Vignettes of the World
The plan for the day is to hike the Wilson Trail Section 1 via Violet Hill to end at Repulse Bay. We began at the Stanley Section of Wilson Trail Section 1 at Parkview. The entrance is across the street from the public parking lot …
While I intend my hiking entries to be informational, I caution readers on this one. It is not meant to be a guide, but rather an account of being lost in midst of the many diverging mountainous paths in Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain …
On this brilliant day we visited the Tung Chung Fort in Tung Chung.
During the Daoguang Reign, the Qing Government built two strategic naval camps to clamp down on the opium trade and the pirates in the South China Sea. The site at Dapeng, Shenzhen served as the headquarters. The government named it the “left camp.” The site in Tung Chung was known as the “right camp.” The Tung Chung Fort completed in 1832 and it was fitted with cannons. Until 1898, when the British took over the administration of Hong Kong, the Qing military withdrew. The military purpose was no longer observed, and the site became a police station in 1918.
Between 1937 and 1941, the Tung Chung Rural Committee established its presence in this very site, along with the founding of the Tung Chung Public School.
The site presented a number of pleasant surprises. It was very exciting for me to see the antique gateway with the wording Tung Chung Rural Committee on the left and Tung Chung School on its right.
About ten meters further we came upon the fort itself. The main gate, the “Morning Tower,” faces north toward the coast of Tung Chung Bay. The Tung Chung Public School stands right there as we viewed through the arched entrance of the fort. Although of a much later date, the Tung Chung Public School itself is reminiscent of a time bygone.
The whole fort is open for touring. We were very happy that we could actually go around the whole fort. Even though it was a short walk, we got a very good sense of the purpose that this structure was meant to serve. On our climb up via the first tower we came upon six cannons. The four cannons on the east seemed like standard Qing dynasty cannons to us.
According to the descriptions on site, two of the cannons were constructed in 1805 and 1809. Two others were constructed in 1843. The two other ones on the west of the Morning Tower were notably longer, but also slimmer. I suspect that these two were the ones with unknown date of construction. The historical introduction suggests that not all of these six cannons were the original ones on site. The British could have fitted additional cannons when this site served as a police station.
These cannons uniformly pointed to the northward direction. Before the construction of the Yat Tung Estate and the Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok), it was an open coast on Tung Chung Bay. It once provided an open view of the entry of South China Sea into both Lantau Island and Western New Territories. The strategic purpose (as against opium trade and pirates) was clear to us as we looked onto the now nearly invisible seaway before us.
We then went westward to take a look. We ended up going around the whole fort, back to the Morning Tower. There are two more arched entries facing eastward and westward. It was certainly a well-chosen location, constructed in an orientation that fitted squarely within the compass.
I highly recommend this site for a family outing. My friend talked about her children when we toured. It would be a very nice lesson in local history. The walk was also family-friendly. The structure was well-restored. Do note a gentle reminder that the parents must watch the children as they can fall off.
We took the MTR to Tung Chung Station and took exit A. Then we just followed the pedestrian ways via the underpass. At some point we went up the overpass to cross Yu Tung Road, and found our way to Ha Ling Pei Village. The walk would be an easy 25 minutes from the station. Google map will show you a clear way to walk there.
To tour the site, allow for about half hour with picture taking. Normally, there is a museum with introduction next to the Tung Chung Public School, but it was not open due to the pandemic. It is really too bad for me, as I would have loved to learn more beyond what Wikipedia told me.
All historical descriptions in this entry came from Wikipedia’s entry on the Tung Chung Fort.
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With no car this day we decided to visit the outlaying islands. I opted for an easy trail in Lantau Island, a stroll on the seaside of Sunny Bay. The trail ends at the Cheung Sok Island.
The Cheung Sok Island is an uninhabited island off of Yam O Wan in Sunny Bay. After getting off at the Sunny Bay MTR Station, walk toward the seaside. Make your way leftward and keep on walking along the seaside. These are the views on the Sunny Bay seaside:
Then enter the way into the village and there is only one way leading you to the sandy stretch that connects the Cheung Sok Island. These are the views along the way:
The activity of the day was to picnic at the seaside. We made it there during the low tide, therefore there was no problem heading over to the Cheung Sok Island. We found a spot right by the sandy stretch and had our picnic, chatting all the way under generous sunshine.
The trail is very short, taking only a little under an hour. There is no incline along the seashore. It was also pleasant throughout.
At the Cheung Sok Island it is possible to explore the island, and there is a high point there. However, we decided not to explore it because we were concerned with the rising tide. It also required some treading on the rocky shore. We played safe and only stayed on the shore and had our picnic.
The most important thing to bear in mind is to watch the tides. At high tide you would not be able to get back to Sunny Bay as the sandy stretch will be covered with water. You do not want to be stranded at the Cheung Sok Island.
This late autumn day blessed us with generous sunshine. We had a family outing with a group of young children. There is plenty of water to play with in this area of eastern New Territories. The Little Hawaii of Tseung Kwan O used to be …
On this first visit at Nam Long Shan, we ran into heavy rain when we were half-way through the hike. We ran back for cover and sat at the pavilion at the Nam Long Shan Road Rest Garden. A mid-aged man was also taking cover …
We walked up the Peak via the Hatton Road Morning Trail and then ascended even higher to Mount High West.
We have done the Hatton Road Morning Trail before in order to see the Pinewood Battery, which lies about half-way to the Peak. Of an intermediate incline, this trail takes one up the peak in about 45 minutes to one hour. The road is paved throughout and therefore very easy on the feet.
Once at the Peak, make a right on the westward direction. This is the Lugard Road loop and very soon you will see the beautiful pavilion, as shown below. The trail up Mount High West is behind this pavilion.
Follow signs, and you will reach the entrance of the trail. This climb is about 20 minutes upward on gentle steps. There are indicators along the way for you to gauge how far you have climbed.
As we climbed, we felt a distinct sense of openness. The air was fresh with wonderful views of Pok Fu Lam Reservoir and the ocean and islands afar.
Photo: a panoramic view of Hong Kong West at the Observation Deck
At the Observation Deck, It felt as if Kowloon was within our reach, with the west side of Hong Kong Island right beneath us.
Having done the trail, we went back to Lugard Road and finished the loop, which took us to the Peak Galleria. We sat down for coffee at Baekmidang as we usually do. What a wonderful day out. This is an interesting view on Lugard Road:
We entered the Hatton Road Morning Trail at Kotewall Road. My confession is I always park illegally there. But I was probably very lucky that on both occasions I did not get a ticket.
The Tai Lam Chung Reservoir was the first reservoir in Hong Kong built after WWII. Construction began in 1952 and completed in 1957. It is also the largest reservoir in the New Territories, with a capacity of 21 million cubic meters. The main dam of …