Tung Ping Chau

I’ve been wanting to take outlying island ferry from Ma Liu Shui Pier near Chinese University for years, and finally got the chance when I accompanied a couple of my students that joined their 7th grade schoolmates on their end of the year field trip to the eastern-most outlying island of HK, crescent-shaped Tung Ping Chau. Although it threatened to rain and there were some whitecaps and swells, it was nice to be on the water through Tolo Channel and to see a different view of Plover Cove and dam, Ma On Shan, then the hills of Sai Kung West and East Country Park with aptly named Sharp Peak in the distance off the starboard side. Shenzen and coastal China were seen on the port side as we traveled toward Mirs Bay and South China Sea.

Our chartered ferry took about an hour and 45 minutes to make the trip, and we were able to spend three hours on the island before the long ride back in order to make the scheduled return time to school. On approach, as we rounded the island to the pier, I noticed a radar tower at a high point on the island. I also noticed the presence of a police boat patrolling during the time we were there. Since the island is only a few km off the China coast, it’s tempting to smugglers and illegal immigrants.

As we walked through paths cut through the dense greenery, we saw a variety of butterflies and heard the loud buzz of cicadas. The path opened up to abandoned buildings, “ghost villages” and rocky shoreline before we reached a Kang Lau Shek, an area known for its twin sea stacks on the wave-cut platform formed by erosion from the wind and waves passing The kids had a great time roaming around, and resting too, as the temperature was quite warm with stifling, high humidity. 

The rocks on this island are sedimentary instead of volcanic as much of HK is and there were lots of informational signs to stop and read along the way. I wish we had more time to walk around the whole island.

After we walked back to the pier area, some students went to wade and play in the water and some to a shaded area in of one of the villages. Luckily a shop was open and students were able to buy/replenish their water. They are usually only weekend ferries, and sometimes the shopkeepers come over only for the weekend to open for the tourists since, like most of HK’s outlying islands, no young people live there full time, having moved away to make a better living in the city.

Besides being part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (renamed in 2015), Tung Ping Chau is part of Plover Cove Country Park, and a Marine Park. All of these designations should make it easy to promote eco-tourism, but instead have made it difficult for the natives to get permits to renovate or maintain the historical buildings or run businesses such as shops or inns. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Hong Kong. 

More reading:

In 2010, not long after (formerly named) HK National Geopark of China was inaugurated, we visited one of the twelve areas called Ma Shi Chau and this past fall, I revisited Long Ke Wan and walked High Island Geo Trail 

Interesting history of Tung Ping Chau (2013)

A (2012) take on ecotourism in HK