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In Chinese,
the Hong Kong district of Sai Kung and the Vietnamese city of Saigon (now
Ho Chi Minh City) share the same written characters. They also have in
common a unique charm. There, however, the similarity ends, as Hong Kong's
Sai Kung District is essentially a rural area, characterised by stunning
country park scenery, charming traditional villages and idyllic seascapes.
The district stretches
along the southeastern coast of the New Territories and surrounding areas.
Sai Kung itself is a small rural town that offers a delightful blend of
traditional charm and modern appeal. Tseung Kwan O, on the other hand,
is an energetic new town built on land reclaimed from the sea in the early
1980s. It offers extensive community facilities and has a rapidly growing
population.
Sai Kung is
often known as "Hong Kong's Garden". Characterised by Mediterranean-style
low-rise houses and villas, this waterfront district offers beaches, watersports
centres and a wide variety of restaurants. Here, you can sample fresh
seafood, European cuisine, spicy Asian delights or whatever takes your
fancy. Since 1992, the District Board has held an annual Sai Kung Seafood
Festival as part of the Food Festival organised by the Hong Kong Tourism
Board. This event always draws great crowds, attracting both locals and
tourists to come and enjoy the district's fine food and picturesque scenery.
 Sai
Kung offers a wealth of sightseeing spots, including Pak Tam Chung Country
Park, Sharp Island, Clear Water Bay and Tai Mong Tsai all of which are
renowned for their striking natural beauty. Then there is the Lions Nature
Education Centre, the first of its kind in Hong Kong.
Separated from Sai
Kung town centre by a short stretch of water is the island of Kau Sai
Chau, where you can find a public golf course developed and run by The
Hong Kong Jockey Club. The Hung Shing Temple on the island is also popular
with visitors. This typical rural temple is an important relic in the
study of ancient Hong Kong history, from the Neo-Stone Age to the Han
Dynasty.
Since ancient times,
Kau Sai Chau has been a fishing village. Villagers built the temple to
worship Hung Shing, the guardian of the sea, so that they would be safe
from harm on the water. There are also statues of the God of Wealth and
the Daffodil deity. The site to the right of the temple was once a village
school, while the temple-keeper's lodge stood on the left. The temple
has a small collection of rare antiques that include a dragon boat model
and old fishing utensils.
The Hung Shing Temple
is a building of great historic value. To preserve this monument, full-scale
renovation work was initiated in 1999. The project was completed early
the following year and a re-consecration ritual held in March 2000. The
beautifully preserved temple came third in the United Nations Educational,
Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO) awards for the Outstanding Asia-Pacific
Historic Monument Preservation Projects of 2000.
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Interesting
Stories of 18 Districts
