Mui Wo

Last updated

Mui Wo
梅窩
Town
Mui Wo 2021.jpg
Mui Wo, as viewed from the hills from the north in 2021
Coordinates: 22°15′52″N114°00′5″E / 22.26444°N 114.00139°E / 22.26444; 114.00139
District Council Islands District
Government
 • Member of the District CouncilRandy Yu Hon-kwan (Independent)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total5,485

History

Yuen's Mansion and one of its two watchtowers, in Chung Hau, Mui Wo. Yuen's Mansion (Hong Kong).jpg
Yuen's Mansion and one of its two watchtowers, in Chung Hau, Mui Wo.
Entrance of Silvermine Cave in 2016 Silvermine Cave 2.JPG
Entrance of Silvermine Cave in 2016

The recorded history of Mui Wo dates back to the last days of the Southern Song dynasty. Fleeing south from the invading Yuan dynasty, in 1277 the Southern Song imperial court sought refuge in Silvermine Bay (at that time known as Mei Yu or 梅蔚). In March 1278, whilst attempting a further escape from the Mongols, the penultimate Song emperor Duanzong fell from a boat and almost drowned. After his rescue, he became ill and died a few months later at Mui Wo. Duanzong's successor, Zhao Bing, was enthroned at Mui Wo on 10 May 1278.

Mui Wo is one of five villages of Lantau that were resettled when the coastal restriction of the Great Clearance was lifted in 1669. The other villages are Tung Sai Chung, Lo Pui O, Shek Pik and Tai O. [4]

Mining

A silver and lead mine, close to the settlement of Pak Ngan Heung and Sivermine Waterfall, formally opened in March 1886. [5] It had closed by the time China leased the New Territories to Britain in 1898. [6] The main entrance is now called Silvermine Cave. People can only enter the first ten metres or so as the rest of the tunnels have been blocked off for safety reasons, and to prevent disturbance to the rare species of bats who live there. [7]

19–27 August 1945: Mui Wo massacre

Japanese soldiers killed at least nine people and arrested 300 Mui Wo villagers in the weeks after Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, ending the Second World War. [8] [9] Many victims were beaten and tortured. Some were beheaded.

Twelve Japanese soldiers who took part in the massacre were convicted of war crimes in 1946, and three of them hanged. The rest were sentenced to between two and ten years in jail. In their defence, the Japanese soldiers said they had been responding to a guerrilla attack after Japan's capitulation. Their actions were to maintain law and order until they could formally surrender to Allied forces. The judge rejected their arguments as he said the Mui Wo residents were not responsible for the guerrillas' actions.

Villages

Man Mo Temple in Pak Ngan Heung, Mui Wo. Man Mo Temple, Mui Wo 2.JPG
Man Mo Temple in Pak Ngan Heung, Mui Wo.

Villages in the vicinity of Mui Wo include:

Sights

Silver Mine Waterfall. HK SilvermineWaterfall 2015.jpg
Silver Mine Waterfall.
Mui Wo's Silver Mine Bay Beach. Silvermine Bay Beach.jpg
Mui Wo's Silver Mine Bay Beach.

Nearby attractions include Silver Mine Bay Beach, Silver Mine Waterfall and a temple dedicated to Man Mo, originally built during the reign of Wanli, emperor of the Ming dynasty (1573–1620). [10] There is a small local museum with old photos of Mui Wo and rural artefacts located behind the Silvermine Bay Resort Hotel, this is only open on Wed, Sat and Sun afternoons.

Silver Mine Bay Beach

The beach is one of the five gazetted beaches on Lantau. Leisure and Cultural Services Department life guards patrol it and there is a shark net to protect swimmers April through October. There were 69,580 visitors during the seven-month-long official bathing season in 2012—an average of 201 on weekdays and 461 on weekends and public holidays. There were 4,550 visitors on the busiest day, and 16,900 during the busiest month. [11]

Facilities include a fast food kiosk, BBQ pits(24nos), changing room, shower facilities, toilet, family changing room, babycare room and beach volleyball court. There is even a resort nearby.

Education

Heung Yee Kuk New Territories South District Secondary School

Closed in 2007. In 2009, residents protested against and blocked a plan [12] for a rehabilitation centre for drug offenders—the Christian Zheng Sheng College—to take over the site. There is a campaign to reopen the school for local students, but the school was still empty in July 2013. [13] Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College attempted to obtain the site. [14]

Mui Wo Primary School The school celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2009. [15]

Most of Lantau Island, Mui Wo/Silver Mine Bay included, is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 98, which contains multiple aided schools on Lantau Island, including two in Tung Chung; no government primary schools are in this net. [16]

Future development

The First-term Work Report of the Lantau Development Advisory Committee (LanDAC) was released in early 2016. The report proposes a new expressway linking Kennedy Town to Mui Wo, and the development of an "East Lantau Metropolis" at Mui Wo. In all, the report proposes housing up to one million residents on Lantau Island, up from the current figure of approximately 100,000. [17]

Notable residents

The cartoonist Larry Feign, who wrote and drew The World of Lily Wong , lives in Mui Wo.

Transport

Silvermine Bay Ferry Pier in Mui Wo NWFF MngRiver.JPG
Silvermine Bay Ferry Pier in Mui Wo
Mui Wo bus terminus Bus Terminal at Mui Wo.JPG
Mui Wo bus terminus

Sea

Mui Wo is connected by ferry to Central (Central ferry pier number 6). Other ferry services link Mui Wo to Discovery Bay, Peng Chau, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau.

Land

Buses operate from Mui Wo to other places on Lantau, including Tung Chung (3M) and thus Hong Kong Airport (A35) and the rail network. The major road South Lantau Road begins with Mui Wo and ends in Tai O, with Tung Chung Road branching from Cheung Sha to Tung Chung.

The South Lantau and Tung Chung Roads connect Mui Wo to the rest of Hong Kong's road network. They are closed to private vehicles but local residents and businesses can apply for permits to use them. [18]

Numerous hiking trails lead from Mui Wo to other parts of the island. The long hiking trail on the island, Lantau Trail, starts from Mui Wo. A much-frequented route leads north-east from Mui Wo to Discovery Bay via a pagoda, the Trappist Haven Monastery, and then either up the mountain via the Discovery Bay golf course or by the ocean via Nim Shue Wan.

Air

The Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps operate a helipad at the end of Mui Wo Ferry Pier Road that is close to the sewage plant. [19]

MIRROR's reality show 'Be a Better MIRROR' by ViuTV is filmed in Mui Wo. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lantau Island</span> Largest island in Hong Kong

Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong. A small northeastern portion of the island is located in the Tsuen Wan District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islands District</span> District in Hong Kong, China

The Islands District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is part of the New Territories. It had a population of 170,900 in 2018.

Hong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place. As a result, large waves seldom appear at the bays, making them suitable for human swimming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tung Chung</span> New town in Hong Kong

Tung Chung, meaning "eastern stream", is an area on the northwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. One of the most recent new towns, it was formerly a rural fishing village beside Tung Chung Bay, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma Wan Chung in the north-western coast of Lantau Island. The area was once an important defence stronghold against pirates and foreign military during the Ming and the Qing dynasties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tung Chung Fort</span> Historic site in Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Tung Chung Fort is a fort located near Tung Chung, on Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. Close to Tung Chung Road, the fort is surrounded by the villages of Sheung Ling Pei (上嶺皮) and Ha Ling Pei (下嶺皮). It has a companion Tung Chung Battery on the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tai O</span> Village in Hong Kong, China

Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means large inlet, referring to outlet for the waterways merges as it moves through Tai O.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shek Pik</span> Area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

Shek Pik is an area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. When the Shek Pik Reservoir was built, villages at Shek Pik were demolished and the villagers were relocated to other parts of Lantau Island and to Tsuen Wan. Below the dam of the reservoir is Shek Pik Prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shek Pik Reservoir</span> Reservoir in New Territories, Hong Kong

Shek Pik Reservoir is a reservoir in Shek Pik on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Built between 1957 and 1963, it has a storage capacity of 24 million cubic metres and is the third largest reservoir in Hong Kong after High Island Reservoir and Plover Cove Reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tung Chung Road</span>

Tung Chung Road is a two disjointed-section road connecting the north and south coast of Lantau Island.

The Outlying Islands are all the islands that make up the territory of Hong Kong, with the exception of Hong Kong Island and some smaller islands near its coast. There are 263 islands over 500 m2 in Hong Kong, the vast majority of which are located within the New Territories, with significant numbers located in Islands District in the south and southwest, Sai Kung District in the southeast, and Tai Po District and North District in the northeast. The term "outlying" is not strictly defined and in some cases islands very close to Hong Kong Island and mainland China are not included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Mine Bay Beach</span> Beach in Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong

Silver Mine Bay Beach or Silvermine Bay Beach is a gazetted beach located facing Silver Mine Bay on Tung Wan Tau Road in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 210 metres long and is rated as good to fair by the Environmental Protection Department for its water quality in the past twenty years. The beach offers views of Hei Ling Chau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pui O</span>

Pui O, 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). Pui O is located at the edge of Lantau South Country Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tong Fuk</span> Village on Lantau Island

Tong Fuk is a village and an area on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is a popular place for holiday recreation. Tong Fuk Beach, to the south of the village, is a popular local attraction alongside the other beaches of South Lantau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tai Ho Wan</span> Bay of Hong Kong

Tai Ho Wan is a bay on the north shore of Lantau Island in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located west of Siu Ho Wan, and northeast of Tung Chung and Kei Tau Kok. The surrounding land was originally planned to be part of the North Lantau New Town scope, but there is a current slowdown in its plans because of the lack in population growth and environmental groups opposed to the next in abeyance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvermine Bay Ferry Pier</span> Ferry pier in Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Silvermine Bay Ferry Pier or Mui Wo Ferry Pier is a ferry pier located on the waterfront of Silver Mine Bay in Mui Wo Ferry Pier Road, Mui Wo, New Territories, Hong Kong. There are two ferry routes provided in the pier. One is the service between Mui Wo and Central, operated by Sun Ferry. Another one is the "Inter-Island" service among Peng Chau, Lantau Island and Cheung Chau, also operated by the same operator.

References

  1. ↑ 2011 Population Census – Fact Sheet for Tertiary Planning Units 961 – 962, http://www.census2011.gov.hk/en/district-profiles/tpu/tpu961.html Accessed 24 June 2013. NB The census takers combine statistics for Mui Wo (Tertiary Planning Unit 962) with the sparsely populated area to the north and northwest (TPU 961) that includes Tai Ho
  2. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/LantauBuffaloAssociation/info [ user-generated source ]
  3. ↑ "CNN Travel | Global Destinations, Tips & Video".
  4. ↑ Siu, Anthony Kwok-kin (1989). "Tai Yu Shan from Chinese Historical Records" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch . 29: 394–398. ISSN   1991-7295.
  5. ↑ Sacramento Daily Union, 29 April 1886, page 2
  6. ↑ Hongkong Government Gazette, 8 April 1899, Appendix No. 2, Report on the Geology of the New Territory by Mr. Ormsby
  7. ↑ Written reply from the then-Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, to a question from a Legislative Council member, Cheung Hok-ming: "LCQ15: Improvement works in Mui Wo", 4 March 2009, http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200903/04/P200903040157.htm, accessed 8 July 2013
  8. ↑ Hong Kong's War Crimes Trials Collection Website, compiled by Suzannah Linton and Hong Kong University Libraries. http://hkwctc.lib.hku.hk/exhibits/show/hkwctc/documents/item/58 Accessed 24 June 2013.
  9. ↑ UK National Archives reference: WO235/993.
  10. ↑ Exploring Islands. Man Mo Temple, Mui Wo. Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong, 2012, http://www.beachwq.gov.hk/UpFile/en/bwq_report2012.pdf, accessed 28 June 2013.
  12. ↑ Siu, Beatrice (11 June 2009). "Mui Wo rejects drug school move". The Standard. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
  13. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Re-open-Mui-Wo-Secondary-School/371829458727 [ user-generated source ]
  14. ↑ Zhao, Shirley (5 January 2014). "Competition hots up for vacant Lantau school site". South China Morning Post . Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  15. ↑ http://www.mws.edu.hk/doc/S01.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  16. ↑ "POA School Net 98" (PDF). Education Bureau . Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  17. ↑ "Lantau Development Advisory Committee". Development Bureau. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  18. ↑ Transport Department , Lantau Closed Road Permit, http://www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/licences_and_permits/lantau_closed_road_permit/ Accessed 24 June 2013
  19. ↑ Chairman's Report, 2012 AGM – Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps, http://www.aircadets.org.hk/web/form/Chairman's%20Report%20AGM%202012(2).pdf
  20. ↑ "【調教你Mirror】跟隨Mirror的足跡 細數成員們的梅窩打卡點". marie claire hk magazine. 3 July 2021.
Mui Wo
Traditional Chinese 梅窩
Simplified Chinese 梅窝
Literal meaningplum nest
Areas
Landmarks
Beaches
Former
Transport
Education
This list is incomplete.
Hong Kong SkyCity (including AsiaWorld–Expo) and Hong Kong International Airport (Template) are on adjacent Chek Lap Kok though have addresses for Lantau Island.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.