Islands District Highlights
General
Amongst the 18 administrative districts in the territory, Islands District is the largest in terms of area. It is also the least populated. The District consists of some twenty large and small islands which lie to the south and south-west of Hong Kong.
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Heritage
The District is a treasure-house in terms of
archaeological finds. The beautiful relics are found in
archaeological sites all over Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chau. The
Tung Chung Fort and temples located at various islands are well
patronized tourist destinations.
Scenery and natural landscape
Ngong Ping, with Po Lin Monastery as its focus, has become internationally famous since the mid nineties after the construction of the world's largest seated outdoor bronze giant buddha.
Tai O, Cheung Chau and Lamma, which had once been famous fishing villages and mariculture grounds, now become well-known tourist attractions. South Lantau, harbouring with its unique coastal and other natural features including beaches and tracts of undisturbed woodland, is a prime area for countryside recreation. Since the late seventies, Discovery Bay has been developed as a private comprehensively planned suburb with integrated recreational facilities which include an artificial beach and a golf course.
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Traditional festival
Apart from the Chinese festivals that are commonly celebrated elsewhere in the
territory (such as the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and
Mid-Autumn Festival), Islands District has a much fuller calendar
in terms of traditional festivities.
The Tin Hau Festival, celebrated on the
twenty-third of the third month of the Lunar Calendar, is widely
supported by the fishermen's communities at Cheung Chau, Tai O,
Mui Wo, Lamma, Peng Chau and Po Toi. Tin Hau is the goddess of the
sea and of fishermen, protecting them and ensuring fine weather
and full nets. The festival is a colourful event and is
characterized by floral paper offerings known as "fa pau".
The Hau Wong (Nobleman) Festival is also the subject of solemn ceremonies at
various places in the district. There are different stories as to
who Hau Wong is, but the most popular one is that he is Yang
Liangjie, a loyal court official of the late Sung Dynasty. Whilst
Tai O celebrates the festival in the sixth month of the Lunar
Calendar, Tung Chung holds the celebrations in the eighth month.
There are still other festivals that are worthy of note. The Bun Festival at
Cheung Chau in late March/early April of the Lunar Calendar is
held to appease the gods that guard the island and to placate the
hungry ghosts of pirates' victims roaming in the island in search
of food. In the festival's procession, child performers dressed in
costumes of ancient gods are suspended by rods and wires. The
ceremony is fascinating and attracts many visitors.
Cuisines
Fish farming is still one of the major economic
activities in Islands District. Restaurants, mainly located at Mui
Wo, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau, offer a wide variety of
delicious fresh seafood dishes.
Pubs at Yung Shue Wan of
Lamma and Cheung Chau are also the hot spots for tourists. Various
style cuisines are served at restaurants located mainly at Mui Wo,
Pui O and Discovery Bay, Lamma and Cheung Chau.
Holiday accommodation
Holiday flats are concentrated mainly at Mui Wo, Pui O, Cheung Sha and Tong Fuk on Lantau, and along the beaches at Cheung Chau. Hotels are also located at Silver Mine Bay of Mui Wo and Tung Wan of Cheung Chau providing sea-view accommodation for tourists.
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Sports facilities
Being the home base for Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medallist, windsurfer Ms LEE Lai-shan, Kwun Yam Wan has become a favourite tourist spot for local visitors since the 1996 Olympics. The country trails on Lantau, Lamma, Po Toi and other islands attract many hikers. Lo Tik Wan of Lamma and Po Toi are the favourite spots for angling.
