A guide to visiting Tap Mun in Hong Kong

You can get to Tap Mun by hopping on a kaito (a local ferry) from Wong Shek Pier or Ma Liu Shui Pier. Bus 94, 96R (weekends and holidays only), and 289R (weekends and holidays only) will get you to Wong Shek Pier, or you may walk to Ma Liu Shui Pier from University Station Exit B. 

Boat schedules may be subject to change, so be sure to check carefully on Transport Department's website and plan accordingly.

Once disembarked, walk along Hoi Pong Street where you'll find stalls teeming with dried squids, homemade herbal tea, and ornate handicrafts. Further down the road are the island’s no-frills restaurants, Sun Yau Kee and Sun Wai Kee, offering all manners of seafood dishes that will impress your taste buds. Get your money’s worth by ordering sea-urchin fried rice or fried octopus balls, but be sure to leave room for desserts such as pineapple popsicles, tofu puddings, and grass jellies.

Passing the tight alleyways festooned with windsocks, you end up at the bottom of a marbled staircase leading up to the island’s historical relic – Tin Hau Temple – flanked by two hallowed halls, the Temple of GuanYu and the Temple of Shui Yue. For generations past, the seafarers in Tap Mun count on Tin Hau’s blessings before they venture out to the open sea. The namesake deity embodies a smooth journey and bountiful harvest. 

Built during the Kangxi-era (1662-1722), Tin Hau Temple has been renovated several times and retains a stone tablet documenting such work dating back to 1743. Carvings with historic value spread across the temple buildings, walking visitors through Chinese mythical stories and creatures. Gaze back across the water on the temple grounds beyond the colourful blocks of houses that reside by the tranquil water. 

Towards the end of Tap Mun Hoi Pong Street, an alleyway leads you up to the island’s hiking trail – make sure you are hiking to the left of the abandoned King Lam School. The hiking trail loops around the southern part of the island and covers most of the attractions. It is also well-supplied with wayfinding signage, so getting lost won’t be your concern. During your hike, remember to apply mosquito repellent to your legs, arms, neck, and basically, any parts of your body exposed to the air. Tap Mun is where cattle call the shot, so the trails are scattered with manure. ‘Treading hazard’ is warranted. Keep strolling up a few turns before the grass-top rears into views, connecting you to one of the mandatory stops, Hilltop Pavilion.

Photograph: Shutterstock

Boasting a bird’s eye view of the hoary shoreline and turquoise water, the Hilltop Pavilion is a marbled gazebo to rest and refuel. You may head north, walk up the wooden staircase, and end up at Long King Pavilion, another vantage point for Tap Mun’s shoreline. Or you can walk to the south and end up at the famous meadow, where the salty spray comes puffing with the aerial perspective stretching into the eastern horizon, making it a particularly favourable stargazing destination. Visitors bring their picnic mats and enjoy this majestic meadow with snacks and drinks. It is also a popular campsite, where the eastward-facing views are photogenic for the first bloom of dawn. 

While you're there, be prepared for the nosey cattle that may poke around or even attempt to rummage through tents in search of food. The most important thing is not to feed them as it alters their eating habit and invites them into your bags for seconds. Also, be sure not to leave behind any trash as the wild animals may sometimes confuse the plastic remains for food.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 一山•還有一山•GO (@dan.hiker)

After your time at the Hilltop Pavilion, look for the trash bins. You can find a pole sign pointing you towards the island’s attraction, Balanced Rock.

As you follow the trail, look out for the Balanced Rock stapled on the boulder-spiked shoreline. Two square boulders stacked on each other, which, for centuries, are the recognised hallmark of Tap Mun. In the early days, boatmen would observe the Balanced Rock to determine their location.

According to local legend, Balanced Rock is associated with the naming of this island as it resembles a Buddhist pagoda, which reads 'Fat Tap' in Chinese. The island was once called this before it later became Tap Mun. Another source says a sea cave next to the Balanced Rock could extend to Tin Hau Temple, hence, the name Tap Mun, which translates as 'the gate to the tower'.

At the bottom of the hiking trail, you stumble into the seaside sprawl known to embody the serene fisherman’s life. Houses on stilts fringe along the rock-studded coast, and a basketball court somehow fits into the sprawl of fisherman villages. 

Despite being serene and silent, Tap Mun experienced its hustle and bustle as a seafood trade centre during the Qing Dynasty. Boat dwellers peddled oysters and sea urchins as their main catches. The island’s heyday came during the early 50s with around 2,000 islanders. However, after the decline of the fishery industry, the younger generation left behind this patch of land to earn a living in the city. Nowadays, the fishermen village is mainly inhabited by elderly people who unwaveringly cling to their seaside roots.

Some traditions are well-preserved, though. In 2019, the entire island erupted in celebration of the Tap Mun Da Jiu Festival. Attended by islanders and neighbouring villagers, the festive period featured lion dance, paper crafts burning, and religious parades, with the purpose of honouring deities and parrying bad luck. Happening once in a decade, the Tap Mun Da Jiu Festival is a rare sight on this outlying island. Some overseas islanders travel across the water’s edge and return to Tap Mun for this rarified occasion.

Just a few minutes past the fisherman village, you circle back to where you began – Tap Mun Pier. Shops close in the late afternoon when visitors leave this remote corner of Hong Kong. If you're leaving around sunset hours, be sure to snap a pic at the pier before you head back to the city!