The Lantau Islandtrip will give you a glimpse of the majestic mountain trails in Lantau Island, the largest island of Hong Kong, where the current Hong Kong international airport as well as the newly open Disneyland are located. The trekking will be carried out during the day and accommodation will be beach chalets in Lantau Island Town — Mui Wo. Our trekking guide will keep you company throughout the trip and you will discover the natural beauties of Hong Kong less known to tourists.
At the eastern end of Lantau is Tai O fishing village.
Nearby archaeological sites date back to the Stone Age, but permanent, and verifiable, human settlement here is only three centuries old. Stories that would be impossible to substantiate have Tai O as the base of many smuggling and piracy operations, the inlets of the river providing excellent protection from the weather and a hiding place. In early 16th century, Tai O was once occupied shortly by Portuguese during the Battle of Tamao. At nearby Fan Lau, a fort was built in 1729 to protect shipping on the Pearl River. Smuggling of guns, tobacco, drugs and people remains a documented illegal activity both into and out of mainland China.
When the British came to Hong Kong, Tai O was known as a Tanka village. During and after the Chinese Civil War, Tai O became a primary entrypoint for illegal immigration for those escaping from the People’s Republic of China. Some of these immigrants, mostly Cantonese, stayed in Tai O, and Tai O attracted people from other Hong Kong ethnic groups, including Hoklo (Hokkien) and Hakka.
Tai O has a history of salt production. In 1940, it was recorded that the Tai Po salt marshes were covering 70 acres (280,000 m2) and that the production has amounted to 25,000 piculs (1,512 metric tons) in 1938.
Ngong Peng Nature Park
In addition to being just a Lantau tourist spot, the Ngong Ping Nature Centre is a place where the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department exhibits information about Lantau to enhance visitors’ knowledge about the biodiversity and natural landscape, and to promote public awareness of environmental and ecological conservation, and above all, to encourage ethical, responsible and sustainable Hong Kong tourism.
It is the first visitor centre established for Lantau’s country parks. There are display panels with Chinese, English and Japanese captions, and a knowledge corner that provides information about nature. The Centre also organises guided eco-friendly land tours for visitors to explore the culture and natural resources around the Ngong Ping area, such as Ngong Ping Fun Walk.
