Day 8. Cheung Chau and the Hong Kong Flower Show

It’s hard to believe that it was our last full day in Hong Kong – the days had flown by. During the morning we decided to visit one of the outlying islands so we travelled on the MTR to Central and then walked across the footbridge to Central Pier for the 9.45 a.m. fast ferry to Cheung Chau. Sitting on the upper deck we had some good views on the 40 minute boat trip. I’ve visited Cheung Chau before but this time we planned something new, a hike over to the island’s north lookout point.

Pak Tai Temple, Cheung Chau

On leaving the ferry pier we turned left, walking along the promenade as far as the basketball pavilion where we stopped awhile to look in the nearby Pak Tai temple which is guarded by four small stone lions.

North Lookout Point Trail, Cheung Chau

On leaving the temple the hiking trail leads to the right passing behind the Cheung Chau Aged Persons Home from where it’s easy to follow the well maintained path. It was a very warm morning as we climbed the seemingly never ending stone steps but on reaching the lookout point we were rewarded with some stunning views of the narrow strip of Cheung Chau town with its harbour on one side and the beach on the other. The path continues to further viewpoints and we enjoyed the trail almost to ourselves. Hundreds of butterflies fluttered through the hedgerows, we spotted four varieties but they seemed impossible to photograph despite frequent attempts.

Cheung Chau, Hong Kong

Returning to the bustling seafront we relaxed with cold drinks and our favourite coconut buns, then continuing along to the far end of the bay and across to the beach we spotted a statue commemorating Hong Kong’s only Olympic gold medal, by a local windsurfer. We took the slower ferry back to Central which only takes an additional 20 minutes and is much better for taking photos of Hong Kong island as the boat approaches the coast. Not too far from the ferry terminal lies Hong Kong Park where we’d visited briefly on our first day heading towards The Peak tram.

Hong Kong Park

During the afternoon we wanted to visit the colonial Flagstaff House which is home to the Museum of Tea Ware. Looking around the historic building which has free admission was quite interesting but we found the majority of the exhibits to be disappointing as they were modern competition ceramics rather than old tea sets as we had expected. The exhibit below being the only traditional tea set we could find.

Museum of Tea Ware, Flagstaff House, Hong Kong Park

Afterwards, we strolled through the gardens where we spotted numerous turtles huddled together in small heaps as well as several bridal parties awaiting their weddings in the park’s register office – a delightful location for post ceremony photo shoots.

Hong Kong Flower Show

A short break followed back in our hotel room before raising the energy to board a tram to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, the venue for the annual Hong Kong Flower Show taking place during the week of our visit. Admission is only HK$14 (approximately £1.50 each) which is a real bargain as the event is huge. It’s open during the day but in the evenings the floral displays are illuminated taking on an enchanting appearance.

Hong Kong Flower Show

Rather than individual vase floral arrangements, this flower show features high quality themed gardens plus a live stage where we watched some dancers dressed in exquisite orchid costumes. It was the perfect end to our week in Hong Kong and after a final meal in Café de Coral we returned to our hotel to pack and prepare for the second part of our holiday adventure.