LITMIR.BIZ

      Opening Times Daily

      Address Ping Shan, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories

      Getting There To reach the start of the trail, take the MTR West Rail line to Tin Shui Wai station, then follow the signs from Exit E

      Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com

      Admission Fee Free

      9 Tai O Village

      Visit this village on stilts, the ‘Venice’ of the east

      Located on the far west coast of Lantau Island, the fishing village of Tai O sits on the very edge of Hong Kong. Indeed, Chinese territory once extended up to its very shoreline, meaning British rule ended the moment you left land. However, the new Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) borders were redrawn following the 1997 handover, and the maritime boundary shifted roughly 2 km offshore. Tai O is known as the Venice of Hong Kong due to the large number of stilt houses built either side of a river that runs though its middle. Local residents feel such affinity for their housing style that when a devastating fire in July 2000 destroyed a majority of buildings, they refused the government’s offer to construct new homes away from the water, instead demanding that their old abodes be rebuilt. Because of its strategic position and sheltered harbour, during its history Tai O has variously been a base for Portuguese sailors, Qing Dynasty mandarins, British colonial officials, pirates and smugglers (due to its continued proximity to Chinese waters, the latter are still common, especially for cigarettes, narcotics and illegal immigrants). In addition, it was a main entry point for refugees fleeing the Chinese Civil War. Up until the 1950s, it was also famed for salt farms, the surrounding marshes proving perfect for the mineral’s production. These days, the village mostly relies on weekend tourism, when flocks of locals and foreigners descend to soak up the rural atmosphere. As well as purchasing bags of locally produced shrimp paste and salted fish, visitors also come for the ‘dolphin tours’, where a fleet of identical villager-piloted speedboats whiz you through the surrounding waters in a usually futile search for the endangered Pearl River Delta Chinese white dolphin. Better known as the pink dolphin due to its distinctive skin colouration, these shy animals are usually wise enough to steer clear of the small craft crashing through the waves. On the way out of the harbour, you may notice a small two-storey colonial building peeking out from the tree-line on your right. This was the old Tai O Police Station, which was reopened as the Tai O Heritage Hotel in 2012.

      See: www.taioheritagehotel.com