Cheung Chau is nostalgia cranked up to 11.
The shops – apart from the McDonald’s sitting right in front of the ferry pier – seem washed out from too much sun. Between a row of curtained banyans on one side and parasols on the other, bicycles and miniaturized vehicles trill and honk their way past distracted tourists. Once past the main thoroughfare, though, the promenade is filled only with sunshine and lapping of water against moored fishing boats.
And then the exploration begins.
Cheung Chau (長洲; meaning ‘long island’) is one of the oldest inhabited islands in Hong Kong. Historically a fishing village, it’s now a favourite place to retreat from the city’s modern madness, soak up the island’s idyllic beauty, and feast on cheap seafood. To enjoy a day trip in Cheung Chau, all you need is a good pair of walking shoes.
Roam the streets of Cheung Chau
On the map, Cheung Chau appears as a dumbbell-shaped island; on the ground, it’s two granite masses connected by a narrow tombolo. Most of Cheung Chau’s small population is settled in this middle section, with rows of shophouses connected by charming alleyways.
Here, the sounds of Chinese opera and clattering mahjong tiles swirl around with the breeze; plants spill over pastel walls and balconies like they’ve been forgotten for decades. It’s easy to feel like time’s stopped here, if not for other passing tourists.
It only takes five minutes to cross from the western side of the island, where the ferry pier deposits visitors, to the eastern side. Here you’ll find Tung Wan Beach lining the entire coastline, and while it’s somewhat gritty, the waters are calm and inviting.
Rent a bicycle and ride around
If you want, you can also rent a bicycle to ride around the island. It’s how most locals get around as the only motor vehicles are mini-sized emergency vehicles or goods transport trucks!
Bicycles can be rented by the hour or by the day, with prices ranging from HKD 10-30/hour or HKD 50-100/day depending on the type of bike you choose: there are even trishaw-type bicycles available for those with kids.
Sample Cheung Chau’s famous buns
The annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival (包山節) is the island’s claim to fame: it’s one of the biggest Taoist festivals in Hong Kong and features, well, massive towers made of steamed buns. The festival’s purpose, however, is to pray for peace and safety for its residents.
Legend has it that in the 18th century, the island was plagued by pirates and disease, and it was only when local fishermen brought their patron deity Pak Tai (北帝; meaning ‘God of the North’) to the island that misfortune was overcome. Today, the week-long festival – which usually falls in May – features multiple towers covered in steam buns at the island’s Pak Tai Temple; these are offerings to the spirits.
The festival culminates in a parade and ‘bun-scramble’, where contestants climb a special tower of plastic buns to grab as many buns as possible.
Even if you’re not visiting Cheung Chau during the Bun Festival, you can get a taste of these steamed buns! 40-year-old local bakery Kwok Kam Kee has been supplying over 60,000 buns each year for the festival, and it also makes other scrumptious goodies like steamed egg sponge cakes, as well as European-style baked goods including Basque burnt cheesecakes and palmiers. The fresh steamed buns are pillowy soft and make a great hiking snack.
Feast on cheap seafood
You can’t go to Cheung Chau without having its cheap, fresh seafood – it’s a fishing village, after all! This is the place to go for rarer dishes like sea snails and tiny crawfish, which I can’t appreciate but many foodies love. Of course, the squid and fish I are absolutely fresh and succulent here.
Cheung Chau’s seafood restaurants can be found lining the island’s main promenade, right past the ferry pier, and you can dine right by the water if you wish.
Visit hip boutiques and cafés
If design is your thing, you’ll want to check out indie shops like Island Origin or Island Workbench for some unique souvenirs, from windchimes to brightly-coloured socks. Some of the shops I came across only have Chinese names, but most HongKongers speak English so don’t hesitate to browse.
There are plenty of small hipster cafés around town, too, but the most famous of them is probably HAIKA Coffee with its chill alfresco area. Be prepared for a long queue if you see crowds – when I visited they were operating on a single group espresso machine. The coffee is worth the wait though!
Go hiking around Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau’s hilly northern and southern ends offer fantastic vantage points over the sea and surrounding islands, and you can cover them all in one long loop. But if you’re short on time, the various viewpoints can all be visited via individual trails.
North Lookout observation deck is the highest point on Cheung Chau island and can be reached via two trails: a swift-and-steep 20-minute grind along Cheung Chau Family Walk or a more relaxing walk along the coastal Cheung Kwai Road. A path from the lookout takes you to the hideaway Coral Beach.
The Mini Great Wall covers the rockier outcroppings on the southeastern part of the island and if mimetoliths are your thing, the trail features some interesting granite formations like Human Head Rock. This is also roughly 20 minutes one-way from Cheung Chau town.
Cheung Po Tsai Cave is the main attraction on the southwestern end of Cheung Chau, reachable via another 20-minute walk that takes you past some nice cafés and loops back to town by way of Pak Tso Wan beach, another small and secluded bay.
Getting to Cheung Chau island
Cheung Chau is serviced by ferries from Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island.
From Hong Kong Island: head to Central Ferry Pier (nearest MTR station: Hong Kong). Sun Ferry operates ordinary (~55 minutes) and fast (~30 minutes) ferries from Pier No. 5. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis, so you can’t buy tickets for a specific time slot.
Fares are payable using Hong Kong’s transit card, Octopus Card.
If you’re craving the sea breeze, note that only the ordinary ferries have any sort of outdoor space – the fast ferries are strictly indoor seating only. If you get seasick easily, you’ll want to take the ordinary ferry. If you choose the fast ferry, make sure you sit towards the middle or rear of the vessel!
From Lantau Island: Sun Ferry also operates ordinary ferries to Chi Ma Wan Public Pier and Mui Wo Ferry Pier, so you can extend your island explorations if you wish.
Cheung Chau FAQs
When’s the best time to visit Cheung Chau?
As with the rest of Hong Kong, the best time to visit Cheung Chau is December to March, especially if you want to go hiking. It gets sweltering hot from April to July, and this is followed by the typhoon season from July through October.
Is it worth staying overnight in Cheung Chau?
If you want to really slow down and take in the beauty of Cheung Chau, why not? There are several guesthouses and Airbnbs available – I highly recommend Lychee Sunset Hotel for the nicest rooms and best value.
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