Visit this isolated town on an island to the southwest to see how the Hong Kong area looked before modernisation formed today’s city.
As the harbours of Hong Kong Island grew over the last few centuries, many of the isolated fishing villages on the surrounding islands remained the same. Tai O is a perfect example. Experience the ancient lifestyle of this rural fishing village to the southwest of Hong Kong just off Lantau Island.
Manually operated pedestrian drawbridges lead into the city, which lies between two narrow rivers. Walk amongst the homes that line the river. The homes stand on stilts so that they rise above the water level during high tide.
Watch members of fishing families hard at work sorting through a catch, mending nets and creating a shrimp paste that is a Tai O specialty. In recent years, larger cities have been attracting the children of these families, and the populations of villages like Tai O have been waning as a result. Though fishing has long been the village’s primary industry, it is also a hub of salt production.
Another industry central to Tai O’s economy is tourism, so there is a considerable service industry that will provide you with a pleasant stay. Local boatmen offer trips out into the South China Sea, where you can see pale Chinese dolphins frolicking in the water. In the 1960s, the old Tai O Police Station was repurposed to serve as a hotel and restaurant. Other landmark buildings in the village include the Yeung Hau Temple, which is over three centuries old.
Reach Tai O by taking the ferry to Mui Wo and then boarding the Number 1 bus. Otherwise, take the train to Tung Chung and then the Number 11 bus to Tai O. Though the village is less than 15 kilometres (9 miles) to the southwest of Tung Chung, the trip will take an hour by car, two by bus and three if you hike along the more direct trails. Regardless of how long the trip takes, entering Tai O Fishing Village is like stepping back in time.
