Heard of Keui Island? That was Kau Sai Mun’s former name. Now, Kau Sai Mun is the island’s romanized name. It is derived using the Hong Kong Government Cantonese Romanisation system.
Kau Sai Mun is an island near the Sai Kung Peninsula. It is the sixth-largest island in Hong Kong. It covers 6.70 square kilometers. Sai Kung District watches over it.
Let me tell you some more about Kau Sai Mun. The island sits south of the Sai Kung Peninsula. Its northern shore helps form Port Shelter Sheltered Water’s southern edge. Kau Sai Mun is actually the biggest island within that shelter.
North of Kau Sai Mun a breakwater joins it to Yim Tin Tsai. That is a smaller island. A narrow channel divides Kau Sai Mun’s south tip from Jin Island. The island rises to 216 meters high.
Kau Sai Fishermen Village is at Kau Sai Mun’s southern tip. It has about ten houses.
Back in 1911, Kau Sai Mun had 39 residents. There were 29 men. In 1952, Hakka farmers and shopkeepers had to move. The government turned the sea area around Kau Sai Mun into a military firing range. The villagers resettled in Kau Sai San Tsuen. This is off Hiram’s Highway at Pak Sha Wan.
Kau Sai Mun holds some treasures. There is a prehistoric rock carving. Also, there is a Hung Shing Temple. The rock carving turned up in 1976. It sits on the island’s northwest coast.
The Hung Shing Temple stands near Kau Sai Fishermen Village. It is Kau Sai Mun’s only temple. People built it before 1889. The temple has gray bricks and a timber roof. It has been fixed up four times. This happened in 1949, the 1970s, 1988, and recently from 1999 to 2000. UNESCO called the restoration an Outstanding Project in 2000. The temple became a monument on November 15, 2002.
Every year, folks celebrate the Hung Shing Festival at Kau Sai Mun. This happens on the second lunar month’s 12th and 13th days. They hire an opera group for Cantonese operas. This thanks the gods. Before the festival, they hold the Jiao Festival.
Want some leisure? The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course takes up the island’s north side. The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs it. It is Hong Kong’s only public golf course. It opened in 1995. Gary Player designed the North and South Courses. Nelson and Haworth designed the East Course.
Wild boars roam Kau Sai Mun. They usually appear at night. They sometimes damage the golf course.
To get to Kau Sai Mun, take a ferry from Sai Kung Town to the Public Golf Course pier. The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs three Solar Sailor ferries each hour. You can also hire private boats from Sai Kung Pier.
Kau Sai Mun’s environment is very important. The island is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Wildlife. They protect streams and slopes, which are very sensitive. They also use solar-hybrid boats and solar-powered golf carts. These green ideas help reduce energy use and pollution.