Sai Kung: Circa 1938
"The fishing fleet was anchored in the little harbour of Sai Kung, and from the junks came a cheerful clack of voices like the contented sounds from a rookery in the evening. If Sai Kung were transplanted to the south coast of England, it would become a "beauty spot"; artists would inhabit the cottages; "Ye Olde Ship Inne" would inevitably make its appearance, with its ruinous prices and sham antiques, and at its doors charabancs would unload their hordes at week-ends. But away with such horrid thoughts; Sai Kung was still cut off from civilization by six miles of footpath and though we could not get beer to revive us for the long trudge home, at least we could get delicious oranges for next to nothing."
This commentary is from a 1938 book by G.P.S. Heywood (Rambles in Hong Kong, Kelly & Walsh). An inveterate hiker, Heywood had just walked the ridge from Kowloon Peak to Ma On Shan and then down to Sai Kung without the benefit of the relatively easy routing of the Maclehose Trail.
Imagine what he would think of the landscape of Sai Kung now? The surrounding hills are much the same, although many of the villages that he encountered on his walk are now long abandoned.
The sleepy market town of Sai Kung has definitely become Hong Kong's "beauty spot". There's no "Ye Olde Ship Inne" (not yet, anyway) but some might say there are "ruinous prices" and "sham antiques" (or, certainly, a multitude of shops), and charabancs (defined by Merriam Webster as "sightseeing motor coaches") do "unload their hordes at week-ends".
One thing would have pleased Heywood - there's no problem finding a beer to quench the thirst!
Getting There (by road, not foot):
Go to our Getting Around pages for detailed information on getting to Sai Kung.