Shek O
Encyclopedia
Shek O is a beachside village located on the south-eastern part of Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

, in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. Administratively, it is part of Southern District
Southern District, Hong Kong
The Southern District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. It had a population of 290,240 in 2001. This district has the fourth lowest population of Hong Kong.-Geography:...

. The scenery of Shek O is the setting of numerous Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...

 music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

s.

Geography

The name "Shek O" literally means the "rocky bay". The entire area is a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....

 on the southern coast of the Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

, facing the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

. Shek O is surrounded by Shek O Country Park
Shek O Country Park
Shek O Country Park is a rural marine park located on Shek O, Southern District, Hong Kong and facing the South China Sea. The 701 hectare park opened in 1979.The park's attractions include:*Dragon's Back*D'Aguilar Peak*Hong Kong Trail*To Tei Wan Village...

, Big Wave Bay
Big Wave Bay, Hong Kong Island
Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan is a bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, south of Cape Collinson and north of Shek O....

 and Cape D'Aguilar
Cape D'Aguilar
Cape D'Aguilar, or Hok Tsui, is a cape in the south of Shek O and D'Aguilar Peak on southeastern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The peninsula, where the cape is on its southeastern side, is also known as Cape D'Aguilar...

.

Shek O Village

Shek O Village (石澳村) has a history of some 200 years. It was established by fishermen of the Chan, Yip, Li and Lau clans
Chinese clan
A Chinese clan is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home.-Description:...

. In 1841, Shek O Village, together with Hok Tsui
Cape D'Aguilar
Cape D'Aguilar, or Hok Tsui, is a cape in the south of Shek O and D'Aguilar Peak on southeastern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The peninsula, where the cape is on its southeastern side, is also known as Cape D'Aguilar...

 Village (鶴咀村) and Big Wave
Big Wave Bay, Hong Kong Island
Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan is a bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, south of Cape Collinson and north of Shek O....

 Village (大浪灣村), had a population of around 200. The Tin Hau Temple
Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong
Over 70 temples are dedicated to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. They include:* Tin Hau temple, located at 10 Tin Hau Temple Road, Causeway Bay, east of Victoria Park, in Eastern District, on Hong Kong Island. It is a declared monument. The temple has given its name to the MTR station serving it .* The Tin...

 in Shek O Village was built in 1891. Its management has been delegated by the Chinese Temples Committee
Chinese Temples Committee
The Chinese Temples Committee is a statutory body in Hong Kong established under the Chinese Temples Ordinance . It is mainly responsible for the operation and management of twenty-four temples directly under its management. It also handles temple registration...

 to the Shek O Residents Association. It is a Grade III historic building.

Outdoor activities

Shek O Beach
Beaches of Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place...

 is a sandy public beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

 at Shek O. The water quality is fair and is gazetted Grade 2. It is a popular weekend and holiday destination, offering a public barbecue area and many restaurants. The rocky cliffs provide an excellent place for sports climbing.

Around one mile north of Shek O beach, after passing the Shek O Country Club, is Big Wave Bay
Big Wave Bay, Hong Kong Island
Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan is a bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, south of Cape Collinson and north of Shek O....

. As its name suggests, big waves roll on to the beach, propelled by the wind, making it a popular destination for surfers. Wind surfers can be found in the sea off Big Wave Bay and Shek O beaches. The Dragon's Back above Shek O is home to Hong Kong Island's only paragliding site. Paragliders can be seen riding the lift and landing at the nearby Rocky Bay. Big Wave Bay Beach is also the site of prehistoric a rock carving
Prehistoric Hong Kong
Prehistoric Hong Kong is the period between the arrival of the first humans in the modern Hong Kong region and the start of recorded in Chinese history. The history of the region is...

 similar to those found on Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...

 Island.

Both beaches have basic bars and restaurants, and equipment hire, such as body boards and lilos. In addition, Shek O Beach has a small golf course.

Due to the isolated location of Shek O, the environment near the beach remains rustic and quiet, which is one of the area's main attractions.

The Shek O Country Club (石澳鄉村俱樂部) is built around a par 65 private golf course. Its history goes back to 1919. The construction of the Clubhouse was completed in 1925.

Transportation

Shek O is served by Shek O Road, which connects Tai Tam Road
Tai Tam Road
Tai Tam Road in Hong Kong, links between Chai Wan and Stanley, on Hong Kong Island. The famous Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir's dam is a part of the road, which is a narrow road section.-Bus routes:* 9 - Shau Kei Wan to Shek O...

 to Stanley
Stanley, Hong Kong
Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It located on a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok...

 and Chai Wan
Chai Wan
Chai Wan , formerly mistakenly known as Sai Wan , lies at the east end of the urban area of Hong Kong Island next to Shau Kei Wan. The area is administratively part of the Eastern District, and is a mosaic of industrial and residential areas...

. There is one public transport link toward Shek O Beach: bus route 9 from Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan or Shaukeiwan, Shaukiwan is a town in Eastern District, Hong Kong. Literally, Shau Kei means a pail, and Wan implies that the town is developed along the coast. Nowadays it is a relatively densely populated town compared with some developing areas.-Name:The name Shau Kei Wan comes...

. There is limited parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...

 near the beach. It is also served by red minibuses
Public light bus
A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....

.

External links

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