250px, Sok Kwu Wan viewed from Lamma Island walk SKW kamikaze boats

Sok Kwu Wan () or Picnic Bay () is a bay on the east coast of

Lamma Island Lamma Island, also known as Y Island, Pok Liu Chau or simply Pok Liu, is the third largest List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District, Hong Kong, Islands District. Lam ...

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 ...

. The bay has a cluster of seafood restaurants and village houses.

Administration

Sok Kwu Wan is a recognized village 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 ...

Features

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 ...

in Sok Kwu Wan with some old and interesting artifacts from the pre-Qing period. The Lamma Island Family Trail, a well-maintained path running from Sok Kwu Wan to

Yung Shue Wan Yung Shue Wan is the main population centre on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. It has a population of approximately 6,000. Administration Yung Shue Wan is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. Features The village is a ...

, connects the larger village on the North side of the island. There are several

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

s along the trail, as well as small information panels detailing aspects of the island's

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

s and history. The trail is well-marked, with signs directing hikers to Luk Chau,

Lamma Winds Lamma Winds () is a wind farm, more accurately a lone wind turbine, in Tai Ling, Lamma Island, Hong Kong where the average wind velocity is 5.5 m/s. Built near the Lamma Power Station and owned by Hongkong Electric, on average it provide ...

, Lo So Shing, and Tung O, as well as the villages on the North side of the island.

Environmental conservation

Paths from the village's ferry pier leads to several beaches, some of which are overseen by Hong Kong

Leisure and Cultural Services Department The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural ...

and the

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (; formerly the Agriculture and Fisheries Department () before 2000, of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for agriculture and fisheries in Hong Kong, conservation projects and issu ...

(AFCD). Sham Wan, one of these beaches, is well known as a breeding location for endangered green sea turtles, and an AFCD facility on the beach is staffed from June to October in order to prevent access to the beach during breeding season. The Hong Kong YMCA maintains a small camp facility on the shore of the bay opposite from the village of Sok Kwu Wan, which sits on several acres of forested land that has been under consideration for status as protected land. The camp is used for outdoor youth education. The entirety of South Lamma has been suggested several times for conservation status under the auspices of AFCD.

Future developments

The village, itself, has been the subject of some interesting debate concerning environmental protection and urban expansion. A planned community is under discussion to be developed at the site of Sok Kwu Wan's abandoned quarry. The development could house an anticipated additional 6,000 residents on the island, including an additional 1900 units with 700 reserved for subsidized housing, a 260 suite hotel, and facilities for water sports. Development plans were last reported to have been shelved until 2025. The site plans to preserve a green belt consisting of natural mudflats, a lake, and many acres of pristine woodlands. Locals voiced interest in a potential eco-tourism resort rather than large-scale residential development. Recent developments regarding the real estate development talks show that the development plans may be changed to environmentally protected areas on a large scale, which may provide some interesting opportunities for local small business.

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

. 'Split emerges among Hong Kong rural leaders over plan for a new party'. South China Morning Post.http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1934045/split-emerges-among-hong-kong-rural-leaders-over-plan-new. Retrieved April 07, 2016

Transportation

The town is serviced by ferries from the Outlying Ferry Pier No. 4 in Central, taking 35 to 45 minutes, and from

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

via Mo Tat by

Chuen Kee Ferry Chuen Kee Ferry's Kaito. Chuen Kee Ferry Ltd () is a licensed ferry operator in Hong Kong. It operates the Aberdeen via Mo Tat Wan to Sok Kwu Wan route. Chuen Kee has been established for 50 years. The company's office is located at G/F, 17, S ...

, taking about 30 minutes.

References

External links

Delineation of area of existing village Sok Kwu Wan (Lamma South) for election of resident representative (2019 to 2022)

Sok Kwu Wan at www.islandsdc.gov.hk
{{Coord, 22, 12, 18, N, 114, 7, 54, E, display=title, type:isle Bays of Hong Kong Populated places in Hong Kong Populated coastal places in Hong Kong Lamma Island Places in Hong Kong