Is it possible that the quiet bay before us holds more stories than bustling city streets? This is Chek Keng Hau. It is an inlet steeped in history and tranquility.
Chek Keng Hau is a serene bay on the northern coast of the Sai Kung Peninsula. This faces Long Harbour. It is within the Sai Kung East Country Park.
Chek Keng itself is more than 200 years old. It used to be a Hakka village with many families. Today Chek Keng is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. In 2003 a report stated that only one resident remained in Chek Keng. She was an 84-year-old woman.
The Holy Family Chapel is a testament to the village’s past. It replaced an earlier chapel destroyed by a storm. The whole village later converted to Catholicism. During the Japanese Occupation the chapel served as a guerilla base. Today this chapel is a Grade II historic building.
Chek Keng is not easily accessible by car. The MacLehose Trail passes through it about an hour’s walk from Pak Tam Au. You can reach Chek Keng Hau and the village by kai-to ferry from Wong Shek or Wan Tsai.
Though quiet now Chek Keng Hau and Chek Keng offer a glimpse into Hong Kong’s rural past. They remind us that peace and history can be found even in the most remote corners.