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Hong Kong is so much more than just towering skyscrapers, bustling shopping districts, and energetic street markets, and yet travellers exploring the city continue to be surprised by the abundance of nature and lush greenery within and fringing our megalopolis – about 40 percent of Hong Kong’s landmass is, in fact, protected countryside. In that sense, it’s always pleasing whenever Hong Kong receives brownie points for its ecological wonders.
Mainland China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) recently released the fourth-batch results of its national ‘Beautiful Bays’ selection, and Mirs Bay in Hong Kong was honoured as an ‘outstanding example’ with an enviable overall score. It’s the first time that Hong Kong has received this special commendation from MEE, which manages ecological and environmental matters, so it’s a big deal to have our city’s ecological protection and marine conservation efforts recognised as part of a joint undertaking in positively developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
Mirs Bay is located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong around the Sai Kung Peninsula, with Kat O, Tung Ping Chau, and the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark in its vicinity. Praised for its “clean water and clean beaches, thriving marine life, and harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea,” it achieved a Class I rating in the National Seawater Quality Standard, with a Water Quality Objectives compliance rate of 100 percent. Mirs Bay is notable for its protected coastal environment and wildlife habitats, which are home to hard corals, seahorses, horseshoe crabs, and sea eagles.
MEE launched the ‘Outstanding Examples of Beautiful Bays’ campaign to celebrate excellence in marine environment protection with the goal of promoting a ‘Beautiful China’. Of the 72 nationwide applications received for this latest round of selections, just 32 were chosen as ‘Beautiful Bays’ and only 12 among them received the special designation of ‘Outstanding Examples of Beautiful Bays’, including Mirs Bay. If you want to go out and touch grass, here’s one place you could pick!
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