Sai Kung - A Niche Attraction in Hong Kong

Sai Kung — Hong Kong's back garden. Finding off-the-beaten-path spots is a joy. Just as spring arrived, I traveled south alone to explore Hong Kong again. Sai Kung is a place I had always wanted to visit, but because it is the farthest from the city center and relatively inaccessible by public transport, I never made it. This time I decided to make a special trip to see the charm of this back garden of Hong Kong, to quietly savor its blend of liveliness and tranquility, and to experience the atmosphere of a fishing village. Sai Kung is truly a harbor suitable for weekend leisure. This trip far exceeded the fun of bustling city sightseeing, and it offered a new flavor compared to other outlying islands. Before setting out, I did thorough research and found the most convenient route. In the morning, I took the subway from Shenzhen to Futian Port for border crossing (having lived and worked in Shenzhen for many years, I believe this is the most convenient route). I thought it would be less crowded before work hours, but I unexpectedly hit the peak time of cross-border elementary school students commuting. The checkpoint was packed with people. It is said that because these children were born in Hong Kong, they have permanent residency rights, can hold a Hong Kong SAR passport, enjoy free lifetime medical care and 12 years of free education, visa-free access to 135 countries and regions, and bilingual education in Hong Kong. Hence, over ten thousand elementary school students living in Shenzhen travel to Hong Kong for school every day. I thought about how tough it is for these kids, spending two hours each day crossing the border. I patiently queued for an hour to clear customs, then took the North Line MTR from Lok Ma Chau to Sha Tin, walked through a large shopping mall to find the bus station, and took Bus 299 directly to Sai Kung terminus. The whole journey took 2.5 hours and cost 50 HKD. After getting off at Sai Kung terminus, I arrived at a leisure park built along the coast. On the one-kilometer-long promenade, adults and children were chatting happily, walking, and playing. When tired and hungry, they rested in seaside cafés while enjoying the ocean view. Whether Chinese or foreign, everyone’s faces showed a leisurely enjoyment of life. The relaxed demeanor of the people here was completely different from that of the stressed city dwellers. The gentle sea breeze, the quiet streetscape, the lazy people — it was impossible to equate this with the fast-paced city of Hong Kong. Sai Kung’s seafood street of food stalls stretches for about one kilometer. As it was still early, following Cantonese custom, it was time for morning tea. Tired from the journey, I followed the local custom and ordered a morning tea set, sipping slowly, reading the newspaper, looking at the sea view — a joy. While having tea, I chatted with the landlady, learned some information, and secretly finalized my itinerary. For some reason, Sai Kung does not offer accommodation, not even in private homes; all trips must be completed within the day. So I hurried off, and following her recommendation, I went to Hoi Ha Wetland Park. Hoi Ha Wan, located on the north coast of Hong Kong, is the second marine park in Hong Kong, covering an area of 2.6 square kilometers. Hoi Ha Wan is an ecologically valuable area with high biodiversity, because it has a natural barrier that blocks the influx of impurities, making the seawater cleaner and thus improving the marine environment, making it a habitat for many marine organisms. Most coral species can be identified in the sea, and it is also a hotspot for diving. To maintain the ecosystem of Hoi Ha Wan, the government designated it as one of Hong Kong's marine parks in the mid-1990s and enacted laws prohibiting any human activities that affect the ecosystem. The minibus took about 40 minutes to reach Hoi Ha Village. Upon entering the village, I immediately saw winding coastal paths, with the bay on the left and woods on the right. Since it was not a weekend, the park was almost deserted. Along the path were local fishermen's villas, and remnants of lime kilns that were widely used from 1800 to 1939 for lime production. Currently, four lime kiln sites have been discovered in Hoi Ha Wan. The seaside here was extremely quiet, so quiet that except for the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore, there was no other noise. Ah, it was the perfect place for me to be alone and daydream! According to introductions, a typical visit takes about 3 hours, but since I needed to go out to sea by 2 pm, I stayed for about 2 hours and then returned to Sai Kung. As agreed in the morning, as soon as the minibus stopped, I hurriedly looked for a boatman. The best way to enjoy the scenery in Sai Kung is to hire a small boat, which allows you to take a boat tour around the islands. You can also stroll on the beach or visit uninhabited islands. I agreed with the boatman on a fishing boat for 10 people, 88 HKD per person, visiting 5 offshore islands, lasting 2.5 hours. Cheap! Such a tour on the mainland would cost at least double. The boat was a standard wooden fishing boat. To my surprise, the boatman was actually a 74-year-old grandmother. Her weather-beaten face wore a smile, and she greeted passengers in a language I couldn't understand, then calmly steered the boat out to the deep sea. During the island tour, the sea was deep blue, and we could see rare coral reefs and sea caves formed by wave erosion of the rhyolite islands. We watched fishermen fishing up close and made several stops at uninhabited islands to enjoy the pristine scenery of the sea and sky merging. Actually, the islands were not completely uninhabited; each had fewer than five households, making a living by salt drying, fishing, flower planting, and shell collecting, living a tranquil life cut off from the world. The boat swayed, the breeze blew, and immersed in the embrace of the sea, I felt refreshed and carefree. By the time I returned to shore, the sun was setting. I had planned to go back to the city for dinner, but I learned that Bus 299 runs all night, so I decided to have seafood by the sea. Lobster, pomfret, scallops, vegetables, and noodles — a total of 199 HKD per person. A very satisfying meal. When the street lights came on, I began my journey back. Finally, I had visited the renowned Sai Kung.