Party on the beach
In the first installment of her series on Hong Kong's outlying islands, Faye Bradley revisits some of the time-honored island festivals and finds out about newer ones that celebrate local traditions and environments.
The festival's third edition kicks off on Nov 13 and will run for two months. Covering a much larger area than its predecessor, the Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival offers more variety in terms of scenic beauty and local culture.
Chan Yu-nam, senior Geopark officer of Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, lists the festival's major attractions thus: "High Island has a beautiful coastal landscape and an interesting mix of Hakka and fisherfolk-related history. Visitors can drop by at the Tin Hau temple, which is a Grade-III historic building. The Tin Hau Festival observed in High Island is one of the biggest events in Sai Kung, and held every two years. Connected by two other dams, the East Dam of the High Island Reservoir comes with a view of the world-class hexagonal volcanic rock columns.
