Episode 17 - Waterway at Tai O

Photo taken by Gogo Tsang

Waterway at Tai O

Tai O is a village in the Lantau Island of Hong Kong. The photo shows its traditional "Pang Uks" (stilt houses) along a waterway. People living in these Pang Uks usually make use of the waterway for transportation. Because of such waterway, Tai O is also known as the "Venice of Hong Kong".

Unlike the modernised Central District, Tai O preserves the atmosphere of a traditional fishermen's village. Apart from fresh sea food shops and restaurants, it has shops which sell traditional produce like salted fish and dried sea food.

The tourists can also enjoy "tea dumpling", a traditional steamed dumpling with leaf warping, in Tai O.

Nowadays, you can only find tea dumplings in the New Territories or Outlying Islands in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the art of cooking tea dumplings does not appear to have passed down to the young generation. The sellers (who are also the cooks) are usually old men or old ladies.

My taste buds (they are professional!) tell me that the tea dumplings at the old lady's stall near the bus station are the best in Tai O. The old lady uses wood and charcoal, instead of electricity, to heat the steam boiler.

(See Episode 14 for another Hong Kong attraction)