336. Located across the street from Tin Shui Wai's highrise residentials, the 1.6 km Ping Shan Heritage Trail debuted in 1993 linking several landmarks across historical villages in the northwest New Territories. Ping Shan was an important stronghold for the Tang clan, whose ancestors came from Jiangxi province during the Song Dynasty, and settled in this area in the 12th century. The clan built 3 walled and 6 other villages, including ancestral halls, temples, and study halls.
351. Sharp Island is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark and is a popular trip out of Sai Kung. Numerous kaito/ferries make the 2km journey to the island, which is famous for the natural sand levee (tombolo) to neighbouring Kiu Tau island. This island is famous for its tombolo, which is walkable to Kiu Tau islet during low tide.
363. Ho Pui is an irrigation reservoir along Yuen Long's southern hills. A paved road leads uphill from the village where you can circle the reservoir in a relatively short hike. A small section is surrounded by a bamboo grove which has become a popular photography spot in recent years.
369. A huge train depot is located just south of Kam Sheung Road station.
370. Small villages dot the countryside, although more dense developments are expected along the rail line.
371. Tung Lung Chau is an easy escape from the city. Just a half hour ferry ride away, you can still see the skyline yet are surrounded by greenery and emptiness.
376. Tung Lung Fort was believed to be built in the 1700s. Armed with 8 cannons, the fort was manned until the early 19th century when it became difficult to supply this remote location.
383. The southern coast around Nam Tong Mei is also scenic with white cliffs uniquely covering just a small section above the water line. It is about a 2km walk from the ferry with a long staircase downhill near the end.
388. Pak Tin Estate is being redeveloped with its 8 blocks being rebuilt to add over 2000 more units to 5650, drastically increasing the density. Located along the hillsides and surrounded by premium residential districts, they offered good views as during the era when planes landed at Kai Tak, height limits kept buildings at maximum 10 stories along the flight path just ahead.
396. Sai Kung's east side has many quiet beaches and good hikes. I started at Sai Wan and passed through 3 beaches that face the ocean. It's not a difficult hike although I skipped a very steep mountain further down the coast.
406. Grand Victoria is a waterfront residential development with a hotel next door. Prices are not affordable to the average middle class family of course, and there will be a public promenade with skyline views from a different perspective. The surrounding area is not particularly desirable with public housing right across the street although it is only an under 10 minute walk to the train station and modern shopping mall.
454. Nan Shan Estate was built in 1977 and is home to about 7000 people across 8 towers.
463. The land that Tai Hang Sai Estate sits on today was purchased at a discount from the government in 1961 with the intention of building rental housing for the lower income classes. It is the only privately-held low-income housing in the city.
468. Kai Tak's former airport is still a huge construction zone some 25 years after it closed. Instead of being a new playground for the middle and upper classes like what has been built there so far, I'm starting to see some public housing appear. We have a housing crisis after all.
493. Tsing Yi was once an hour away from Tsuen Wan by row boat, with the island named after the fish that was once plenty here. At 11 sq km, it is now home to some 200,000 residents with a mix of village houses, public and private housing. A bridge finally connected the island with the mainland in 1974 while the Tung Chung Line's arrival in 1998 made the island a lot more accessible.
502. Tap Mun is located on the eastern fringes of Sai Kung and is reachable by ferry, making it a good day trip to escape the urban jungle. Besides the historic fishing village, it is a popular place for campers who would wake up early the next morning to see the sunrise over the ocean.
518. With Hong Kong finally re-opening to the world, the question remains what will happen to the isolation facilities built at a time when every COVID-positive patient had to be moved there to prevent community spread. There is now talk that they'll be converted to budget accommodations for either public housing waiting list folks or even the young, but nothing concrete has been announced yet. Meanwhile, in one of the most expensive cities to live in the world, these ready to use container homes sit idle.
525. The area around Starling Inlet in the northeastern border region remains remote, with parts still restricted from public access. There are a few villages that are still stuck in a time warp, such as Nam Chung and Luk Keng pictured here.
539. A section of Tseung Kwan O is an industrial estate home to the now-closed Apple Daily and TVB, a local broadcaster. There is also a huge landfill but there are plans to redevelop a large section into a new residential district and building a train extension.
554. Shipyards are not easy to come by and tucked away on the north coast of Tsing Yi, these ones are not only used to repair cargo vessels but ferries as well.
566. On the other side of town and up Cloudy Hill is the small and partially abandoned village of Cheung Uk. This area was settled by the Hakka Cheung clan some 300 years ago. By 1960, its population was only 260 and with agriculture's decline and villagers moving to the city or overseas, only a small elderly population remained by the mid-70s.
576. Ping Shan is a community hiking trail with hills wedged between a few public housing estates. This has become a popular photography hotspot recently to capture sunset with Lion Rock in the background.
591. The new residential towers and shopping mall above Wong Chuk Hang station and the train garage are taking shape, although there are still a lot of phases yet to come. Looks like this whole project will take years to finish.
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