Tai O

Tai O (大澳) is an old industrial fishing village on Lantau Island in Hong Kong known for its stilt houses - some even call it the ‘Venice of Hong Kong’. The village of Tai O is popular with tourists who flock to the area to see the unique stilt houses built on the water's edge. Over the years, the indigenous Tanka people created a unique culture & community by managing to adapt to their environment. Although the shrimp-paste industry has been in decline over the years, particularly since around January 2013 when trawling ban was introduced, tourism has started to increase which is re-invigorating this once sleepy fishing village. Typically when tourism increases, it is followed by an uptick on the retail front. Public housing estates in Tung Chung consist of mainly the Lung Tin and Lung Hin Estates. The remaining housing, other than the stilt houses, is mostly made up of squatter huts. A popular activity in Tai O is hiring a boat or kayaking off the cost in a bid to catch a glimpse of the rare and endangered pink dolphins. Other notable places of interest in the nearby area include the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery (both around 15-290 minutes drive by car in Ngong Ping).