Tai O Village

Travel Guide

Tai O Fishing Village showing markets
Tai O Fishing Village which includes a bay or harbor, mountains and boating
Tai O Fishing Village
Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board
Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board
Not far from Hong Kong’s very modern airport is an old fishing village with houses built on stilts. Visit this town for a glimpse of traditional life in China.

Although Tai O is less than 9 miles (15 kilometers) southwest from Tung Chung, the one-way trip to the village will take one hour by car, two by bus, or three on the more direct hiking route. You’ll feel as if you’ve traveled centuries into the past.

Over 300 years ago, fishing families lived on houseboats or on homes built on stilts above the tidal flats on the western side of Lantau Island. They fished in the rich waters of the South China Sea, in virtual isolation from the traders and sailors using the rapidly developing harbors of Hong Kong Island. Tai O is itself an island separated from the mainland of Lantau by two narrow rivers.

Visit Tai O to see and photograph the peaceful local culture. Walk across the manually operated pedestrian drawbridge to tour the small town of homes clustered along the rivers’ shores. Observe how the unusual houses seem to be floating on water at high tide, while at low tide they rise precariously from thin stilts stuck into thick mud.

Historically the town has been a center for salt production, illegal immigration and smuggling, but fishing has been a mainstay for the villagers over the centuries. Visit Tai O to see descendants of these families at work mending nets, sorting their catch and creating a specialty shrimp paste. As their children grow up, however, they often look for greater opportunity in larger cities, and the town’s population dwindles.

Tourism is important to the town. One landmark building, the Tai O Police Station, has been converted to a hotel and restaurant. Visit the Yeung Hau Temple, constructed in 1699, and a historically preserved building. Take a trip with a local boatman to see Chinese dolphins. Buy some shrimp paste and watch the sunset.

If you are in Central, the easiest and most scenic way to get to Tai O is by ferry to Mui Wo and then the Number 1 bus to Tai O. Alternatively, take the train to Tung Chung and then the Number 11 bus or hiking trails through Lantau North Country Park.

Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung

Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung

4 out of 5
9 Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Tung Chung
The price is ¥15,091 per night from Aug 31 to Sep 1
¥15,091
¥17,053 total
Aug 31 - Sep 1
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Tung Chung. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 restaurants, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung
ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan

ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan

3.5 out of 5
No. 28 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
The price is ¥9,171 per night from Sep 8 to Sep 9
¥9,171
¥10,363 total
Sep 8 - Sep 9
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3.5-star eco-certified hotel in Hong Kong Island. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan
Disney's Hollywood Hotel

Disney's Hollywood Hotel

4 out of 5
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Lantau
The price is ¥32,250 per night from Sep 7 to Sep 8
¥32,250
¥36,442 total
Sep 7 - Sep 8
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star family-friendly hotel in Lantau. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our ...
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Two MacDonnell Road

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The Jervois

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Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group

Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group

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3-5 Wan Chai Gap Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Stay at this 4-star aparthotel in Hong Kong Island. Enjoy free WiFi, daily housekeeping, and dry cleaning or laundry services. Our guests praise the helpful ...
Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group
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