My Kind of Boxing Day

Training for the HK100 is progressing well and the training programme I am following had a 44km run scheduled for Boxing Day. This was to be followed by a 20km run the following day [a 'back-to-back' regime]. After last week’s 5 hour epic long run that included copious lashings of stairs and definitely more vertical than planned, I decided on a route that I knew would include more modest doses of elevation. The intended route was from Tung Chung along the northern coast of Lantau to Tai O and then to follow the Lantau Trail to Cheung Sha.

Although this route includes a higher proportion of concrete paths than I would usually run on, it was a trade off I was willing to make so that I could keep elevation around the 1,000m mark and run 44k under 5 hours while going at a moderate pace. After running past Yat Tung housing estate [逸東邨] and the last dose of urban life , I entered a world that Hong Kong is not so known for, when compared to the postcard waterfront, and yet is so rich in beauty and character.  This entry begins with a fleeting glimpse of the Hau Wong Temple [侯王]  that stands back from the path and whose presence is only apparent to the keen worshipper or those seeking it out.  I understand that this temple is one of several in Hong Kong that was built in 1765 to honour Yeung Leung-jit [楊亮節], a general who faithfully protected the last emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty despite his ailing health.

One of the aspects of trail running in Hong Kong that I value is the opportunity to catch glimpses of traditional village life as I run through communities such as those that are situated along the northern Lantau coast. I am always interested in the historical and cultural aspects of the places that I run through and often spend time researching and reading about these areas before and after passing through.

Looking up Tung Chung stream towards Sunset Peak after passing Yat Tung Estate

The route I took on Boxing Day passes through the villages of San Tau [散頭], Sha Lo Wan [沙螺灣], Sham Shek Tsuen [深石村] and Sham Wat [深屈].  I fear that if I was to run this route again in 10 years time, that these villages would be no more and I would be running under the shadow of a bridge that would be significant in terms of economic and infrastructure development and yet would be a stark symbol of the strategy that could have cost these villages a way of life that they have embraced for centuries as well as incurring irredeemable ecological costs.

 

Bridge Plans

The first village I run through is San Tau, which is particularly rich in wildlife that is unique to Hong Kong. This village is well known for particular species of butterflies and photographers come from all over Hong Kong to capture these holometabolous insects on film.  In fact, as I ran through, I spotted a keen photographer who had camped overnight just outside the village getting his equipment ready. As I ran, I wondered whether this would be lost in the ecological fallout from the bridge that is planned to be built between Hong Kong and Zhuhai.

  

San Tau Village: derelict house, Ancestral Hall + typical village house doorway

One of the next villages I passed through is Sha Lo Wan [沙螺灣].  This small village was previously well known for producing incense during the Ming Dynasty. Tungsten was discovered and quarried in the area during the 1950s. Being close to the sea, the village was often attacked by pirates and bandits during past centuries. This part of the trail is quite rich in foliage and is a preserved tropical natural environment. It is near this part of the trail that I spotted a rat snake the last time that I ran this route.

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Sham Wat is that last village that lies on the trail before reaching Tai O. This village is situated in a bay and the villagers are friendly although the dogs are not… The villagers beckon walkers passing through to spend their money at the simple cafes that have been erected in front gardens.  The bay that lies in front of the village is rich with cockles, oysters and mussels. As such, Sham Wat is renowned for a type of oyster omelette.

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After reaching the well known village of Tai O, I quickly picked up a few tubs of preserved fruit for my daughter who always places an order when she knows I am running through Tai O and tucked these into my back pack and continued running towards the disused salt fields that lie near the pier and mark the point where the Lantau Trail can be joined. Tai O has a rich history of salt production and in it’s heyday of the 1930-1940′s used to produce over 1,500 metric tons a year. However, this along with the once thriving fishing industry has been resigned to the annals of Hong Kong history.

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Tai O

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The remainder of the trail followed the Lantau Trail and was another 30k around the coast where I did not see another person until reaching Shek Pik. The trail was quite technical in parts as the surface was very uneven with jagged stones and rocks protruding from the trail. I reached the destination of Cheung Sha beach with enough time to go for a refreshing swim in the cold waters before meeting my family for a meal at the Beach cafe. It was my kind of Boxing Day…

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