Yim Tim Tsai Island - Sai Kung
Written and illustrated by Ross Burrough
History
A 20-minute boat ride from Sai Kung pier you can find the tiny island of Yim Tin Tsai (Cantonese for Little Salt Pan) an old Hakka settlement.
The island was settled by members of the Hakka Chan clan during the 19th century (although some sources mention 300 years ago). The Chans came from Yim Tin, now part of the Yantian District of Shenzhen. The new settlement was called Yim Tin Tsai in its memory. At its peak, Yim Tin Tsai had 500 inhabitants who lived on farming, fishing and salt-making. They farmed 6 acres (24,000 m2) of salt field that was produced to preserve fish. The surplus was sold to villagers in other parts of Sai Kung. Due to the decline of the fishing industry and the imports of cheap mainland salt, the salt pans in Yim Tin Tsai stopped production in the early 20th century. The salt pans where converted into land for agriculture in the 1930s and then into fishing ponds in the 1960s. Due to limited farming land to sustain the village community and better work opportunity outside, villagers started to leave the island and by 1990s, the village was no more inhabited. While some of the descendants of the original Hakka settlers have returned to revitalise the village as a tourist attraction you can now walk around and through the many abandoned buildings who only inhabitants are now local bat colonies. |
Things to do and seeOther than exploring the abandoned farmhouses and buildings there is a picturesque walk around the island that takes no more than 45 minutes to an hour. The path is concreted most of the way and you walk through a diverse array of fauna from thick almost tropical forest, to bamboo groves and hilltop scrubland (see flora section below). The is a population of wild boar living on the island and evidence of their existence can be seen throughout the walk. For those that have more time there are barbecue pins located at some of the most scenic spots as well as a few pavilions from which you can have a bird’s view of the island and its surroundings.
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Topography of hike around the island.
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The old school has been turned into a village heritage centre and for a $15 donation you can find out more about the unique history of the island, have a tour of the salt pans and visit St Jospeh’s Chapel. The missionaries came to the island in the late 19th century and since then the whole village was converted into a Christian village. The chapel built in 1890, and renovated in 2004, for which a merit prize from the Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation was awarded in 2005.
Activities & Challenges
CLOSE UP
Materials: A camera Have someone with a camera or smartphone walk ahead on the trail and take a macro—or super close-up—shot of an object along the trail: a leaf, a knot in a tree, a crack in a rock. The close-up should focus on part of the object rather than the whole thing. (If you take a picture of the entire object, it will be too easy to find!) When the rest of the group catches up to the photographer, define a small 10-by-10-foot area—and then it’s a race to see who can find the object first. It takes just minutes to play, but the fascination of finding hidden objects in the woods makes it fun and keeps you moving! |
FEEL A TREE
Materials: blindfold or scarf If you have a scarf/buff, blindfold one person, spin them around, then take them to a tree and let them feel it. Move them away from the tree and spin them around again. Next, remove the blindfold and see if they can guess which tree it was they felt. MYSTERY COLLECTION
Materials: One egg carton per group, with two words written on bottom (one word on left, one on right) Ask the pair or group to look at their words written on the bottom of the egg carton. Keep the words secret from other groups! The challenge is to fill six spaces in the carton with items that fit one descriptive word, and fill the other half of the carton with items fitting the other word. When the collection is as good as it can be, take it to another group and challenge them to figure out what the hidden words might be! Or you can gather all the groups in a circle and the group can work together to guess the words on one carton after another. Sample words: round, square, curly, straight, prickly, tickley, white, black, green, brown, soft, hard, whole, holey, smooth, rough. Alternatively, paint the bottom of each egg container a different colour. Groups then have to find objects that then match each of those colours (see opposite). |
Island Flora
For such a small island the vegetation changes greatly as you take the circular loop around its coastline. A few species that can be seen on the island can be seen below.
CAPE JASMINE
Is a naive evergreen shrub to Hong Kong and has been in cultivated in China for at least a thousand years. It has shiny green leaves and heavily fragrant white summer flowers |
SCREW PINE
Otherwise known as the “Wild Pineapple" from the fruit it bares, which can be eaten raw or cooked. The fibrous nature of the fruit also serves as a natural dental floss. |
LONGAN
Is a tropical tree that produces edible fruit. It is one of the better-known tropical members of the soapberry family, to which the lychee also belongs. |
CAMPHOR TREE
Is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 20–30 m (66–98 ft) tall. The leaves have a glossy, waxy appearance and smell of camphor when crushed. |
Island Bird life
A large diversity of birdlife on the island supported by the extensive range of vegetative habitats from open grassland, to thick woodland to mangroves.
ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN
Oriental Magpie Robin is kept by many people as a pet in Hong Kong. While most other birds have one to two specific calls, Oriental Magpie Robin is capable of making a number of voices, sometimes imitating the calls of other birds. |
JAPANESE WHITE EYE
Is a small-sized sunbird kept by many people as a pet. It is a common resident bird in Hong Kong, and usually appears in large flocks. Japanese White-eye is recognised by its prominent white eye-rings, as aptly suggested by its name. |
GREAT EGRET
The great egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing them with its long, sharp bill usually by waiting in ambush for its prey to come to it. |
BLACK HEADED KINGFISHER
The Black-capped Kingfisher is a common winter visitor and spring / autumn passage migrant of Hong Kong. It is usually found in wetlands like mangrove swamps, open ponds and riversides. |
Island Mammals
WILD BOAR
Wild Pig or Eurasian Wild Pig is the largest native terrestrial mammal in Hong Kong: the adults weigh up to 200 kg and reach a body length up to 2m. They have thick and short bristly coats of brownish grey to black colour. |
SHORT NOSED FRUIT BAT
It weighs between 21 and 32 grams (0.74 and 1.13 oz). It occurs in many types of habitat, but most frequently in disturbed forest, including lower montane forest and tropical lowland rainforest, plus gardens, mangroves, and vegetation on beaches. |
Getting thereThere is a ferry service that goes to and from the island Sai Kung Pier that operates on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays. A round trip to and from the Yim Tim Tsai costs $45 and a timetable can be found at this link.
Alternatively there are several operators offering private trips and tours to the island or you can hire a local sampan to take you on the 15 minute. EquipmentWater bottle 1.5l
Camera Torch for exploring abandoned houses Closed walking shoes |
Risk Assessment
HAZARD |
RISKS |
CONTROL MEASURE |
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN |
E.g. Steep narrow steps |
E.g. Tripping over and falling down - twisted ankle, broken bone, cuts etc. |
E.g. Walk in single file, walk slowly, do not overtake each other or push. |
E.g. Ensure that first aid kit is being carried and you have told an adult where you are going and the route taken. Depending on severity of injury contact emergency services or supporting adult. |