| Shek O | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Shek O as viewed from Dragon's Back | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 石 澳 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 石 澳 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Yale | Sehk'ou | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Rocky Bay" | ||||||||||||||||||
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Shek O is an area of the south-eastern part of Hong Kong Island,in Hong Kong. It can refer to Shek O village,Shek O Peninsula or Shek O Headland. Administratively,they are part of Southern District.
The name Shek O literally means the "rocky bay". The entire area is a peninsula on the southern coast of the Hong Kong Island, facing the South China Sea. Shek O is surrounded by Shek O Country Park, Big Wave Bay and Cape D'Aguilar.
Shek O Village (石澳村) has a history of some 200 years. [1] It was established by fishermen of the Chan, Yip, Li and Lau clans [2] and was once famous for its lobster. [3] The majority of the population previously lived on the land presently occupied by the Shek O country Club, from where it was forcibly removed. In 1841, Shek O Village as a whole, together with Hok Tsui Village (鶴咀村) and Tai Long Wan Village (大浪灣村), had a population of around 200.
The Tin Hau Temple in Shek O Village was built in 1891. [1] It is a Grade III historic building, [4] and its management has been delegated by the Chinese Temples Committee to the Shek O Residents Association. [5] The memorial archway near the main entrance road to the town is inscribed with the calligraphy of R.C. Lee (利銘澤) (1905–1983).
The modernist Shek O Bus Terminus building next door was constructed in 1955 [6] and designed by Hsin Yieh Architects, founded by Chinese architect Su Gin Djih (徐敬直). However, the earliest bus service to Shek O dates back to the 1920s, when the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited operated a bus route between the Hong Kong Hotel and Big Wave Bay in Shek O.
Shek O Beach is a sandy public beach at Shek O. [7] The water quality is fair and is gazetted Grade 2. It is a popular weekend and holiday destination, offering a public barbecue area and many restaurants. The rocky cliffs provide an excellent place for sports climbing.
Around one mile north of Shek O beach, after passing the Shek O Country Club, is Big Wave Bay. As its name suggests, big waves roll on to the beach, propelled by the wind, making it a popular destination for surfers. Wind surfers can be found in the sea off Big Wave Bay and Shek O beaches. The Dragon's Back above Shek O is home to Hong Kong Island's only paragliding site. Paragliders can be seen riding the lift and landing at the nearby Rocky Bay. Big Wave Bay Beach is also the site of prehistoric rock carving similar to those found on Cheung Chau Island.
Both beaches have basic bars and restaurants, and equipment hire, such as body boards and lilos. In addition, Shek O Beach has a small golf course.
Due to the isolated location of Shek O, the environment near the beach remains rustic and quiet, which is one of the area's main attractions.
The Shek O Country Club (石澳鄉村俱樂部) is built around a par 65 private golf course. Its history goes back to 1919. The construction of the Clubhouse was completed in 1925. [8]
Shek O Country Club is a private golf club sitting on the Shek O peninsula with a history dating back to 1921. The course is short, playing to a par 65, with no par 5s and only two par 4s measuring over 350 yards. [9]
Shek O Beach has been noted as generally suffering from the highest drowning rate among Hong Kong's beaches, although this is not reflected in official statistics as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) only records incidents which occur while lifeguards are on duty. Residents estimated nine drowning deaths at the beach in 2011, and seven in 2012, figures which were not disputed by the LCSD. [10] The high rate of accidents at the beach has been attributed to its high patronage, usually strong waves, the steep underwater slope of the beach, swimmer inexperience and poor public awareness of water safety principles. [10]
The scenery of Shek O is the setting of numerous Cantopop music videos. The Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's 1999 film King of Comedy (喜劇之王) was also shot at Shek O. [11]
Shek O is served by Shek O Road, which connects Tai Tam Road to Stanley and Chai Wan. There is public transport link toward Shek O Beach: bus route 9 and red minibuses from Shau Kei Wan. There is limited parking near the beach.
Shek O is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 16. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and two government schools: Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School and Aldrich Bay Government Primary School. [12]
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.
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.
Clear Water Bay is a bay on the eastern shore of Clear Water Bay Peninsula of Hong Kong, located within Clear Water Bay Country Park. There are two beaches at Clear Water Bay: "Clear Water Bay First Beach" and "Clear Water Bay Second Beach". The name is also used to describe the area around the bay on the peninsula.
Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.
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.
Shek O Beach is a gazetted beach located facing Island Bay in Shek O, Southern District, 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 about 230 metres long and is rated as Grade 1 by the Environmental Protection Department for its water quality.
Lam Tsuen is an area in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, noted for its Lam Tsuen wishing trees. The nearby Lam Tsuen River, empties into Tai Po Hoi.
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.
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.
Sha Lo Wan is a bay in the northwest Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The bay faces north to Hong Kong International Airport. The area is occupied by indigenous inhabitants. There is no vehicular access to the area and thus their communication is on foot or by ferry. Because of their inconvenient access to urban areas, villages in the area have suffered from depopulation. Only older generations live in these villages.
Fan Lau is a peninsula and area in the southwest tip of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is also the southwest end the territory of Hong Kong. The very end of the tip is Fan Lau Kok (分流角). The peninsula separates water into Fan Lau Tung Wan in the east, and Fan Lau Sai Wan and Fan Lau Miu Wan in the west.
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.
Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan (大浪灣) is a bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, south of Cape Collinson and north of Shek O. This bay should not be confused with the bay with the same name in Sai Kung.
Tai Long Wan is a 3 kilometer-wide bay on the east coast of the Sai Kung Peninsula in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. Considered one of the most beautiful places in Hong Kong, it is a popular surf destination.
Tai Tau Chau is an island in the Southern District, Hong Kong. Geographically, it is located in the southern Hong Kong Island. It connected to the Shek O Headland by a footbridge and a gravelbar (tombolo) under it. The island itself is uninhabited.
Shau Kei Wan East Government Secondary School is a co-educational secondary school operated by the Government of Hong Kong in Hong Kong. Located in Shau Kei Wan, there are a total of 25 classrooms and 17 special rooms with a student enrollment of 660. The school was founded in 1963 and its medium of instruction is Chinese.
