Pui O

Pui O (Chinese: 貝澳, or 杯澳), formerly Lo Pui O (螺杯澳), is an area on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is a popular destination for holiday camping in Hong Kong. Visitors may also rent village houses for leisure. Located in the South Lantau, there are four main villages in Pui O, they are Lo Wai (老圍), San Wai (新圍), Lo Uk (羅屋), and Ham Tin (鹹田).

Geography

Pui O is a bay shaped by the Chi Ma Wa Peninsula and the lower slopes of Sunset Peak. A main river from a valley to the east and other small river gather at Pui O forming an estuary of wetland. Villagers enclosed the wetland and converted it into rice paddies. This is indicated by the name Ham Tin (鹹田), salty paddy field. At the shore, a long beach (or spit) is formed by the interaction between the current of the South China Sea and the rivers.

History

At Chung Hau (涌口) (the river mouth) there is a Tin Hau Temple dating back to 1799 in the Qing era. During this time, villages near the shore in Hong Kong were frequently attacked by pirates. Villages in Pui O were constructed as walled villages to assist in repelling these attacks Fact|date=April 2007.

Pui O Beach

Pui O Beach (貝澳泳灘) runs along almost the entire shoreline of Pui O. Due to the geological composition of surrounding area, the sand on the beach is mixture of black and yellow. The Hong Kong Government has constructed facilities on the upper beach for wild camping.

Transport

Pui O is on the South Lantau Road. All bus routes between Mui Wo and other points pass through Pui O. A branch road, Chi Ma Wan Road routes across Chi Ma Wan Peninsula to Chi Ma Wan.

Hiking Trails

The Lantau Trail passes through Pui O, and there are many other hiking routes in the vicinity.