Kayaking at Hoi Ha
This was probably the first time that I have kayaked in Hong Kong. We went to Hoi Ha in Sai Kung for an exciting day in kayaking. About Hoi Ha Wan Hoi Ha, in Chinese, means “beneath the sea.” The beaches in this area, some …
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Curvy Hill – MacLehose Trail Section 4 From Shui Long Wo to Ma On Shan Country Park
There is no official English name to this hill known locally as “Curvy Hill.” It has acquired its name from the meandering path that leads downward from the top of neighboring mountains. I saw photographs online and became very drawn to the scenery there. On …
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.
A Yacht Trip to To Tei Wan (Deity Beach) and Tai Tam Bay
It is at the tail of our summer and I joined a group of friends on the last yacht trip that they were organizing for the year. The itinerary is Tai Tam Bay and Deity Beach in the southeastern waters of Hong Kong. On this …
Canyoning at the Ping Nam Stream
I went canyoning with a group of friends at the Ping Nam Stream. This trip came just in time to catch the last stretch of the summer heat. We met at the Nam Chung parking lot at the foot of MacLehose Trail Section 10 for …
The Shui Yuet Palace (Kwun Yam Temple) of Mong Kok
I paid a visit to the Shui Yuet Palace of Mong Kok. Seated besdies the Tung Wah College Mong Kok Campus, the Shui Yuet Palace has a distinctive appearance with its red colored walls and green roof tiles. You cannot miss it when you pass by its current location in Mong Kok’s Shantung Street.
The resident deity of the Shui Yuet Palace is Kwun Yam (kuanyin or guanyin), who, both in its Hinduism origin as Avalokitesvara and in its adapated form in Chinese folk religion, embodies the spirit of mercy and compassion. The full name of the deity is Kwun Sai Yam, and it means the “perception of all the world’s sounds.” A Kwun Yam believer told me that as Kwun Yam hears all sounds, but you must actually say your wish out loud so that she hears you (perhaps unlike the silent prayers that Christians do). In most Kwun Yam statues in China the figure of the deity sits or stands upon a lotus platform. The lotus is therefore a signature of Kwun Yam.
When I entered into the temple, I noticed the beautiful lotus blossom lanterns that line the ceiling before the altar table.
Shui Yuet Palace (in Chinese it means the Palace of Water and Moon) was originally known as Tai Shek Ku Temple (meaning big stone drum). It has existed since the 10th year of Guangxu’s Reign during the Qing Dynasty, and that is the year 1884. Originally, believers of Hakka origin living in Kowloon raised the funds for the construction of this temple, then built at the intersection of Argyle Street and Waterloo Road. Due to development needs, the Hong Kong Government decided to build a motorway (Prince Edward Road) to link up Kowloon City and Mong Kok. It negotiated with the residents of Kowloon for a relocation of this temple to its current site. In 1927, the temple reopened its doors to worshippers. By now, this temple has stood at its current location for 94 years already. It is well-deserving as a historic and cultural relic.
There are a few things of historical significance inside this temple. The brass bell bears the date of 10th year of the Guangxu Reign. The altar table, brass fan, and the incense burner were all relics of the late 19th Century.
The brass bell has some interesting features. The surface shows the date of the bell in engraving. There are four columns of embossed buttons on its upper part. According to my research, this feature resembles the brass chimes of the Warring State Period (bianzhong). They used to be percussion instruments in ancient China.
I am pretty sure though that the origin and meaning of this bell’s design is long lost.
The wooden plaques at the entrance of the temple is dated to 1927, when this temple reopened after relocation.
Since the inception of the Tung Wah Group in 1931, the Shui Yuet Palace has come under its management. The temple underwent restoration again in 2018. The relics discussed above became known treasures of this historic temple during this restoration.
I am certainly no believer of Kwun Yam myself, but I was glad to find a site of religious and historic significance in one of Hong Kong’s busiest districts. It certainly offers a nice respite to anyone caring to enter.
The address for Shui Yuet Palace is 90 Shantung Street, Mong Kok.
Sources
The Wikipedia on Mong Kok Shui Yuet Palace (Chin).
The Wikipedia on Guanyin.
Leung Wing Hung, Exploration of Hong Kong’s City and Countryside (2004) at 78.
The Island of Ma Shi Chau
A Brief Introduction of Ma Shi Chau Ma Shi Chau is the largest island in Tolo Habour. Together with Centre Island, Yeung Chau and an unnamed island off of the Sam Mun Tsai New Village, Ma Shi Chau was designated a Special Area pursuant to …
The Sam Mun Tsai New Village
I have lived in Tai Po before. The one thing that I had heard about Sam Mun Tsai was its fame for seafood. The only other time that I visited the area was related to food as well. I ate at a Chinese restaurant there …
A Californian Good Time at the Lower Cheung Sha Beach
The Cheung Sha Beach is the longest beach in Hong Kong. At three km in length, the beach provides ample space for visitors to do all sorts of fun activities, including surfing, camping, canoeing and simply beach bathing.
The Cheung Sha Beach is located in the southern coast of Lantau Island. It is a long stretch of sandy shore. A little headland divides the beach into Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Upper Cheung Sha Beach. Facing the southern waters of Hong Kong, this location is free of any sight of high rises. It was therefore a wonderful getaway from city life.
We went to the more crowded Lower Cheung Sha Beach on this hot summer day. There was not much planning in this outing. We searched online for a beach in Lantau Island and this one turned up on the search. In late afternoon we arrived at Tung Chung and took a bus (there were very long lines) to Lower Cheung Sha Village.
Because access by private cars to Lantau Island is restricted, there were not so many people in this beach. All the necessary facilities are present, including shower, changing rooms and restrooms. The Lower Cheung Sha Beach is usually more crowded because all the other establishments are also there. That includes quite a few good restaurants, and also rental for water sports.
We sat down for a much-needed lunch first at Lantana. We had a nice grilled veggies salad and a Margherita pizza, with fruit juice and coffee. People wearing bikinis went in and out, and a fraternity-type kind of party was going on with loud music next door. Surely this was reminiscent of a Californian beach time.
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Cheung Sha Beach is blessed with “powdery white sand and clean waters.” Now, having gone there on a pleasant afternoon I must come back with somewhat of a different view. First of all, as I was walking on the beach I noticed that it was much like the Hac Sa (Black Sand) Beach of Macao. I think the sand is rather black in color. Secondly, although there is no question that the water is clean, it is not clear. At low tide in the afternoon the waves carried a lot of natural waste, such as leaves and small tree stems. Yet the environment is very clean and pleasant.
We soaked in the shallow water at the shore for about half hour, enjoying the setting sun and the therapeutic power of the ocean waves. It was totally chill and I would do it again.
Annoyances
At this beach some visitors let loose their pets. We had some fierce-looking dogs that came near us at our beach spot. They were not restrained but their owners were around. Still it was quite a scare when they came near us.
How to Get There
At Tung Chung MTR station we headed over to the bus terminus. Bus routes 1, 2, 4, 11, 23 will drop you off at Lower Cheung Sha Village. Walk on further for a little and you will see the path to Lower Cheung Sha Village, go down and the beach is right there.
Sources
The Lantana, an Italian Beach Restaurant.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board on Cheung Sha Beach.
Old-Time Vietnam – Bun Thit Nuong, a Hue Delight
I told the taxi driver that I was going to visit a restaurant for a meal. The address was reading a bit odd to me, it says Opposite No. 35, Nguyen Truong To Street, Hue. The restaurant’s name is a nondescript Nguyen Truong To Nem …