Tai O Fishing Village

Located on the southeast of Hong Kong's Lantau Island, Tai O Fishing Village is home to the ethnic Tanka people. People from the Hakka ethnic group have also settled here and during British rule of Hong Kong in the mid 20th century, the village was an access point for Han Chinese people illegally fleeing mainland China and some of these stayed. These days, its peaceful and laid back atmosphere has become popular for both tourist visitors and those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong for a while.

The village which is divided in two by a river is best known for its houses called pangwu's, which are built on stilts above the water and because of this, it is sometimes called the Venice of Honk Kong. Even though there is not as much fishing nowadays it still a good place to buy seafood and its specialties among the shops and stalls are shrimp paste and salted fish which are used in the local Cantonese dishes. Tai O is also popular because of the dolphins that live in its waters and boat tours are available to go out into the harbor and watch them.

Many temples are situated in the village including Kwan Tai temple, which is dedicated to the god of war and righteousness, Yeung Hau temple, built in 1699 in memory of Hau Wong, a local court official, Tin Hau temple and Hung Shing temple. The Old Tai O police station, built in 1902 is another attraction.