Pui O (, or ), formerly Lo Pui O (), is an area on

Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao or Lan Tau) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located west of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the ...

in Hong Kong. It is a popular destination for holiday camping in Hong Kong. Visitors may also rent village houses for leisure. Located in the South Lantau, there are four main villages in Pui O, they are Lo Wai (), San Wai (), Lo Uk (), and Ham Tin (). Pui O is located at the edge of

Lantau South Country Park Lantau South Country Park () is one of two rural country parks on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, the other one being Lantau North Country Park and its extension. Lantau South Country Park is located on the south side of the island. It was designated ...

Administration

Lo Wai, San Wai, Lo Uk and Ham Tin are recognized villages under the

New Territories The New Territories (N.T., Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: ) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of H ...

Small House Policy The Small House Policy (SHP, ) was introduced in 1972 in Hong Kong. The objective was to improve the then prevailing low standard of housing in the rural areas of the New Territories. The policy allows an indigenous male villager who is 18 ye ...

Geography

Pui O is a bay shaped by the

Chi Ma Wan Peninsula Chi Ma Wan () is a bay on southeastern Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Chi Ma Wan Peninsula () is where Chi Ma Wan, as well as Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Long Wan, Yi Long Wan and Mong Tung Wan are located. The Peninsula is located with ...

and the lower slopes of Sunset Peak. A main river from a valley to the east and other small river gather at Pui O forming an

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

. Villagers enclosed the wetland and converted it into rice paddies. This is indicated by the name Ham Tin (). At the shore, a long beach (or spit) is formed by the interaction between the current of the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

and the rivers.

Pui O Beach

Pui O Beach () runs along almost the entire shoreline of Pui O. Due to the geological composition of surrounding area, the sand on the beach is mixture of black and yellow. The

Hong Kong Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government) is the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 July 1997, following the ...

has constructed facilities on the upper beach for

wild camping Wild camping or dispersed camping is the act of camping in areas other than designated camping sites. Typically this means open countryside. This can form part of backpacking (hiking), or bikepacking, possibly along a long-distance trail. Count ...

History

Lo Pui O is one of five villages of Lantau that were resettled when the coastal restriction of the

Great Clearance The Great Clearance (), also translated as the Great Evacuation or Great Frontier Shift, was caused by edicts issued in 1661, 1664, and 1679, which required the evacuation of the coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangnan, and Shando ...

was lifted in 1669. The other villages are

Tung Sai Chung Tung Chung ( " eastern stream") is an area on the northwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. One of the most recent new towns, it was formerly a rural fishing village beside Tung Chung Bay, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Ch ...

Tai O Tai O () is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to wiktionary:outlet, outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai ...

Shek Pik Shek Pik () is an area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. When the Shek Pik Reservoir was built, villages at Shek Pik were demolished and the villagers were relocated to other parts of Lantau Island and to Tsuen ...

and

Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...

. During the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, villages near the shore in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

were frequently attacked by

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

s. Villages in Pui O were constructed as walled villages to assist in repelling these attacks, and several of the Lantau villages, though getting a living from the sea, were by design located at some distance from it. Lantau Island 1840

Tung Chung was already seen on Western maps beginning in 1815, sometimes with the romanization Poyo (see image).

Historical buildings

29 historical buildings and features of Pui O are listed by the

Antiquities and Monuments Office The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) is a Hong Kong government organization established in 1976 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to protect and preserve historic monuments. Housed in the Former Kowloon British School, the AMO ...

.Environmental Impact Assessment Report for 132 KV Supply Circuit from Pui O via Chi Ma Wan Peninsula via Sea Crossing towards Cheung Chau. Cultural Heritage. 2001
/ref> In Ham Tin, at Chung Hau () there is a

Tin Hau Temple Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong are dedicated to the Chinese goddess Tin Hau (), better known as Mazu (goddess), Mazu (). Over 100 temples are dedicated (at least partially) to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. A list of these temples can be found below. Famo ...

. It was built in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, rebuilt in 1798 and repaired in 1947, 1974 and 1995. It is surrounded by two

feng shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

trees, and an

earth god Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

shrine is located at its right side. Other historical buildings include: * Lin Kong Tong in Ham Tin, probably built in the late Qing Dynasty, it serves the dual-purpose of ancestral hall and meeting place to the elder branch of the CheungsIntroduction to 1444 Historic Buildings, pp.809 & 1070
who settled in the village in the early 19th century. * Cheung Ancestral Hall, also known as Yue Tak Tong, in Lo Wai, probably built in the late Qing Dynasty. * Wing On Bridge and its associated earth god shrine in Ham Tin. * An archaeological site was discovered in Pui O in 1957.

Education

Most of Lantau Island, Pui O included, is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 98, which contains multiple aided schools on Lantau Island, including two in Tung Chung; no government primary schools are in this net.

Flora and fauna

Mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

can be found on both sides of the estuary between Ham Tin and Pui O beach.Environmental Impact Assessment Report for 132 KV Supply Circuit from Pui O via Chi Ma Wan Peninsula via Sea Crossing towards Cheung Chau. Ecological Impact Assessment. 2001
/ref> A resident population of

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...

es can be found in Pui O. It is one of the few remaining areas where they still occur in Hong Kong.

Nature

The

Lantau Trail The Lantau Trail (), opened on 4 December 1984, is a long-distance footpath on Lantau Island in the New Territories of Hong Kong. The trail is a loop starting and finishing in the rural town of Mui Wo. It is the third longest trail in Hong Kong ...

passes through Pui O, and there are many other hiking routes in the vicinity. There are also several

Mountain Bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...

tracks which are located on the Chi Ma Wan peninsula, and are connected to many other tracks around the Island.

Transport

Pui O is on the

South Lantau Road South Lantau Road ( zh, t=嶼南道) is a road in Islands District, Hong Kong, running between Shek Pik and Mui Wo. It begins at the southern side of Shek Pik Reservoir in Shek Pik in the west, and passes near Shui Hau, Tong Fuk, Cheung Sh ...

. All bus routes between

and other points pass through Pui O, with the

New Lantao Bus The New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited, commonly known as New Lantao Bus or NLB, is a franchised bus company operating in Hong Kong. It mainly operates bus routes on Lantau Island. History On 22 April 1960, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) started o ...

running their route numbers 1, 2, 3M, 4 stopping at the Pui O Petrol Station, San Wai Tsuen and Lo Uk Tsuen. A branch road, Chi Ma Wan Road routes across Chi Ma Wan Peninsula to

Chi Ma Wan Chi Ma Wan () is a bay on southeastern Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Chi Ma Wan Peninsula () is where Chi Ma Wan, as well as Cheung Sha Wan, Lantau, Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Long Wan, Chi Ma Wan, Tai Long Wan, Yi Long Wan and Mong Tung ...

References

External links

Delineation of area of existing village Ham Tin (South Lantao) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)

Delineation of area of existing village Pui O Lo Uk Tsuen (South Lantao) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)

Delineation of area of existing village Pui O Lo Wai (South Lantao) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)

Delineation of area of existing village Pui O San Wai (South Lantao) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)

Pictures of Pui O Tin Hau Temple and associated Fung Shui tree and Earth God Shrine

Pictures of Wing On Bridge and its associated Earth God shrine

Map showing the location of the Tin Hau Temple and of the Wing On Bridge

Location of Pui O archeological site
{{Lantautaxi Populated places in Hong Kong Lantau Island Spits (landform) Bays of Hong Kong