Tai O
Tai O
大澳 | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 22°15′16″N 113°51′51″E / 22.2544°N 113.8642°E | |
Country | China |
Special Administrative Region | Hong Kong |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,200 (approx) |
Tai O | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Dà Ào |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Daaih ou |
Jyutping | Daai6 ou3 |
Tai O (
Geography
On the southwest part of Lantau Island, Tai O River splits to the north (as Tai O Creek) and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. Two pedestrian bridges cross the river on its northern and western forks. The village is located mostly on the banks of the river. The western and northern parts of the island facing the South China Sea are uninhabited.
History
Nearby archaeological sites date back to the
Tai O is one of five villages of Lantau that were resettled when the coastal restriction of the
At nearby
When the British came to Hong Kong, Tai O was known as a Tanka village. A naval engagement between British and USA naval forces against Chinese piracy was fought in 1855.
At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Shek Tsai Po of Tai O was 118; the number of males was 71. The population of Tai O, both land and boat based, was 7,661; the number of males was 4,318.[2]
During and after the
Tai O has a history of
Currently the fishing lifestyle is dying out. While many residents continue to fish, it barely provides a subsistence income. There is a public school on the island and most young people move away when they come of age. In 2000, a large fire broke out destroying many residences.[4] The village is now mostly squatters huts and dilapidated stilt houses.
Points of interest
Heritage
Graded buildings in Tai O include:[5]
- Yeung Hau Temple, built in 1699[6] (Declared Monument)
- Old Tai O Police Station (Grade II)
- Kwan Tai Temple, Kat Hing Back Street. Built in 1741. (Grade II)
- Tin Hau Temple, Kat Hing Back Street. Built in 1772, it is connected to the left of Kwan Tai Temple.[7][8]
- Fong Bin Yuen. (Grade III)
- No. 23 Kat Hing Back Street. (Grade III)
- Shek Lun Kok, No. 33 Kat Hing Back Street. (Grade III)
- No. 46-48 Kat Hing Street, pre-war shophouses. (Grade III)
- Wing Hing Petrol Station, No. 99C Kat Hing Back Street. (Grade III)
Other historical buildings include:[5]
- Hip Wo Se Hok, No. 151 Tai Ping Street, a former school.
- Hung Shing Temple, Shek Tsai Po Street. Built in 1746.
Tourism
Also known as the "Venice of Hong Kong", Tai O is a tourist spot for both foreigners and residents of other parts of Hong Kong, despite damage by a fire in July 2000.[4] The pang uks, a kind of stilt house, built right over the waterway are still quite scenic. A cable ferry tended by local women used to be quite popular with visitors, but it was replaced with a steel pedestrian bridge in October 1996.[9]
The traditional
Old Tai O Police Station, a Grade II historic building, has been turned into a boutique hotel called Tai O Heritage Hotel by Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation. The hotel has nine rooms and a restaurant. The hotel has been open and operational since 2012.[10]
Tai O Rural Committee Historic and Cultural Showroom, located within the centuries-old fishing village of Tai O, exhibits relics of the local community's past, including fishing tools and dismantled old structures. The showroom was founded by the Tai O Rural Committee and all the items in its collection were donated by local residents.
Education
There are two kindergartens, one primary school and one secondary school. They are CCC Tai O Primary School and Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College.
Most of Lantau Island, Tai O 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.[11]
Transport
Tai O can be reached by bus (
- Mui Wo – Bus no. 1
- Tung Chung – Bus no. 11
- Ngong Ping – Bus no. 21
There are ferry piers on Tai O, close to Tai O Bus Terminus. It operates daily as the following routes connecting Tai O:
- Tuen Mun (Tuen Mun Ferry Pier) - service by Fortune Ferry
- Tung Chung (Tung Chung New Development Ferry Pier) - service by Fortune Ferry
- Sha Lo Wan - operated by Fortune Ferry
Notable People
- Cilla Kung, actress and singer; she was born and raised in Tai O. [12]
In popular culture
A 1998 Hong Kong drama A Place of One's Own by TVB starring Adia Chan and Mariane Chan is set in Tai O.
A 2021 Hong Kong drama Ossan's Love (HK version) by ViuTV starring Edan Lui and Anson Lo is set in Tai O.[13]
See also
- List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong
- List of villages in Hong Kong
- Battle of Ty-ho Bay (1855)
- Fu Shan
- Tung O Ancient Trail
- Leung Uk, a village in the vicinity of Tai O
References
- ISSN 1991-7295.
- ISSN 1991-7295.
- ISSN 1991-7295. (reprint of article by S.Y Lin, originally from The Hong Kong Naturalist, 1940)
- ^ a b Lee, Naomi (3 July 2000). "Tai O fire leaves 300 homeless". South China Morning Post.
- ^ a b List of the Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 17 December 2012)
- ^ Chinese Temples Committee: Hau Wong Temple, Tai O
- ^ (Grade III) Brief Information on Proposed Grade 3 Items, pp.535-536 Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Exploring Islands - Tai O
- ^ Ng, Joyce (25 July 2009). "Last operator happy hand-pulled Tai O ferry may return to service". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Tai O Fishing Village
- ^ "POA School Net 98" (PDF). Education Bureau. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "那些年——樂瞳鄉村妹變美少女". Hong Kong Headline Daily. 25 January 2016.
- ^ "大叔的愛 大澳6大好去處 跟田牧CP掃街食大魚蛋 大澳橋賞日落". HK01. 16 July 2021.
Further reading
- Liu Tik-sang, Siu-woo Cheung, Tai O; Study of Local History, No. 2. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company Ltd., 2006. ISBN 962-04-2505-7
- Page on Tai O by The Economist
- History of the Salt Industry and Tai O
- Boat anchorage
- "Review of Egretries in Hong Kong", in Hong Kong Biodiversity, Issue No. 14 March 2007, pp. 1-6.
External links
- Delineation of area of existing village Kat Hing Back Street (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Kat Hing Street (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Nam Tong Sun Tsuen (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Shek Tsai Po (East) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Shek Tsai Po (West) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Country Side (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Market Street (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Tai Ping Street (I) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Tai Ping Street (II) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Wing On Street (I) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)
- Delineation of area of existing village Tai O Wing On Street (II) (Tai O) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)