Saturday 7 February 2015

Cheung Chau Trip (Part 2)


Cheung Chau Sunset View

urning the corner after the last seafood restaurant, we saw the famous Pak Tai temple which was built in 1783. A set of short steps led up to the temple. Just right in front of the temple was a big soccer pitch. This is where the annual Bun Festival is held. During the celebrations there were street processions, theatrical performance and of course the not to be missed Bun Scrambling competition. Competitors climbed up towers made of buns (14 meters in height) and competed to collect the most number of buns in a determined time.

Pak Tai Temple

We wasted no time to explore the Pak Tai temple. It was not a big temple with a main hall flanked by two side chambers. I have visited many Chinese temples before and  found the Pak Tai temple was not a lot of difference from the rest. But the temple was filled with historic and cultural values and I deemed it was a must to visit to immerse in it's atmosphere.

We tried more street foods after the temples' visit. If you have the chance to be here, remember to try the Giant Curry Fish Balls (my favourite..yummy), Fried Fish Balls and Squid Balls, Fried Mango Roll and Fried Ice Cream. Of course, the list did not end here but I just mentioned on those that we have savoured. 

Yummy Street Foods

Being fans of sunset view, Alison and I would not want the miss the one at Cheung Chau. After taking a rest at the hotel, we set off to the harbour at around 5 pm to capture the beautiful moment. We were just in time at the harbour to see the sun making it's descend into the horizon. The sea, fishing boats and mountains provided a perfect backdrop as the orange glow emitted by the sun embraced the sky. It was always a wonderful feeling to enjoy this magic moment with your loved ones.

Sunset at Cheung Chau

We took our dinner at one of the strongly recommended seafood restaurants-New Baccarat Restaurant (新金湖海鮮酒家). It was located at the end of  Pak She Praya Street, the last restaurant right before the Pak Tai temple. I would say the seafood was the not the best I have tasted. But for a net price below SGD$50 for the dinner set which included a steamed fish, fried mantis prawns, scallops, vegetables and a bowl of soup, it was relatively cheap compared to those one would find in the main land. Thumb up for the values for money for this long standing restaurant.

Seafood Dinner

We woke up early next morning to catch the sunrise and spending family bonding time at the Tung Wan beach. The beach was almost empty apart from some old folks who were having their early morning dip. I have full admiration for them as not many could tolerate the cold temperature, let alone swim in the chilling water.

Family Bonding

We took time to visit the Cheung Chau market. Needless to say, the seafood on sales were fresh and in abundance.

Wet Market

I would like to specially mention this eatery-Hometown Teahouse(故鄉茶寮), which is famous for it's sushi and red bean pastries. It is operated by an Japanese couple. We were lucky that the eatery was just right below our hotel. Perhaps it was still early hours, there was no queue in sight. Although already filled with street foods, I gobbled down three red bean pastries. No prize for guessing how delicious they were.

Hometown Teahouse

We left Cheung Chau in the noon.  If you visit Hong Kong, at least plan for a day trip to this island. Enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere and savour the good foods on offer at good value. Remember to capture the sunset view over the harbour while tasting wines and seafood at one of the restaurants. Just like us, you will not regret to visit Cheung Chau island.

Related Posts: Cheung Chau Trip (Part 1)
 

4 comments:

  1. Great blog post! The bun festival is probably one of the coolest festivals I've ever been to!

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    1. Hi Jordan, thanks! Great to hear you have attended the Bun Festival. It should be very interesting!

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  2. Got to know what to look out for my upcoming trip already. Were u there during the weekend or weekday?

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    1. We were there during weekday. You will want to avoid weekend if you do not like big crowds :-)

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