Big day out

THREE FATHOMS COVE Enjoy a waterfront stroll and discover the abandoned village of Sham Chung. By Nicole Slater

Located in a coastal inlet between Sai Kung West Country Park and Ma On Shan, Three Fathoms Cove is a relaxing trail leading to the abandoned Sham Chung Village. With most of the trail flat and pathed, this is the perfect family walk with plenty of interesting sights along the way.

The trail is roughly 45-minutes and starts from Yung Shue O Village. Painted banners will lead the way to Sham Chung and Sham Chung Ferry Pier.

Once you reach the end of the trail, you’ll find the remote grassland and lush mangroves referred to as Sham Chung. While the almost abandoned village may be beautiful, it is a far cry from its natural state. First established in 1879, this remote village thrived on the land which they had converted to paddy fields; at

its peak in 1950, the village was home to over 500 residents. After many of the community’s children left to work and study abroad, the village ended up abandoned.

Once the villagers left, the forgotten fields transformed into a wetland teeming with wildlife, including rare animals like brown fish owl and the Hong Kong paradise fish, becoming one of the cities most ecological sites.

But in 1999, developers earmarked the area for a golf course, draining the wetland and replacing it with grass, destroying the unique ecosystem in the process. The project was never approved and resulted in the loss of one of Hong Kong’s most thriving ecosystems.

Today, you can venture around the village, where many of the original structures still stand, including The Epiphany of Our Lord Chapel, one of the Historic churches of Sai Kung Peninsula. During the weekend and public holidays, some villages return to the area and serve cold drinks and noodles - perfect for an afternoon snack.

How to get there

From Sai Kung Town, take the 99 or 299X KMB bus and alite at Yung Shue O. From this junction it is a 45-minute walk down the single-track road to reach Yung Shue O or take a taxi instead. Follow the banners to the start of the trail.

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