'Duck Island' tourist centre opens

April 9, 2018

New chapter:

Secretary for Environment KS Wong (third left) and Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Leung Siu-fai (third right) visit the Ap Chau Story Room after officially opening the facility on the island.

’Duck Island’:

Ap Chau is the smallest inhabited island in Hong Kong.

Intriguing story:

Ap Chau village representative Louis Chan says islanders are happy the Government has helped to set up a story room on their island.

Unique history:

Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark Head Yeung Ka-ming says the story room will show the island’s culture and heritage.

Duck’s Eye:

The island’s sea arch was formed by wave erosion.

Sleepy village:

Only three residents live on Ap Chau.

Download Video| Transcript

Voiceover: Ap Chau, also known as Robinson Island, is an islet off the northeastern coast of the New Territories. Ap Chau, meaning "Duck Island" in Cantonese, is named after its appearance which resembles a duck on the water. At only four hectares, it is the smallest inhabited island in Hong Kong. Ninety-year-old Chan Sau-tung is one of the three villagers who live on the island. With no cars, shops or restaurants, praying and singing in church is his main daily activity. Seeing it today, it is hard to imagine the island was once a crowded home to about 1,000 villagers. Ap Chau was uninhabited until the late 1920s when boat dwelling families from Kat O and Tap Mun who fished in nearby waters began using the island's coast as an anchorage. Islanders started moving to the city or overseas in the late 1960s. Eric Liu who moved to the UK often returned to his home island to meet old friends. Ap Chau villager Eric Liu (Translation): The school was built in 1953. This is me. I was three. He has trained to be a guide at the Ap Chau Story Room, which will open on April 15. He will tell the story of Ap Chau and teach some of the island's dialect. Eric Liu: We want to teach at least one or two words to visitors to give them a special memory from Ap Chau. Voiceover: With special geological attractions, like the reddish-brown sedimentary rock called "breccia", and the Duck's Eye which is a naturally formed sea arch, Ap Chau is part of Hong Kong Geopark. The Government is opening the Ap Chau Story Room so visitors can learn about the island's history and have a new Geotour experience. Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark Head Yeung Ka-ming (Translation): Its unique history and culture makes the island more colourful and attractive. This is the first time in Hong Kong a tourist centre has been set up by both the Government and the island community. The villagers designed the setting and content of the story room and they will run it with us. Ap Chau village representative Louis Chan (Translation): We have always wanted to preserve our history, but we did not know how to do it. We were excited when the Government told us a story room will be opened here in Ap Chau. As there are not many people living here now, we were worried our village will disappear. Now we have this story room, we can tell the young generation about our village and our origin. Voiceover: To get to Ap Chau, visitors must rent a boat from Tai Mei Tuk or Ma Liu Shui pier. However, the Transport Department will trial a ferry route from Ma Liu Shui pier to Kat O and Ap Chau, hoping to start a weekend service in September to give visitors easier access to the island.

A quiet island in the northeast New Territories is set to get a new lease on life thanks to the commissioning of the Ap Chau Story Room.

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong opened the facility yesterday on Ap Chau, meaning "Duck Island" in Cantonese. It is named after its appearance which resembles a duck on the water.

The facility will introduce visitors to the island's unique features and history.

At only four hectares, it is the smallest inhabited island in Hong Kong. With no cars, shops or restaurants, only three villagers live on there. However, it was once a crowded home to about 1,000 villagers.

Ap Chau was uninhabited until the late 1920s when boat dwelling families from Kat O and Tap Mun who fished in nearby waters began using the island's coast as an anchorage. After its peak, islanders started moving to the city or overseas in the late 1960s.

The island has special geological attractions, like the reddish-brown sedimentary rock called "breccia", and the Duck's Eye which is a naturally formed sea arch. Ap Chau is part of Hong Kong Geopark.

Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark Head Yeung Ka-ming said the island's unique history and culture makes it an intriguing place to visit.

"This is the first time in Hong Kong a tourist centre has been set up by both the Government and the island community. The villagers designed the setting and content of the story room and they will run it with us."

Ap Chau village representative Louis Chan said: "We have always wanted to preserve our history, but we did not know how to do it. We were excited when the Government told us a story room will be opened here in Ap Chau.

"As there are not many people living here now, we were worried our village will disappear. Now we have this story room, we can tell the young generation about our village and our origin."

To get to Ap Chau, visitors must rent a boat from Tai Mei Tuk or Ma Liu Shui pier. However, the Transport Department will trial a ferry route from Ma Liu Shui pier to Kat O and Ap Chau, hoping to start a weekend service in September to give visitors easier access to the island.

Ap Chau Story Room will be open to public from April 15, from 10am to 4pm on Sundays and public holidays.

To join guided tours of the story room, register by email.