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While renowned
for its modern urban development, Hong Kong also has some strikingly beautiful
natural settings, with lush woodlands and emerald waters. Such unspoilt
scenery can be found just a short bus ride away from the city centre on
the south side of Hong Kong Island.
The southern coast
of the island is dotted with bays and inlets and is a favourite spot for
swimming and other water sports on hot summer days. Deep Water Bay, Repulse
Bay, Tai Long Wan and St. Stephen's Bay in Stanley are some of the more
popular beaches. The crescent shaped Repulse Bay attracts swimmers and
weekend leisure seekers as well as sightseeing tourists. At the eastern
end of the bay stands a Tin Hau park, where you can find the largest Tin
Hau and Kwun Yam statues in Hong Kong, looking out to the open sea. With
its colourful sculptures and pagodas, the park is full of traditional
charm, providing a perfect background for holiday snapshots.
 It
is not unusual for Tin Hau, a guardian of the sea, to look out across
the waves, but Kwun Yam, the Goddess of Mercy, is seldom found by the
shore. For the story behind this unorthodox arrangement, we have to go
back to the 1970s. A group of worshippers planned to erect a large statue
of Tin Hau by the sea in Repulse Bay, but some felt that she would seem
rather lonely. A generous man suggested an additional statue of Kwun Yam
and funded the project.
Stanley, to the southeast
of Repulse Bay, is another popular beach and sightseeing spot. Legend
has it that the notorious pirate Cheung Po Tsai was active in Stanley.
That is why the district became known in Chinese as Chek Chu (Bandit's
Post). There was once a Cheung Po Tsai Cave near the Tin Hau Temple west
of Stanley, but the cave was filled in in the early 1950s. The English
name Stanley comes from Lord Stanley, a British official who landed here
in the 19th Century.
Stanley is one of
Hong Kong's oldest fishing villages; its Tin Hau Temple was built by villagers
some 200 years ago. Today it is among Hong Kong's most popular destinations
for tourists and shoppers, who find the wide selection of merchandise
here quite irresistible. In Stanley Market, you can buy all sorts of garments,
rattan, handicrafts and foodstuffs. The "Stanley Sunrise" is
another of the village's attractions. When the sun slowly climbs above
the horizon at dawn, the rocks at the headland of the Stanley Peninsula
glitter in the golden light. From a distance, the bluff looks just like
a fiery post.
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Interesting
Stories of 18 Districts
