Po Toi
Encyclopedia
Po Toi is the main island
of the Po Toi Islands
and the southern-most island of Hong Kong
, with an area of 3.69 km²
.
s (苔), which were shaped like the cattail hassock (蒲團) used by the monks for sitting; therefore the island was originally called 蒲苔島, the present common name being a corruption. Another explanation states that Po Toi looks like a floating platform (浮台) when viewed from a distance on sea. 蒲 is another character meaning "to float" in the local dialect, thus giving the island its name.
Ancient rock carvings
on the island, believed to date back to the Bronze Age
(around 1500-700 BC), were discovered in the 1960s. They have been listed as declared monuments of Hong Kong
since 1979. These may be viewed on a spur-track on the track that runs between the main harbour (Tai Wan), and the lighthouse.
A Tin Hau Temple
is located on Po Toi, facing the bay of Tai Wan (大灣). While its construction date is unknown, it is documented that the temple was renovated in 1893.
Mo's Old House, or the "Deserted Mansion of Family Mo" (巫氏廢宅), usually referred to as the "Haunted House", is a popular venue of "adventure" for the young visitors. The existing house was built in the 1930s at Chang Shek Pai and has fallen into ruins.
There is a lighthouse on Po Toi. The island is also an ideal place for skywatch.
(kai-to
) or water taxi. Tsui Wah Ferry
provides scheduled ferry services to connect Po Toi island with Aberdeen and Stanley
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of the Po Toi Islands
Po Toi Islands
The Po Toi Islands are a small group of islands with a population of around 200, south-east of Hong Kong Island, off Stanley, in Hong Kong. The main island of the group is Po Toi Island. Administratively, they are part of Islands District....
and the southern-most island of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, with an area of 3.69 km²
1 E6 m²
To aid in the comparison of sizes of different geographic regions, areas between 1 km2 and 10 km2 are listed below. See also areas of other orders of magnitude.* Areas smaller than 1 km2...
.
Name
It is said that the island used to produce dried seaweedSeaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
s (苔), which were shaped like the cattail hassock (蒲團) used by the monks for sitting; therefore the island was originally called 蒲苔島, the present common name being a corruption. Another explanation states that Po Toi looks like a floating platform (浮台) when viewed from a distance on sea. 蒲 is another character meaning "to float" in the local dialect, thus giving the island its name.
History
The island had historically a maximum of about 1,000 fishermen and farmers, whose economic activity consisted mainly in fishing, farming and seaweed harvesting. The population lived mainly in two villages, Chang Shek Pai (長石排) and Shan Liu (山寮). The population decreased sharply over the past decades, with the younger generations moving to the city.Features
Po Toi is famous for its rock formations, such as the Buddha Hand Rock aka. Palm Cliff (佛手巖), the Coffin Rock (棺材石), the Tortoise Climbing up the Mountain (靈龜上山) and the Supine Monk (僧人石).Ancient rock carvings
Prehistoric Hong Kong
Prehistoric Hong Kong is the period between the arrival of the first humans in the modern Hong Kong region and the start of recorded in Chinese history. The history of the region is...
on the island, believed to date back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(around 1500-700 BC), were discovered in the 1960s. They have been listed as declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
since 1979. These may be viewed on a spur-track on the track that runs between the main harbour (Tai Wan), and the lighthouse.
A Tin Hau Temple
Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong
Over 70 temples are dedicated to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. They include:* Tin Hau temple, located at 10 Tin Hau Temple Road, Causeway Bay, east of Victoria Park, in Eastern District, on Hong Kong Island. It is a declared monument. The temple has given its name to the MTR station serving it .* The Tin...
is located on Po Toi, facing the bay of Tai Wan (大灣). While its construction date is unknown, it is documented that the temple was renovated in 1893.
Mo's Old House, or the "Deserted Mansion of Family Mo" (巫氏廢宅), usually referred to as the "Haunted House", is a popular venue of "adventure" for the young visitors. The existing house was built in the 1930s at Chang Shek Pai and has fallen into ruins.
There is a lighthouse on Po Toi. The island is also an ideal place for skywatch.
Transport
The island is accessible mostly by private ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
(kai-to
Kai-to
The kai-to is a type of small, motorized ferry operating in Hong Kong. They are usually used to serve remote coastal settlements in the territory's outlying islands....
) or water taxi. Tsui Wah Ferry
Tsui Wah Ferry
right|thumb|250px|Tsui Wah Ferry's kaito for [[Aberdeen Harbour|Aberdeen]] to [[Yung Shue Wan]].right|thumb|250px|Tsui Wah Ferry's kaito for [[Wong Shek Pier]] to [[Tap Mun]]....
provides scheduled ferry services to connect Po Toi island with Aberdeen and Stanley
Stanley, Hong Kong
Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It located on a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok...
.
External links
- Pictures of Po Toi Island: http://www.oasistrek.com/po_toi_e.php http://web.archive.org/web/20041011163056/http://hkls.org/HKC_Sides/Places/PoToi/PoTai.htm http://www.hkoutdoors.com/outlying-islands/po-toi.html http://www.samsays.com/Sam%20Pics/Hong%20Kong/Po%20Tai%20Island/index.html http://www.hknhs.org/photos/categories.php?cat_id=19&sessionid=53d9351c40708065cc2fa2923acfd970
- CentaMap map of Po Toi Island