Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong

The moment your ferry touches shore at the Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong, the interminable rows of fishing boats in the harbor will begin to give you a picture of the heritage and tradition of the island. That is precisely what the Cheung Chau Island of Hong Kong used to be and still is: a fishing island-village. This island, whose name literally translates as "Long Island" in Cantonese and which measures a good 2.45 Sq Km in area, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. The Cheung Chau Island of Hong Kong is one of the first places in the territory to undergo human settlement. Located some 10 Km away from the Hong Kong Island to the southwestern side of it, the Cheung Chau Island of Hong Kong is made of hills in the north and south and a thin strip of land connecting the two; thus acquiring the dumbbell shape. Most of the population concentration of the Cheung Chau Island exists in the intermediate connecting strip of land. The island is said to have once been a 'tombolo' or a deposition landform on a water body serving almost as a connector between two land masses. The Cheung Chau Island is mostly granite in composition. The administration of the Cheung Chau Island is part of the larger Islands District of Hong Kong. The chief occupation of this island hamlet has been fishing since the days of yore dating as far back as the era of the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. It is only recently that another profitable industry - that of tourism - has made an advent in the island. As a result of this, the water sport opportunities have undergone a sea change. The other thing that the Cheung Chau Island is famous for is a week long annual festival called the "Cheung Chau Bun Festival". Celebrated in the spring season, the festival is an exorcism ritual to banish evil spirits wandering through the island to the netherworld for a year; that is until the next spring. The festival is celebrated with much fanfare, parading of floats through the streets and children in fancy dresses of famous personalities. The festival has also been held as the cause of cure from an epidemic that had struck the Cheung Chau island of Hong Kong and caused a lot of devastation. In keeping with the traditions and practices of the Cheung Chau Island of Hong Kong, are its many attractions. The destinations tom visit in the island is closely wrapped around the island's two chief industries: fishing and tourism. Firstly there are the many Temples dedicated to Tin Hau, the Goddess of Fishermen; and then there are also the two main beaches of the Cheung Chau Island of Hong Kong: Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Wan Beach. Aside them, there are some famous streets that specialize in certain wares. Some of them are the Praya Street which is a seafood lover's haven and the Pak She Street and the San Hing Street from where you can pick up wares and food stuffs that are typical of Hong Kong. Then, of course, you cannot leave the island without a ride of a wooden Sampan. Some of the attractions to visit are Pak Tai Temple, Pak She Tin Hau Temple, Kwan Kung Chung Yi Ting, Cheung Po Tsai Cave rumored to be the place where the infamous pirate Cheung Po Tsai hid his treasure and the rock carvings near the Tung Wan Beach.