The oft forgotten Peng Chau (常被遺忘的坪州)

As we try to negotiate through the endless streams of people fighting to get on to an MTR train or to thread our way through the busy streets of Mongkok or Causeway Bay during rush hour doing our best to avoid bumping against others or being bumped by them, it 's easy to forget that Hong Kong is not just an island plus a peninusula. We're surrounded by many big and small islands. It may surprise you to know that in fact, there are a total of  234 of them, not counting Hong Kong  Island itself!  If we want to get away from the dizzying crowds, island hopping is definitely an option to consider. I try to visit as many of the larger accessible larger islands as possible. So I find myself on Peng Chau from time to time.

The pier at Peng Chau

Moored to the Pier

Seaside park outside the Peng Chau pier

Coastal promenade

old boat, new boat

There must be red and gold at the bow of the boat during the Chinese New Year

and outside the steering cabin

Two lighters moored at the side of the embankment



Cuttlefish, salt fish drying in the sun by the seaside promenade. The waves are so near yet so far now.

The seaside is full of disused tyres having a second lease of life as cushions for boats during embarcation and disembarcation

A fly and three rusting bolts

bamboos, the most flexible supports for scaffolds, are lying by banks of the sea.

Sand for the never ending construction

Materials originally intended for one purpose can always find alternative uses

Pots, pans, buckets, basins, trays spill over onto the public alleyways

The locals have a strong sense of color

They seem to have a taste for strong primary colors

Roof of a deserted house

Garbage in the

abandoned house

Creepers taking over an abandoned house

For fisherfolks, offerings must be made to the Dragon King (海龍王), who is supposed to have power over the weather and the condition of the sea, the principal source of their livelihood. Anthropologists tell us that for Chinese, the dragon is a symbol of rain and lightning . But it really doesn't matter that he's just a character in a mythical combination of crocodile, snake, lion and reindeer What is important to the fishermen is that they believe that he exists and has power to protect them from hazards at sea and land.

Opposite to the temple to the Dragon King is a pavillion for holding outdoor religious ceremonies

They even have a shrine for Na Ja (哪叱) , a character in The Pantheon of gods (封神榜). This is his shrine by the seaside

Another shrine for a local deity. What would people do without gods?

What's more important than personal safety and hope for wealth?

These two blessings must be visible even from the outside of a temple, through what resembles a port hole on a ship

A little light for the enfant terrible in the Chinese pantheon

The island has a thriving market selling all kinds of products for the locals.

Anyone wants tomatoes and egg plants?

A giant cuttle fish for drying right above my head over the road

This metal fence seems as a good place for parking a bicycle as any other

or for tying unused ropes

Ropes may have more use than one, even for holding laundry

This is the main beach on the island

The side of the beach

The rocks are colonized by sea weeds.

Another smaller rocky beach on the island

Rocks on one side of the island

Rocks on another side of the island

The flags may tell us what the locals are most concerned with: feng shui

a path leading eventually up the hills

Leaves changing color at the side of the path

A corner of the island from a hill path

Light at the end of the path

Exuberance of Nature

Leaves by the roadside

More leaves in growing freely in the wild

many of the houses on the island are decorated with flowers.

A flower over someone's fence

But there is nothing to compare with the beauty of the flowers growing in the wild. Paper flowers blooming everywhere

Flowers growing at the side of the path

These were growing at the side of the hills

So were these

Begonias in the wild

A tiny flower growing on a rusted fence

Tiny roadside flowers

Another roadside flower

One more

This one is grown in a small roadside park

Found these by the side of a little stream

This little pond was completely covered with water weeds

Some wild seeds

Another fruit

Creepers hanging on for life

Struggling to survive,  beside a gutter

It was sunset. The sun seems beset by petty annoyances. .

Sun behind a gunwale

Sun hidden by branches

Sun hidden by a barrel on a boat

Sun above another boat

It was getting dark

Tackles on a boat

Another passing boat



Sun beside a boat cabin

Beginning to get dark

Getting really dark now

Back to the overcrowded urban area

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