Scraps of Tap Mun

Tap Mun is a special place well worth visiting. According to internet sources, officially called "Grass Island", it has an area of 1.69 KM  square but its population has dropped from about 2,000 to about 100 now, as a result of which the only school on the island closed in 2003. No wonder there are so many abandoned stone or brick huts on the island! However, despite its small size, its Tin Hau Temple, built in 1737 with an annexe for Kwan Tai and its Shui Yuet King built in 1788 for respectively the Kuan Yin and the Earth God, is the site for annual worship by fishermen in the surrounding areas on the 19th day of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar for the Guan Yin and on the 23rd of the 3rd lunar month for the Tin Hau and in addition one of the two surviving marine parades in Hong Kong to celebrate the birthday of the Tin Hau will also be held there, but only once a decade.

Whatever its history, for me it's an excellent site for some photographic practice.

A sailing centre we passed through on the way from Wong Shek Pier to Tap Mun

The point of landing on the island

Some boats for hire to fishing aficianados

Some Tap Mun "accommodation" for rearing fish close to its pier.

Passengers sharing my motorized "sampan".





An empty motorised "sampan".

Sundried fish and shrimps, any one?

What you see is what you get.  I got some dried shrimps!

The back of a Government rubbish bin.

A plastic chair at the side of the road.

An improvised window for the window?

A discarded stone mill

A surf board type solo yacht

A firewood stove!!




Another broken down hut on the way to the camping site and the look out points.

The coastal path is paved with anti-skidding materials

A  good camping site.

Some campers I found

Some campers took advantage of the strong wind from the Pacific to fly a kite.

A covered bench for curious eyes upon tired feet.

Some rock formations for which the island is famous.

 

A  pebble beach.

A curious sight! Don't they look alike?

Some berries I found on my way to the hill top

The famous Tin Hau Temple

The roof of the Tin Hau Temple, the associated temples and former school.

A close up of part of the roof.

A shop under decoration on the island

An palm of wires? 

A child trying out his running skill on the street under the watchful eyes of her mother.

Some creepers in the sun.

More creepers.

A close up of one of its branches trying hard to reach out.

I like the way the sun comes through the leaves.

Look what I found! A spider among the creepers!
Am I not a kind of  spider too, trying hard to spin its silky and sticky strings across the world in the hope of catching something or someone of value?