Ping Chau
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- Not to be confused with Peng Chau (坪洲), an island near Lantau in southwestern Hong Kong.
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Ping Chau (平洲) or Tung Ping Chau (東平洲) is an island of Hong Kong. Ping Chau is the proper name of the island, but because of the possible confusion with another Hong Kong island Peng Chau in Cantonese language, Tung (東, meaning east) is often prepended to the proper name.
Administratively, the island is part of Tai Po District and with the New Territories.
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Geography
Geographically, Ping Chau is located in the northeast corner of Hong Kong in Mirs Bay and near the border to mainland China. The island has an area of 1.16 km² and consists of shale rock. Other than Kowloon and the New Territories, the rest of Hong Kong is made up of islands. The island is much closer to Mainland China (1.5 km) than it is to the mainland of Hong Kong. It is close to Nan'ao of Dapeng.
The island is crescent in shape with its inner facing northeast. Its Cantonese name suggests that the island is flat. Highest point in the island south is 45 metres and north 37 metres. The inner shore of the crescent hugs the Ping Chau Hoi with a few beaches. On the contrary, the outer is fairly rocky. This is the results of inclined stale rock.
Geology
Tung Ping Chau is unique in the fact that it is the only island in Hong Kong made up of sedimentary rock.
Hong Kong used to be entirely made up of sedimentary rock, many millions of years ago. In the Mesozoic era, a super-volcano beneath Hong Kong erupted and covered Hong Kong in a layer of lava, which later became igneous rock. Tung Ping Chau, being so far away from the volcano, was untouched by the lava, and is the only island in Hong Kong which is still made up of completely sedimentary rock.
Sights
The island has a temple dedicated to Tin Hau. There are many ancient buildings dating to 1,000 years ago that can also be found there.
There are also many other wonderful sights to behold. On one side of the island there are steep cliffs, below which is an amazing wave-cut platform, with jagged rocks, set at a 30-degree angle, like a staircase. Here there are many rock pools containing all manner of marine life, such as sea urchins and crabs.
On the island's coastline at the pier side, there are over 60 different species of coral, and 35 species of algae, considered as the most beautiful in Hong Kong. In fact, some say that Ping Chau has the only diveable dive-sites in Hong Kong.
Transport
By air Tung Ping Chau can be reached by helicopter via a helipad. For most, the island is reachable by ferry from Ma Liu Shui ferry pier, near the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The ferry trip takes approximately 1.5 hour one way.
Food, accommodation and water
There is no potable water in Tung Ping Chau but there is an area called da chou pi wang where you can purchase water and food at a reasonable price (HK$200). There is no accommodation in Tung Ping Chau except for an abandoned building called ben dan where you can pay a fee to stay there.