Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach
On the weekends, surf-loving city dwellers head to the island of Cheung Chau to enjoy the beaches where an Olympic windsurfing champion once trained. Lee Lai-shan (or ‘Shan Shan’ as she is affectionately known locally) brought back Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold medal from the Atlanta Games in 1996.
A year-round favourite with locals is Tung Wan Beach, which has turquoise waters and charming night views of Aberdeen and Lamma Island. In a small nearby garden, a sculpture of a windsurfer commemorates Shan Shan’s achievement. Right next door to Tung Wan Beach, Kwun Yam Beach is where the young windsurfer with stars in her eyes cut her teeth. The Cheung Chau Windsurfing Centre here provides windsurfing, surfing and canoeing equipment, and it’s possible to see unusual coastal rock formations and the Mini Great Wall from the waters around here.
Please check the latest information on public beaches here.
Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold medallist trained here for the windsurfing event. Photo credit: beasbites.wordpress.com
Address: Cheung Chau Beach Road and Hak Pai Road, Cheung Chau, Outlying Islands
Telephone: +852 2981 8389 (Tung Wan Beach), +852 2981 8472 (Kwun Yam Beach)
Website: www.lcsd.gov.hk
How to get there:
Ferry from Central Pier 5 to Cheung Chau (fast ferry services take 35–40 minutes and ordinary ferry services take about 55–60 minutes). From the Cheung Chau Ferry Pier, walk along Tung Wan Road for approximately 10 minutes until you reach Tung Wan Beach.
Kwun Yam Beach:
Walk around another five minutes from Tung Wan Beach in the direction of Warwick Hotel.