Cheung Chau

Mrs CBL and I took the fast ferry from Hong Kong Island over to the island of Cheung Chau, the sail lasts only 30 minutes.

It is a very quaint and picturesque island, which is approximately 6 miles in length. The harbour area was bustling with activity with fishing vessels, trawlers, junks and sampans criss-crossing back and forth. The waterfront promenade is lined with cafes and souvenir stands where there are countless seafood restaurants and dried food stalls to catch your eye too.

Several colourful, little temples are dotted around the town which are interesting to look into. Also there are a few beaches on the island but only one is really easy to access. It attracts the day trippers from Hong Kong as Cheung Chau is as far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life as you could get.

Bicycles are the main mode of transport on the island as the streets are very narrow. Small vehicles and carts are permitted to carry goods and for use by the emergency services.

The annual Bun Festival is held in June when there is a parade of floats on which young children dressed as famous characters do impossible balancing acts. It lasts three to four days and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the island.

Huge bamboo mountains covered with handmade buns are set up near the Pak Tai Temple where the majority of the celebrations take place.

We may not have been here at the right time to see the action but we can say that we’ve tasted it! We bought two massive red bean paste buns which cost only 90p. They were tasty but a very big chew!

Our trip to Cheung Chau was brilliant. If you have read the story (thank you so much for your interest) then the extras illustrate/tell it even better!