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Villages, towns, cities.
No matter which country I visit, my favorite part is visiting the areas in which its natives reside.
A bit of a voyeur, I find myself peering into open windows, trying to get a glimpse of how they live. Windows closed? I am still impressed with the various types of architecture that they call home.
When I visited Cambodia and Bangkok, my favorite part of my trips was when I visited the fishing villages. I especially loved the floating villages and the stilt villages…maybe they remind me a bit of being at my grandparent’s fishing camp on Vermilion Bay, raised high, to protect it from the rising waters prior to approaching hurricanes.
We had decided to visit Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery, must-sees in Hong Kong, however, I couldn’t contain my excitement to find out that a fishing village was located near to these attractions.
The Tai O fishing village is located about fifteen minutes from Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. The village, located on an island of the same name is sometimes called the “Venice of Hong Kong” with its numerous waterways and inlets.
Taking the bus from Ngong Ping village, we arrived in Tai O after a short, but winding, mountainous trip and began the search for the boat ride we had purchased earlier with our gondola tickets. Scouring the maze of streets and alleyways, we finally found signs pointing to our destination. Luckily, a boat was just getting ready to pull out of the slip.
Not much communication was given about the surrounding area, however, it was nice to get an overview of the island and some of the houses and temples located there. Cruising out of the main channel, we picked up speed entering a wider waterway on the far end of the island near the raised highway. As the boat slowed, it appeared that the captain was scanning the waters. Before long, I noticed something breaking the surface in the distance. Suddenly, I remembered reading about Chinese white dolphins (also known as pink dolphins) during my Hong Kong research. This is what we were searching for!
After a few minutes, we noticed more rounded backs and fins breaking the surface. Though none came extremely close to our boat and they were quite difficult to capture on camera, we did see quite a few of the strangely hued aquatic mammals in the area.
Continuing our journey, we made our way around the island passing through the main channel, with the multitude of houses on each side of the waterway as most of the village is located on the banks of the Tai O River. The day was beautiful and magnified the multitude of colors on the houses, flags and moored boats. We passed restaurants where locals dined on the catch of the day, porches where fishermen mended their nets and under bridges that traversed the river.
After completing our tour, we were deposited back at the dock and decided to wander around the village’s many side streets and alleyways. There were many locals selling their wares, including dried fish and candy. It truly was an assault on the senses with the unique smells and the variety of foods that are not common to our culture, such as salted fish and shrimp paste.
There are many buildings of historical significance to check out in the village, including Yeung Hau Temple (built in 1699), Kwan Tai Temple (built in 1741), Tin Hau Temple (built in 1772), the pre-war shophouses on Kat Hing Street, Wing Hing Petrol Station, Hip Wo Se Hok (a former school) and Hung Shing Temple (built in 1746). The Old Tai O Police Station, is also worth taking a stroll to and maybe worth a stay…it currently serves as a boutique hotel, Tai O Heritage Hotel, a nine room establishment in operation since 2012.
As we wandered around, peering at the small structures standing tall over the water, we learned that one of the bridges that we saw from our boat, was originally a rope bridge tended by local women. The current bridge which replaced the former, is a steel pedestrian bridge, built in 1996 and provides an optimum view of the seafaring traffic.
Another place of interest is the Tai O Rural Committee Historic and Cultural Showroom, which exhibits relics of the local community’s past, including fishing tools and dismantled old structures. Founded by the Tai O Rural Committee, all the items in its collection were donated by local residents.
Though not the thriving community that it once was, it continues to attract masses of visitors each year and a place that should not be missed. Go for the dolphins. Go for the taste of ancient China. Go for the adventure.
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Tai O Fishing Village
- Getting There by Bus: From Mui Wo, Bus number 1. From Tung Chung, Bus number 11. From Ngong Ping, Bus number 21.
- Getting There by Ferry: From Tuen Mun, Tuen Mun Ferry Pier (Fortune Ferry). From Tung Chung, Tung Chung New Development Ferry Pier (Fortune Ferry). From Sha Lo Wan (Fortune Ferry). All ferry piers are close to Tai O Bus Terminus.