17th January 2024
Since my last visit to Tai Mo Shan's abandoned military base, I've been itching to engage in Urban Exploration once more. Having no company, though, makes it difficult for me to do so because it can be risky to trespass on abandoned places in Hong Kong. Surprisingly, I discovered an abandoned village while taking a weekend stroll on Lantau Island, particularly along Ngong Ping Fun Walk. I felt fortunate to come across a site like this. So after visiting my desired destination that day, I went back to this place before dusk.
I am aware that there a lot of abandoned places here in Hong Kong from dating back to old era, and many of which have been reclaimed by nature in the woods. People have since forgotten about those places, which have deteriorated over time. Many are now considered nostalgic views along the trails. They are proof that long time ago, there were communities thriving in those abandoned places. Some abandoned places are full of history like abandoned military barracks and heritage sites. And after this day, I decided to pursue looking for those derelict places around Hong Kong this year.
After exploring a popular tourist destination, I returned to this location past five in the afternoon. This abandoned community is located along Ngong Ping Fun Walk, and can be found when taking the trail from Ngong Ping Village to Lantau Peak. It's an unknown place that can't even be traced on the map, so I presumed that this is a remote part of Ngong Ping village.
It seems that it has long been forgotten that it even has no name. Or perhaps, there is which I don't know. I almost forgot about my plan to return to this place that day. By the moment I returned to this place, I was already short on time, so I just explored the abandoned houses located along the pathway.
Old villages' houses in Hong Kong are far different from houses nowadays. Compared to city houses, these are quite shorter and smaller and usually consist of one to two floors. Houses may have been wrecked, but some facades are still up. And looking at them, they seem to have been built a couple of centuries ago, but not too old to consider.
While exploring these wrecked houses, I noticed that some seemed to be abandoned establishments. And since this is located along the trail near the major attractions on Lantau Island, it's a close answer to my presumptions. By the way, a little bit farther from this abandoned place are the famous Wisdom Path and other camping sites. And the starting point of this trail are other major attractions, like Po Lin Monastery and Big Buddha at Ngong Ping Village.
Could this be a place flocked with tourists back in the day with different restaurants, cafes, and snack houses? For instance, this abandoned place seems to be an old tea house. As I zoomed out the photo, I saw the word Oolong Tea posted on the wall. There are also old tables and chairs that have been set aside and are rotting. This huge carved bowl seems to be the main display. It's a typical display with auspicious meaning in Chinese beliefs.
I entered this wrecked house with an open door, and what I saw inside might support my presumption. Some things from the former owner or tenant were left to rot.
Half of it is totally wrecked and can't be restored any longer.
This could be an old food house. I saw this old stove which is kind of traditional and typically used by old villagers way back in time. Although some restaurants and residential houses in rural areas use this kind of traditional stove, this place might be a food house because of other things I saw inside that may support my presumption.
A typical residential house won't stock this kind of plate. And if I'm not mistaken, this kind is usually used to serve in restaurants. And they are too many for an ordinary household. Hong Kong families typically consist of small members, so they don't need so many plates.
And what about these small serving bowls? I used to see these kinds of bowls in restaurants, and they used them to serve rice or soup.
And these! Typical disposable cups in HK, and empty bottles of beer They are in one of the rooms that cannot be accessed.
Seems like Ella forgot her pair of shoes, not just one.
Meanwhile, used helmets, tires, plastic tanks, a decaying boat, and iron bars are occupying the bushy lot of the other house.
This house is still intact and probably just needs some refurbishment. I'm not sure of the inside, though. It was getting late, so I didn't dare get in.
Some views are nostalgic and cool like these giant tree roots conquering the old wall.
I can think of some possible reasons why this place was abandoned: either it was destroyed by a powerful typhoon or it was reclaimed by the government or private sector, in which case the occupants were forced to leave and relocate. But in many cases, residents abandon their village to look for a better life in another place or in the city. Whatever the reason why this place was abandoned, the surrounding nature has witnessed its transformation, from being a part of a once-thriving community into a quite nostalgic derelict village that has been forgotten over time. Still a scenic place, though.
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(All photos are mine, edited in Picsart)
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