Outlying Islands

The "Outlying Islands" is a collective name for around two hundred islands of varying sizes that are scattered around the region, outside of the major Hong Kong island and the mainland Kowloon and New Territories. The main ones are connected to other parts of Hong Kong by a network of ferries.

Far away from the frenetic downtown, these are rural, peaceful areas with only minor populations. Many of the inhabitants still devote themselves to traditional work like fishing. Historically, they have been very undeveloped because of the lack of efficient transportation.

But lately, they have been discovered by Hong Kong's zealous real estate developers who are buying up land here to make into luxury homes for rich people looking for relief from the bustle of downtown Hong Kong. Due to this, several of the islands are now experiencing considerable economic growth.

The outlying islands are very popular destinations for local Hong Kong people to go in their spare time to lay on the beach, have a nice meal at one of the many seaside seafood restaurants, and generally take a time-out and enjoy life for a while. Why not join them?

Lantau Island

To be fair to Lantau, this is a big island and it is becoming less and less "outlying" for every year that goes by. In the two decades there have been several major developments, including Hong Kong airport and Hong Kong Disneyland. The new communications designed for all the traffic to and from the airport has made Lantau much more integrated with the city.

It is now connected to central Hong Kong not only by the gigantic Tsing Ma bridge but also by the airport express railway, as well as ferry services to larger communities like Discovery Bay and Mui Wo. It is also drawing a fair amount of tourists to the Big Buddha statue and the old fishing village in Tai O.

Cheung Chau

With 23,000 people, Cheung Chau is one of the most populated outlying islands, and is most famous for its local "Bun Festival" that is held annually.

As a form of thanksgiving celebration, a big pillar covered in Chinese buns is constructed, and then local young men climb the pillar to "snatch" as many buns as possible. Earlier in the day, there is also a colourful parade. While the festival gets a lot of attention and visitors, the island draws many tourists year-round with sandy beaches and a relaxed atmosphere.

Lamma Island

Lamma island is a fairly large island but still has only 6,000 inhabitants, quite a few of whom are non-Chinese. And there are no cars or tall buildings. With its alternative lifestyle compared to the city, some have thought of it as a bit of a hippie-haven. Either way, it is popular for its beaches and fine natural scenery. The seaside promenades are populated by a generous number of seafood restaurants, serving up fresh catch from the fishing docks just outside.

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