Haven’t you heard? Castle Peak Beach reopened after 24 years. This Hong Kong beach offers more than just sand and sea. Let’s dive into its story.
Castle Peak Beach sits in Tuen Mun. It looks out onto Castle Peak Bay. The Tuen Mun typhoon shelter is also nearby. A breakwater separates them.
Historically, Castle Peak Beach was Yung Lung Beach. People loved swimming here. Sadly, pollution forced its closure in 1981. A typhoon in 1983 worsened things. It washed away sand and trees.
But there’s a twist. In 1994, the Tuen Mun District Board wanted the beach reopened. The Regional Council spent HK$97 million to build new facilities. These included barbecue areas, play areas, and a beach building. Still, the beach remained closed. Mud and refuse covered the seabed.
From 2001 to 2002, the Civil Engineering Department dredged the area. This cost $1.9 million. They removed the mud. Yet, the beach remained unsuitable for swimming.
The authorities didn’t give up on Castle Peak Beach. They built a new trunk sewer. It ran along Castle Peak Road to the Pillar Point Sewage Treatment Works. They also created the North Western Water Control Zone. A longer submarine outfall was installed in 1999. Two dry weather flow interceptors were added along the Tuen Mun River.
Finally, a shark net was installed on May 24, 2005. On June 1, 2005, Castle Peak Beach reopened. It was a celebration after so many years.
Today, Castle Peak Beach has BBQ pits. You can find changing rooms, showers, and toilets. There’s also a restaurant.
In 2019, about 176,690 people visited Castle Peak Beach during bathing season. That made it the least-visited of Tuen Mun’s six beaches.
Interestingly, Castle Peak Beach had high E. coli levels in 2019. The water quality was often “Fair” or “Poor.” It even dipped to “Very Poor” on one day.
Getting here is easy. Take the Light Rail to Sam Shing stop. Several buses also stop near Castle Peak Beach. These include Kowloon Motor Bus, Long Win Bus, MTR Bus, and Citybus.
Castle Peak Beach occupies 2.97 hectares. Its swimming zone is 0.8 hectares. It is very close to Castle Peak Road.
So, Castle Peak Beach offers a mix of history and leisure. Despite its past challenges, it remains a place for relaxation.