Yim Tin Tsai
Abandoned Hakka village
A 15-minute boat ride from Sai Kung, Yim Tin Tsai wins hands down if you're into the abandoned vibe. The island was originally populated in the 1740s by a Guangdong family whose descendants developed salt farms on the island – the island's name literally means 'small salt field'. There were once around 1,000 inhabitants but the salt industry declined, the salt farms were converted into fish ponds in the 1960s and, by the 1990s, no-one was left living there.
Thanks to a regular ferry service, however, it's now a popular place with day trippers. The island, which is surrounded by mangroves, is also connected by a bridge to a public golf course on neighbouring Kau Sai Chau.
You can easily explore most of this tiny isle in a few hours – it's only 0.24sq km. Once you arrive at the pier, check out the nearby, photogenic St Joseph's Chapel, which was built in Romanesque style in 1890 and is now a Grade III listed building. Next door is the tiny 1920s Ching Po School which closed in 1990 due to a lack of pupils. It's now the Yim Tin Tsai Village Heritage Exhibition, which houses a modest collection of artefacts.
You can follow the trail around the abandoned houses (technically still owned by the villagers' descendants). These still offer somewhat spooky remnants of every day life from when they were inhabited, including television sets, beds and crockery.
The path takes a loop past the abandoned salt pans/fish ponds before coming back to the pier, where there is a small kiosk selling tasty and chewy Hakka sweets.
Don't miss The fascinating abandoned houses.
Get there Small ferries run from Sai Kung's waterfront promenade regularly, and cost around 35HKD for a round trip, which takes 15 minutes. For the full schedule,see bit.ly/yimtintsai. For more information, see yimtintsai.com (Chinese only)
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