On Lantau Island, the Tung O Ancient Trail was once an important passage for villagers to commute between Tung Chung and Tai O. The coastal trail starts at busy Tung Chung in the east with planes taking off above, passes mangroves and bays and ends in a centuries-old fishing village.
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Starting Point – Tung Chung Town Centre From MTR Tung Chung Station Exit B, walk three minutes to Tung Chung Fire Station. Walk down Yu Tung Road passing by Yat Tung Estate, and at the near the end turn right into a seaside path and start the journey via Hau Wong Temple. This is your gateway to Lantau Island and an important opportunity to stock up on food and water before starting off! |
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San Tau From Tung Chung Town Centre, head through the San Tau area in the direction of Sha Lo Wan. |
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Sha Lo Wan The ancient villages in Sha Lo Wan stand in sharp contrast to the bustling International Airport across. A famous temple stands guard on the shoreline, and within the large feng shui woods behind the village, you’ll find two mammoth camphor trees, which are both estimated to be more than 300 years old. It would take six men to embrace the trunk of one of these. |
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San Shek Wan San Shek means ‘scattered boulders’ in Chinese and the shore is carpeted with colourful pebbles. A variety of shore species live here, including snails and rock oysters. Human life is equally diverse with San Shek Wan Village being home to local and foreign residents. |
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Sham Wat Wan A variety of coastal habitats such as rocky shores, boulder shores, sand flats, mudflats and mangrove forests of Sham Wat Wan attract a great variety of life, from the shells and crustaceans scattered below to the great egret and jungle crow circling above. If time permits, turn right at Sai Cho Wan and head to the shore for a nice view of the renowned rosy rocks (Hung Fan Shek). |
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Po Chue Tam Yeung Hau Temple, the biggest and most significant temple in Tai O, was built in Po Chue Tam in 1698, when Kangxi reigned in the Qing dynasty. Surrounded by ‘Lion Hill’, ‘Elephant Hill’, ‘Tiger Hill’ and ‘Phoenix Hill’, it was designed to keep these legendary creatures’ peaceful. |
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Formerly Tai O Police Station, it was built in 1902 and recently revitalised into a boutique hotel. It’s easy to appreciate its original form as many features, such as the colonial-style architecture, cannons, corner turrets and cells, are well preserved. |
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End Point – Tai O Tai O is a unique reminder of life in the old fishing villages of Hong Kong. Stilt houses along the waterways are home to fisherfolk families and boats are the main form of transport. Salted fish and shrimp paste are some of the renowned local specialties. The village offers a picturesque conclusion to a long hike. |
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