Thursday, July 9, 2009

Lau Fau Shan | 流浮山

Lau Fau Shan, a small fishing village on Deep Bay (Western New Territories), was once famous for its oysters, which were cultivated here for several hundred years. About 100 tons were harvested every year, some for consumption in Hong Kong restaurants and some for export to neighboring countries. Little remains of this today. As the storage and repair of containers for the nearby container port of Kwai Chung is more lucrative and less time-consuming than cultivating oysters, most of the inhabitants of Lau Fau Shan have given up oyster culture. Increasing contamination of the water was an additional factor in the decline of the village's traditional activity. However the actual fishing village with its excellent fish restaurants is still well worth a visit. In the narrow main street a variety of fish and seafood, vegetables and meat are offered for sale, and there are small restaurants which serve fresh fish bought to order from the neighboring stalls.