Cheung Chau Island

I’m finding there is much more to Hong Kong than shopping, eating and shopping. Just about 45 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong Island is small dumbbell shaped island called Cheung Chau. This outer island is a fishing village with working fishing fleets still based out of the harbor. Walking of the ferry ramp  on to the island I’m taken back in time to when my brother and I used to sneak on the fishing boats and sampans in Hong Kong harbor. Reminiscent of my childhood the island’s small harbor is crowed with fishing boats, Chinese junks, and sampans. Most of which is now nonexistent in the Hong Kong Harbor.

Local Fisherman

As a fishing village, Cheung Chau offers fresh seafood and all kinds of salted or dried marine products. I personally am a huge fan of anything salted and anything from the sea. This is the first time I was able to get up close and personal with the salted fish making process. I found out that it is covered in salt for three to four days then the fish is ready to be dried in the sun for another couple of days. Total, just about a week for a perfectly salted fish. My favorite way to eat this wonderful salty goodness is “ham yeu jing jue yook”, salted fish with steamed pork. Mmm, just like mom makes!

Drying Fish

Drying in the Sun

Finished Product Ready to be Sold

In Chinese cuisine, dried shrimp are used quite frequently for their unique flavor which is very different from fresh shrimp. I would describe them as having a wonderful oceanic taste. Its used in one of my favorite sauces and is a staple in my fridge, Cantonese XO sauce. Dried shrimp is also used in a variety of different soups and dishes. These little critters also have a home in my fridge. “Les poisson, les poisson. Hee hee hee, haw haw haw.”

Raw Shrimp Ready to be Dried

Shrimp Drying in the Sun

On the day the we happened to visit Cheung Chau island it was the “Double Yang Festival”. The I Ching says, nine is a yang number, therefore, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month has too much yang.  This is a traditional Chinese concept and thus, a potentially dangerous date. To protect against the danger of too much yang, it is customary to climb a high mountain and drink chrysanthemum wine. On this holiday many Chinese also visit their elders and graves of their ancestors to pay their respects.

Paying Respects to Her Ancestors

Paying respects to your ancestors often involves burning of paper that represents, gold, money, and more recently, cell phones, Ferraris, Rolex watches, really whatever can be replicated into paper. The burning of the paper ritual is said to send the goods to our ancestors in the heavens. You name it, you can send it!  The woman above is holding a bag full of specially chosen paper goods for her ancestors and the red bin is what she will use to burn the goods and send them to the heavens.

Mini Fire Engine

The island is well-developed with shops and houses, but roads are so narrow that normal motor traffic is impossible. Instead, there are small motorized trucks officially termed “village vehicles”.  There are mini-fire engines, ambulances and police cars. This is my kind of town!

Mom Putting Pops to Work

With such narrow roads many of the local residents get around the island by bike. As, my mom put my pops to we work we ride over to the east side of the island to Cheung Po Tsai Cave. Fulfilling our Double Yang Festival duties, we hike up  a bamboo lined concrete trail to the opening of the cave. Cheung Po Tsai cave is a small cave said to be where the 19th century pirate Cheung Po Tsai cached his booty. The booty still has yet to be found. Here’s an interesting factoid, the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End depicts a pirate named Sao Feng. This character is based on Cheung Po Tsai himself. Kind of cool!

Cheung Po Tsai Cave

Cheung Po Tsai's Booty Tunnel

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

After fulfilling our Double Yang duties (totally by coincidence) we are off to pick out our lunch. And I mean literally, PICK OUT our lunch. We head over to the island fish market where there are aisles and aisles of fresh tropical seafood. Everything from razor clams, mantis shrimp, exotic prawns and so much more. Really, the most wonderful selection of seafood you could imagine!

Tiger Shrimp

My Lobster Lunch

Lunch is Served - Steamed Shrimp with Garlic, Steamed Fish with Ginger and Green Onion, Green Crab Deep Fried then Stir Fried with Green Onion and Ginger. WOW!

Mantis Shrimp Fried with Red Peppers

Roasted Pidgeon - This was an interesting addition to lunch. Yummy!

Here’s just one other food highlight I just couldn’t spare. One of my favorites!

Fried Yummy Goodness!

"Jai Leung"

For all of you out there who LOVE  ”jai leung” this is for you. You all know who you are! This simplistically wonderful dish is made of fried dough (chinese donut) that is wrapped in steamed rice flour (kind of like a giant rice noodle). It’s then served with a sweet soy sauce and your choice of hot sauce or hoi sin sauce. It’s just fabulous!

After an all day long marathon of eating it’s time to burn off the calories at the beach.

Tung Wan Beach

And what better way to do that than a little windsurfing? There is a famous bar with windsurfing and sea kayaking rentals just right of Tung Wan beach. This spot was made famous by the owner’s niece, Lee Lai-Shan who won the only Olympic gold medal for Hong Kong.

Windsurfing

Hanging With My New Friends

I however, will not be winning any medals for Hong Kong. I wish someone had told me that you can’t windsurf without any wind. With what little wind there was that day I drifted all the way to the other end of the island. Stranded in the dark, I literally tried to paddle back to the other end of the island (as if I was surfing) with the sail propped on the board. Mind you, it was a one hour rental and I wasn’t back on land till about 3 hours later.  Thanks guys for kayaking out and saving me!

Saved!

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