OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN FAVOUR OF CHEUNG SHA, ITS FLASHIER COUSIN A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE EAST, TONG FUK IS A HIDDEN GEM WHETHER YOU’RE AFTER A LAZY DAY AT THE BEACH OR AN EXTENDED STAYCATION
Hop off a bus at Tong Fuk and you’ll find there’s not much there, which is basically the point. People are drawn to this tiny village on Lantau’s southern coast because it’s sleepy and remote – firmly off the beaten track – but still an easy commute down the South Lantau Road to Tung Chung and beyond.
You won’t find a Wellcome or even a 7-Eleven in Tong Fuk but there are two basic mom-and-pop stores selling snacks and fizzy drinks. Tong Fuk Beach Store, meanwhile, is a bit of a social hub. Easy to spot on the South Lantau Road, and a minute’s walk from the beach, it has a covered outdoor seating area and is a great place to grab a cold beer or an ice lolly – in addition to all manner of rubber rings, water pistols and sun umbrellas.
If you’re in Tong Fuk to go to the beach, and let’s face it, you probably are, you’ll want to stock up at the beach store before heading out. People talk a lot about Lantau’s unspoilt beaches – and this one is the real deal – there are no beach bars, tuck shops or barbecuing facilities. There’s not even a campsite. Perhaps for this reason, it’s nearly always deserted. Even in the height of summer, when Hongkongers in the know head to Tong Fuk for a long weekend, you don’t have to fight for a space on the sand. Tourists tend to bypass Tong Fuk altogether, and most day-trippers stick to the flashier beaches at Pui O and Cheung Sha, which are closer to the ferry pier.
A path from the village (by a bus stop on the South Lantau Road) takes you through abandoned fields to the beach, which is wild, windswept and resolutely low key. The sand is slate grey, without a glimmer of gold. Just the way we like it.
There are basic changing rooms and lifeguards are on duty during summer but that’s about as “commercial” as Tong Fuk Beach gets. This beach is yours to enjoy in its natural state; it’s raw and unspoilt. The water is clean, at least by Hong Kong standards. And that slate-grey sand? It’s fine and smooth, and soothing on bare feet as it slopes invitingly towards the shore.
Tong Fuk Beach provides expansive views across the South China Sea, and you can expect spectacular sunsets. The view inland encompasses densely wooded slopes and the Lantau hills above, and the trees that line the beach provide plenty of shade at midday.
VILLAGE LIFE
For the most part, the village homes local families, many of whom have lived there for decades, but over recent years, non-islanders have started to move in, drawn to the rural lifestyle and the possibility of living in a tightknit, old-style community.
There are two options for eats. The Gallery, bang opposite the track leading to the beach, is a Lantau landmark, best known for its steak, salad and pizza. Or you can hang with the locals at cheap and cheerful Tak Po Restaurant, also on the South Lantau Road. At both restaurants, you can choose to dine indoors or out.
The Hung Shing Temple in Tung Fuk is well worth a look. Built by the villagers in 1803 and renovated in 1965, it’s located south of Ma Po Ping Road at the eastern end of Tong Fuk Miu Wan (Tong Fuk Temple Bay). Hung Shing, was a government official in the Tang dynasty, who famously championed the study and application of astronomy, geography and mathematics, and established an observatory to record meteorological changes. He’s popular to this day with fishermen and sea traders. Two other deities, the King of Fish Head and the King of Crystal Palace are also enshrined.
Beside the temple is South Lantau Submarine Cable Station, where telecommunication cables link various destinations across the South China Sea. Tong Fuk is also known as the location of Tong Fuk Correctional Institution – a medium security prison for adult males, established in 1966. Lantau International School’s lower primary campus is located at the other end of the village next to the football pitch, and is said to have the best (beach) view of any school in Hong Kong.
Tong Fuk is also, of course, an agricultural hub surrounded by verdant arable land. There are incredible views of Lantau’s peaks, and several rivers run through the village, as does the Lantau Trail (Section 10). You’ll spot wild buffalo on the track to the beach.
BUCKET-AND-SPADE MINI-BREAK
Tong Fuk has long been an under-the-radar staycation spot for Hongkongers looking for a radical change of pace. If you’re ready to rough it a little, there’s the option to stay at The Cove Hostel, just two minutes’ walk from Tong Fuk Beach. Small and somewhat rundown, this hostel has no pretentions though the eight ensuite bedrooms all have free wi-fi, a kitchenette and a balcony. Guests are welcome to barbecue in the backyard.
The caravan camping ground near Tung Fuk Beach closed down before the pandemic but you can camp or rent a caravan at Welcome Beach, which is a mere 15-minute walk away.
Since places to stay are limited, those in the know rent a village house. This is easy enough to do either through word-of-mouth, Airbnb, or by contacting a local realtor like HomeSolutions or Findley Leung. The opportunity to stay in a traditional three-storey village house is, of course, appealing to many.
Arranged across three floors, each of 700 square feet, plus a 700-square-foot roof, one of the big draws of a village house is the living space it provides – 2,800 square feet and often a small garden for your exclusive use. Built to home extended families, village house interiors were originally broken into multiple small rooms but many have now been updated. Removing non-structural walls to maximise floor-plan potential and replacing existing windows and doors creates more space and improves the flow of light. What better place to head to after a long day’s sun worshipping. Happy days!