In a bid to take a break from all that shopping and eating Lyn (my boo) and I have been indulging ourselves with for the past four days, we headed to the island of Cheung Chau for our last day of the Hong Kong trip. Located about 10km (or a half-hour ferry ride) southwest of Hong Kong Island, Cheung Chau according to the ‘ol Wikipedia, is an island which “has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong”. It also has a population of about 30,000…meaning less crowded. Something Lyn and I needed…to get out of all that hustle and bustle of Hong Kong life.
Before heading to Cheung Chau, Lyn did a little research on the island for activities and if there is anything we can look out for. With that, we drew a list and pulled out some unique and interesting facts:
- It was initially a fishing village but in recent years has converted into a tourist attraction;
- The roads there are so narrow that it is impossible for cars to travel there. The only transportation is either by bicycle or small motorised trucks officially termed “village vehicles”;
- With an area of 2.45 km², the island is kinda “long”, hence the name as translated from Cantonese is “Long Island”.
However, I need to point out something extremely disturbing about the island. According to Wikipedia, “the number of suicide cases in Cheung Chau is one of the highest in Hong Kong due to people travelling to the island from elsewhere in Hong Kong specifically to commit suicide. The most common method of suicide is to suffocate by burning off oxygen with charcoal in door with all the doors and windows closed. One would typically do this just before going to bed so that one would die while asleep. Many believe it to be the most painless way of suicide”. So I guess we would need to look out for them buggy ghosts as well. I can’t tell you how disturbed we were, but since we paid, we don’t have much of a choice but to carry on.
The next day, we headed to Central Pier (No. 5), perhaps the only pier that serves commuters from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong and back. Remember my previous paragraph on suicides in Cheung Chau? Well, while waiting for the next available ferry, we noticed this interesting banner which in some ways haunted us again…
So I guess it was fair to say that Wikipedia was not wrong…people do go there to die…bummer. Upon arrival, I was prepared to step into an old town where residents there still hold to their traditional believes (sacrifice a goat or two), wear their native costumes daily and perhaps speak in their own language. But I have been wrong in many occasions and this one is no different. The first thing I saw after stepping out of the pier is one of the many trademarks of globalisation…
Left: McD’s right in front of the pier | Right: Walk along the streets and you’ll see our local bank
Modern as Cheung Chau may seem to be, the island still seem to have kept its quiet fishing village character. You could see may fishing boats docked at the pier side, seafood stalls preparing for dinner and that village feel which I would love to describe (but can’t).
Left: Boats docking by the sea | Right: Streets of Cheung Chau
After checking in to our hostel, we took a walk around the little island enjoying the cool (chilling at times) evening breeze. Yeah, we both agreed this was much needed in our tiring trip. We passed by schools, municipal councils, homes and shopped around for quick munchies. Interesting to note though, the island even have its own library, something I thought would never exist in a small town, but like I said, I have been wrong in many occasions.
By the way, it is also a municipal council, a wet market, offices and a school (I think)
Oh uh, and to answer your question on the “ghost thing”..no no no..we didn’t see anything. It is a really peaceful island, which makes me wonder why did people go there to commit suicide. Weird!! So if you are looking for a nice place to escape and just rest and relax in Hong Kong, you might want to consider visiting Cheung Chau. I can’t think of a better, more relaxing place in Hong Kong.Up next…the food in Cheung Chau.. 
Sunset in Cheung Chau
More photos in my Flickr album here.
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