Imagine standing on Siu A Chau Shan. It is an uninhabited island that is part of the Soko Islands group. This group lies south of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.
Siu A Chau Shan is the northernmost island. It is also the second largest of the Soko Islands. Tai A Chau is the largest. The shape of Siu A Chau is unique. It is dumbbell-shaped with a rugged, indented coastline. Steep slopes define its terrain.
The highest point of Siu A Chau Shan is 74 meters. Two beaches offer respite. One lies to the south. The other is to the north.
Long ago, Siu A Chau was not so deserted. Fishermen and farmers inhabited it as early as the 1770s. Evidence lies in the Tin Hau temples on Siu A Chau and Tai A Chau. Devotees presented inscribed bells in 1773. Also, a tomb on Siu A Chau dates to 1803. The Chow family name is inscribed on it.
In the late 1950s, about 65 people lived in the Soko Islands. The Ng, Yeung, and Chow families dominated. They claimed to be descendants of the original settlers. Their origins were Cantonese or Hakka. Fishing, farming, pig breeding, rice farming, and shrimp paste manufacturing sustained them. Trade primarily linked them to Cheung Chau. They used motor or sailboats. Sometimes, they grew and sold papayas.
Walter Schofield visited Siu A Chau in 1937. He noted it was another settlement of early man. He also saw a fishing village of huts. They were very different from ordinary Chinese dwellings.
Today, a temple stands on the south side of Siu A Chau. It is a testament to the island’s past.
A low-level radioactive waste facility began operating on Siu A Chau in 2005. It is Hong Kong’s only facility of this type. Disused air-raid tunnels now store radioactive waste. The facility is designed to manage this waste for the next 100 years.
Siu A Chau’s soft shore beach could attract green turtles. The islands were proposed as a protected marine park. The South Lantau Marine Park was established in June 2022. It includes the Soko Islands and the area between Siu A Chau and Tai A Chau. Its goal is to protect Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises.
From its rugged coastline to its hidden beaches. From its past as a fishing village to its role in waste management. Siu A Chau is an island of contrasts and stories. It stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s ever-evolving landscape.