Into The Mountain I Go, To Lose My Mind And Find My Soul

March 15, 2021

Do you still remember my last visit to Cheung Chau Island?

It was February 14 when I and my friend Rachelle (with her friends) went to Cheung Chau Island as Valentine treats to ourselves. You can read my blog about it in this article: A Valentine Trip To Cheung Chau Island Hong Kong

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do things I wanted to do there such as hiking, biking, eating seafood congee, and visiting the cave because Rachelle's friend did not want to roam around that day. They are quite old already and the other one has high blood pressure so we didn't hike to the mountain since it was quite hot that day and just stayed on the beach area. And I have told myself that the next time I visit the island, I will make sure to do those things I wanted to do on that island.

So last Sunday, March 7, my friend Ann (@Ann80 on noise. cash) wanted to go to that island since she wasn't able to go with us last Valentine's Day. It was a perfect time for me to hike at the mountain and do other things. Ann is quite adventurous as well so I prefer to hike with her since she likes hiking too.

The island is just so perfect and beautiful that tourists would like to visit again and again. It was my fourth time visiting the island and I could say that that visit was the best one. But as usual, I woke up late that Sunday so I arrived at the pier at around 10:30 am and we took the 11:30 departure schedule. We reached the island at 12:30 pm and stopped by a restaurant to take our lunch.

As promised, I tried their famous seafood congee and it really tasted great. The congee served as our lunch along with the chocolate cake that Ann baked by herself, and the Filipino delicacy 'pichi-pichi' she bought at the Pinoy store. The congee consists of fish, octopus, with some beef and pork. If you will go to Cheung Chau Island, you can also try to eat at other seafood restaurants but expect the expensive menus.

After eating our lunch, we continued our tour and looked for the way up to the mountain. My friend Ann likes the weather that day as it was quite cold and not so sunny. But I actually prefer a sunny day to hike a mountain because you will be able to capture the beauty above the mountain perfectly. And as usual, bicycles on the island are just so popular and you can see them at every corner of the island and so I told Ann to take a photo riding on a bicycle.

You can't just leave the island without taking a souvenir photo with one of their bicycles. The island was not so crowded compared to the last time we visited there. It was perfect to get great shots without having photo bombers at your back. And while walking on the island, you will really feel and enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings.

On the entranceway to the mountain, you will see the Pak Tai Temple named after Pak Tai, the God of the Sea, and the patron saint of the fishing village. The temple has traditional Chinese design with ceramic tiles roof and a stone dragon sculptures outside. A few steps from the temple is a hundred, or perhaps a thousand-year-old tree.

You will also see the old houses of the locals and you will feel the serenity of the place. A place where you will feel safe to live in. Benches are also set up along the way so tourists and old hikers can take their rest in case they feel tired.

It took us 15-20 minutes to pass through the houses and set on foot on the real entrance to the mountain. You will see a cemetery where you can take a good look at the village, the ocean, and the opposite island.

A few steps from the cemetery was already the beginning of the real hike. I can't actually call it a hike since the way to the mountain was made of concrete which helped hikers easily reach the destination. It was quite tiring though going up but we sometimes stopped by to take photos and get some rest.

Into the mountain, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul...

That was the first quote that entered my mind as I saw the greens and step closer to nature. The way was made convenient for the tourists and you won't feel worried about getting slip or trip since the path was concrete and not slippery. There were also fences and handrails to hold that are intentionally made for old hikers.

In case you don't know, the Chinese elderly like hiking despite their age and not-so-strong bones. If you will visit the mountains of Hong Kong, you will always see old Chinese people hiking, and even at the parks doing taichi and aerobic exercises. I guess that is their secret to a healthy body and longer life.

After 30-45 minutes, we have reached the North Look Out Pavilion, the second to the last stage of the hike, where hikers can take a rest before going to the real attraction on the mountain. The pavilions served as the resting place of the hikers and where they can have a picnic and eat their packed foods. Hikers can also jam together in this area and no one will gonna disturb them.

On the left side of the resting area is a stairway to Pak Kok Tsui, a small peninsula built at the top of the mountain. The fences look like metal but they were concrete. Just be careful in going up and watch your step because you might bang your head hardly once you tripped down.

From the peninsula, you will see the stunning view of Cheung Chau island and this incredible view of the coastline.

There is a secluded beach at the bottom but we did not go down because we lack time.

"A difficult climb often leads to a beautiful destination...."

Indeed it was a worthy climb because you will be relaxed by the stunning view on top and the cold wind. It was also a perfect place to take a group photo with your friends or families. No wonder why many tourists love visiting Cheung Chau Island and hiking on the mountain.

From the top, you will see two paths going to opposite directions. The left path is going down to the secluded Coral beach or Tung Wan Tsai Beach that is barely visited by the tourists.

And the right path is going down where you will see the beauty of Cheung Chau from the right view.

Just follow this path and you will see more great attractions and perfect backgrounds for your photos. The opposite island is called Lamma Island and you can see it clearly on a bright sunny day. In the middle of this path, you can stop over to take a great shot of Cheung Chau below.

The steps going down are simply amazing and the first thing that comes to my mind was the Great Wall of China.

I felt like I stepped on the summit when I successfully climbed onto this big rock.

From this area, you can take a great shot of Kwun Yam Beach below, and was also a good place to take a rest.

I also saw a path going down to Tung Wan Tsai Beach but Ann decided to head back since it was past four in the afternoon already. The small rain showers were going on and off as well and we were worried that it might rain heavily.

We head back at past four in the afternoon and reached the Cheung Chau market at almost five in the afternoon.

Aside from the captivating natural features of the island, you will also enjoy roaming around as you will see pretty shops, old bars, and boutiques yet greatly designed with arts.

This bar was closed which gave us the opportunity to take photos outside with its artistic wall designs.

Next to it is a souvenir shop with a nostalgic exterior design but with a modern internal design.

A few walks from this shop is the Love Lock Wall House which I have mentioned in my first article about Cheung Chau Island and I let Ann see the house full of hearts.

Warnings were printed in the Filipino language so Filipino visitors can understand what is written on them. A few walks from the Love Lock Wall is the Kwun Yum Beach which you saw at the top of the North Look Out Pavilion.

The tide was quite high that time so we did not go along the water. We decided to go back to the ferry station to check the departure schedule. We took the 5:30 pm trip to Central HK after eating our early dinner at the McDonalds just located in front of the ferry station.

In case you want to relax for a while, you can have a sit on the benches located along the roads facing the ocean while we seeing the scenic view of the fishermen's village.

Cheung Chau Island is indeed a place where anyone would love to stay or live, away from the toxic vibes of the city. A place where old people would love to stay until their last breath. A place where kids would love to play and chase each other while riding on bicycles. And a perfect place to unwind and to be so close to nature.

So far, I did hiking and visited the North Look Out Pavilion, ate their famous seafood congee, visited the Love Lock Wall and Tung Wan Tsai Beach, roamed around the Cheung Chau village, and three more things which I didn't do yet on the island, ride on their kaiko (small boat) going to the cave, ride on their bicycle literally, and experience their Bun Festival which happens every month of May. Maybe if I will be given a chance to visit the island again, I will make sure to do what are left in my bucket list.

It was exactly 5:30 pm when the ferry bound to Central HK arrived and we hopped in and sit on the open deck since Ann did not experience sitting on the open deck yet.

It was quite dark already when we arrived at the city and was actually amazing moment as we saw the buildings of the city with lights. City is really pretty at night because of the different shimmering and glimmering lights.

Here's a look at Central Hong Kong pier station at night.

Have a look at the capital city of Hong Kong at night.

Time to go back home and so Ann and I parted our ways and bid goodbye to each other.

Our journey was indeed worth it despite the cramps we suffered from the hikes. No matter how arduous the journey is, you will still enjoy it because of the captivating beauty of nature at your destination along with the right company like your friends or families.

Sometimes, we need to disconnect ourselves from work and the toxic city to replenish our minds with good memories and recuperate our tired bodies from the stressful life.

That's all folks. I hope you like this travel blog.

Thanks for reading @Jane! 😊