Explore Yantianzi Island: Sai Kung's Hidden Gem with Historic Chapel and Jade Belt Bridge
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Yantianzi Island (also known as Yantian Zai), a small island less than one square kilometre in area off Sai Kung, offers a rewarding half-day hiking experience combining 300 years of Hakka heritage with contemporary art installations. Visitors take a 15-minute ferry from Sai Kung New Public Pier to reach the island, where they can explore the 1890 St. Joseph's Chapel, reconstructed salt fields, and walk across the historic Jade Belt Bridge to a secluded beach on Gau Sai Chau. The island, once home to a thousand residents and abandoned for years, has been lovingly restored with clear signage, art pieces throughout, and a wooden walkway designated 7R that has become a popular photo spot.
Key Points
- The island is accessible via scheduled ferry from Sai Kung New Public Pier, taking approximately 15 minutes, with views of Ma On Shan, Wan Kwun Shan, and Tai Kam Chung along the way
- St. Joseph's Chapel, a Romanesque white building with blue accents and stained glass windows, was completed in 1890 and received UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards in 2005
- Missionaries first arrived in 1864, and by 1875 all island residents had been baptized into Christianity
- The Jade Belt Bridge, constructed in 1953, connects Yantianzi to Gau Sai Chau where a small, secluded beach with calm waters awaits visitors
- The island once supported six acres of salt fields, but salt production declined in the 1920s and was replaced by farmland and fish ponds
Why It Matters
Yantianzi represents a successful model of rural heritage preservation in Hong Kong, demonstrating how a nearly abandoned island with 300 years of Hakka history can be revitalized through restoration, art integration, and community effort while maintaining its historical integrity .
Yantianzi represents a successful model of rural heritage preservation in Hong Kong, demonstrating how a nearly abandoned island with 300 years of Hakka history can be revitalized through restoration, art integration, and community effort while maintaining its historical integrity .