to write about …