The remote corners of Plover Cove Country Park are dotted with spooky, abandoned villages, with fascinating histories worthy of exploration.
Hong Kong is dominated by its sprawling urban areas, where ‘new’ often means better and development is non stop. Of course, this wasn’t always the case and HK has a rich rural history, once made up of a vast network of farming and fishing villages. Almost all of these have been torn down but there are a few that are still inhabited across HK. What’s more fascinating is the villages that have simply been deserted, left to decay almost exactly as they were the day they were abandoned. These ‘ghost villages’ offer an eerie glimpse of HKs rural past and are well worth exploring if you’re looking for something adventurous to do.
How to get there
Many of these abandoned villages are found in Plover Cove country park in the New Territories and were established by Hakka settlers migrating to HK from the Mainland. They were at their peak population in the 1940s and 50s but as post-war industrialisation swept over HK, villagers either sought better opportunities in the urban areas or left HK entirely, leaving the villages to the mercy of the surrounding flora and fauna.
To start exploring, take the MTR to Fanling Station. Take the number 56k Green Minibus to the last stop, Luk Keng (ride for ~25-40 mins). Walk along Bride’s Pool road and follow signs for Luk Keng Village. Enjoy coastal scenery, mangroves, and the lush greenery all around as you approach the first village.
Luk Keng Chan Uk
Luk Keng is believed to have been established in the early 1700s by the Chan clan. It was mostly a farming and livestock village and would have seen many people pass through it due to its proximity to transport routes at the time.
Once a bustling community of over 100 people, today there are around 10 elderly villagers who have remained to look after their family homes. The other abandoned houses still stand and explorers can get a good idea of what village life might have looked like back then. Other than the houses, there are still two ancestral halls and the ruins of the old village school (closed in 1952) to explore as well.
Fung Hang
After getting your fill of Luk Keng, stay on the Bride’s Pool Road before veering left onto Tiu Tang Lung Path. This scenic walkway takes you along the Starling Inlet with views of the coast and China in the distance.
After about 20 minutes, you’ll see the rows of old houses (most of them in a state of almost total disrepair) of Fung Hang village. This village was once home to around 60 houses and was a single clan village, inhabited by the Cheung family.
Unlike many of these abandoned villages, Fung Hang is blocked off to visitors by a barbed wire fence and various signs reminding people that it is private property. It’s still quite something to view from the other side of the fence and get an idea of what rural life may have looked like.
A small handful of villagers remain today, or some come by periodically to tidy their ancestral hall and make offerings to the village shrine. One couple, Mr and Mrs Cheung relocated back to the village to open Fung Hang snacks, near the Fung Hang Pier. This little snack shack is now a popular spot for hikers looking to refuel and get a taste of traditional hakka snacks.
Kuk Po
One of the larger villages, Kuk Po served as an important transportation hub due to its proximity to the Sha Tau Kok ferry pier. This valuable location, alongside its successful agriculture industry led to a flourishing population. The village also had its own school which remained in operation right up until the early 1990s.
Several factors led to the gradual decline and eventual abandonment of Kuk Po and today, it is all but abandoned save for one resident, Mark Sung who maintains the village and his ancestral grounds. However, a recent project by the Chinese University of HK and the government is aiming to restore some of the architecture and preserve cultural heritage by offering guided tours and exhibitions.
The combination of largely intact structures, abandoned personal artifacts and the way in which nature has reclaimed the village back makes for an eerie yet fascinating walk-around.
Yung Shue Au
Carrying on the walkway from Kuk Po, the concrete path soon merges into a dirt track and steadily starts to climb uphill into the surrounding lush green forest. After around an hours walk, you’ll start noticing the first few ruins of Yung Shue Au village.
Meaning ‘Banyan pass’, Yung Shue Au was established more than 300 years ago and has a rich history, including being used as a British military outpost in the 1970s. Today, it is truly a ghost village and every house has been completely abandoned, sacrificed to the unrelenting jungle. Twisting roots and gnarled branches have poked and prodded their way through every crack, causing the upper level of many of the houses to completely cave in. Other houses look relatively intact from the outside but when you peer into the windows, you’re met by more jungle.
The Chinese University of HK has also included Yung Shue Au in its project of preserving the Hakka culture of some of these abandoned villages and restoring elements of Yung Shue Au so it can be included in an Eco-Cultural trail project.
So Lo Pun
The trail out of Yung Shue Au starts to get more wild at this point but the path is still easy to follow. The walk takes about half an hour whereby you’ll pass a few small waterfalls before the first few structures of So Lo Pun village come into view.
Once a flourishing fishing and farming village, transportation difficulties and livelihood opportunities led residents to move elsewhere from So Lo Pun. It is believed to have been inhabited up until the early 80s but is now totally abandoned and becoming increasingly derelict. Moss carpets old playground equipment, the buildings held together by thick ancient tree roots. It would be hard to believe anyone had stepped foot here in years if it wasn’t for the bright red Chinese Couplets on either side of old doorways, a sure sign that neighboring villagers still pay their respects here for Chinese New Year.
Whilst the other villages may feel eerie, this village is officially believed to be haunted. Originally So Nou Pun, its name was mistakenly recorded by the British in 1898 as So Lo Pun, literally translating to ‘locked compass’. This led to rumors that hikers’ compasses would stop working in the village. Other urban tales speak of the villagers disappearing overnight, even leaving untouched food on their tables. Regardless of what you believe, there is definitely something a little unsettling walking through these ruins.
Lai Chi Wo
As you venture on from So Lo Pun, the path takes you along a stretch of beach and you can get a taste for the simple fishing and farming lifestyle that these villagers once had. Enough contemplation though, as a rocky path takes you back uphill, leading you to Lai Chi Wo village within around a half hour’s walk.
Another once prosperous farming village, Lai Chi Wo was renowned for its fertile land and vibrant community life and in the 1950s, it was home to up to 1000 residents. It is one of the largest, oldest and best preserved villages and was completely abandoned for some time up until around 2013, when various restoration efforts began to preserve Hakka culture as well as boost ecotourism to the area. Now a part of the HK Unesco Global Geopark, the village is home to a few families and people can experience various historical and agricultural activities.
Getting back
To get back home, you have two options. Either retrace your steps back towards Luk Keng village from where you can take the 56k Minibus to Fanling MTR. This would make your total round trip around 6-7 hours, depending how long you spend in each village. Whilst some villages have snack shops, these are not always open on weekdays so make sure you bring enough water and food with you.
Alternatively, you can carry on walking from Lai Chi Wo towards Wu Kau Tang. Around 8km, this will take you another few hours and eventually leads you to Bride’s Pool Road. From here, you can get the 20R minibus to Tai Po Market MTR station or the number 275R bus (Sundays and public holidays only).
