BIG DAY OUT

TUNG PING CHAU Rory Mackay explores Hong Kong’s most remote island

Rugged, windswept and diverse, Tung Ping Chau possesses something for everyone. From family-friendly walks and pristine white sandy beaches to rock formation adventures and historical rekeys. No matter how you wish to play things, this will be a full day outing at the very least. There are only two ways to reach Tung Ping Chau, either by private/chartered boat or by taking the public ferry (weekends and public holidays only) from Ma Liu Shui in Sha Tin.

The ferry journey from Ma Liu Shui takes one and a half hours to complete, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the views of Tolo Harbour. A landscape of tranquil channels lined with red rocks (unique to this part of Hong Kong), before emerging upon the open waters of Mirs Bay. Located in the heart of the Tung Ping Chau close to the pier, lies the only major settlement of note on the isle and definitely deserves a pit spot upon arrival. After a refreshing drink and bite to eat, one could easily spend the best part of a couple of hours strolling the adjacent Northeastern beaches, interspersed by crumbling Hakka houses and shade yielding Banyans.

The unique geology of Tung Ping Chau on the other hand is a much more enduring attraction to spend your time exploring. The best way to discover the island is by circumnavigating the Ping Chau Country Trail, which at 5km typically takes around two hours to walk in one go without any long breaks. However, stopping along the way to explore all the incredible sedimentary rock formations on show, or delving into the interior of Tung Ping Chau is what this Island is all about. Possessing the youngest rocks in Hong Kong, there are numerous laminated coastal shelfs and sea cliffs to witness.

Be sure to catch the final boat leaving the island to Sha Tin at 5pm, unless taking your own boat back or camping overnight is more

TK, wiki commons.

Rock formations

your thing. Camping in Hong Kong can be an awesome experience and Tung Ping Chau is a superb illustration of this. Beware that there is a lot of ambient light coming from China at night, so try to orientate your camp towards Mirs Bay and get more breeze in the process.

Among the list of Hong Kong’s many outlying places, the castaway isle of Tung Ping Chau is worth the trip at least once. The adventure to and from it, is as much an attraction as the being there is.

Rory Mackay runs adventure company Wild Hong Kong. For more details visit

wildhongkong.com

Hong Kong Academy turns 20 Nicole Slater meets Head of School Stephen Dare ahead of the celebrations

From humble beginnings in Stubbs Road, Hong Kong Academy (HKA) has grown beyond imagination into what is now one of Hong Kong’s most respected international schools. Founded 20 years ago by two parents with the vision of creating an inclusive environment for students across Hong Kong, HKA promotes seven core values; rigorous international education, pathways to individual excellence, engaging in responsible action, captivating learning environment, dynamic learning community, sustainable future and educational leadership.

Since relocating to Sai Kung Town in 2013, the non-profit co-educational day school has bonded with the local community, becoming a firm fixture as a place to promote good causes and host events. Stephen Dare has been Head of School for 11 years and oversaw the move to Sai Kung. “While the new campus was exciting, many of our students and their families moved with us or had to increase their travel time significantly in order to stay. But it was all worth it when we got to witness students and parents walking onto the new campus and looking around in wonder on the first day,” says Dare.

After a unique year of online learning and social distancing restrictions, Dare is happy to see students and teachers back on campus, “as beautiful as buildings can be, they are pretty souless without teachers and students filling the hallways,” says Dare. Now that everyone is back at school, HKA is excited to kick off its 20th anniversary celebrations.

Mission and values

With over 500 students, HKA is a close-knit school with an excellent student-teacher ratio, meaning that every student gets the differentiated learning opportunities they need to flourish. The school has a strong diverse community both culturally and integrated within its teaching methods, “we want to set our students up for success in the working world by empowering learners to pursue pathways to individual excellence,” says Dare. HKA also believes in strong parent engagement and works closely with families to make sure the school programme and educational outcomes are understood and supported at home.

Anniversary celebrations

While the academy has had to reimagine celebration plans in light of Covid, there is still plenty going on. A virtual event featuring parent and faculty stories and a choir performance kicked off the celebrations last month while an art exhibition by the school’s alumni will also be featured around campus along with community events and fairs, depending on government restrictions. The school entrance has also been given a facelift with the doors painted bright red to reflect the red doors of the school’s very first location on Stubbs Road. Dare looks back fondly at his time with HKA, “one of my

favourite memories at the Sai Kung campus was being able to give my two daughters their certificates when they graduated, it was such an honour,” he smiles.

Future of HKA

Online learning has been an unexpected learning opportunity for HKA, while the school believes face-to-face learning is crucial for the development of students, the use of technology has also proved beneficial. Looking ahead Dare says “we will continue to be adaptive and use the things we’ve learnt about technology over the past few months to

incorporate into our classes.” Dare is aware that the way people work is changing and he wants to make sure that HKA students are fully prepared for the unpredictable future that lies ahead.

It is wonderful to see such a communityoriented school celebrate this milestone. After seven years in Sai Kung, it is clear to see that a school like HKA can provide a unique education for students both near and far.

Hong Kong Academy offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes for students from PreKindergarten through twelfth grade. They also offer a playgroup for 2-3 year olds. For more information, visit hkacademy.edu.hk