A Trip to Cheung Chau

Dear friends,

Today is Monday 18 June 2007, it is a sunny day.

On last Friday, not having anything in particular to do, I decided to have a half-day trip with my mother to Cheung Chau Island. I was extremely excited because I had heard so many great things about the island. There were so many common topics in the public talking about travelling to Cheung Chau Island, for instance: Cheung Chau Tung Wan beach, Pak Tai Temple, Pak She Tin Hau Temple., the celebration for Tai Ping Tsing Chiu, Road-side restaurants and little police car..etc.

Cheung Chau is a small island in western Hong Kong, it may seem tiny on a map of Hong Kong- maybe not much more than a full-stop off southeast Lantau, but it's easily reached from the Pier No. 4 in Central.

(Cheung Chau Ferry Pier)

After a 45-minute-ferry trip, it was at 15:15pm, the minute we arrived at the ferry pier of Cheung Chau Island, we were on the west coast of Cheung Chau viewing from inside of the ferry pier, my left hand side is the left side, so if you arrive at the ferry pier next time, you had better getting your orientation at once, your face viewing outside from the inside of the pier is your front side, your left hand side is your left side (North is to your left) while right hand side is South. You might have kept a simple map in your mind in such description made above.

Walking to south from the ferry pier, we saw a bustling street and Cheung Chau Market, Cheung Chau did not offer me an "away from it all" experience as it has been a famous holiday place for many hong kong people or students to search for entertainment or relaxation. Frankly speaking,it was too many persons walking on the street to give me a quieter feeling.

(Cheung Chau Market)

Walking to north, some sourvenir shops, road-side restaurants and holiday flats are there, my mother said: the so-called "Cheung Chau Island" was nothing more than a small island.............,it had no difference from "Stanley Bay" of Hong Kong Island... However she agreed to the point that some sourvenir items like "Ping On Bread" and colorful sand shoes were nowhere to be found except on Cheung Chau Island. My mother bought 2 pairs of sand shoes and hand bags, and some accessories relating to the meaning of "Ping On" to my sisters.

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The afternoon passed by fastly and we went back to the ferry pier around at 17:15pm. Similarly, our ferry trip back to Central Pier was spent for 45 minutes, we reached the central pier at 18:00pm.

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All in all, it was one of the good tours my mother has ever gone on as she has been living in small region in Wong Tai Sin for many years....so a short trip has brought her close more to Lantau Island and offered her a memorable day. The best thing is that it was not an extravagant vacation! Everyone can afford it.

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with best wishes,

Ken Ngan

18 June 2007