Sai Kung Town

Sai Kung Town (zh-t|t=西貢市) or simply Sai Kung (西貢/西贡, Pinyin: Xigong) is a town on Sai Kung Peninsula, facing the Sai Kung Hoi (Inner Port Shelter), part of Sai Kung District in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sai Kung is the centre of the surrounding villages, and hence the name may refer to the areas in its immediate surroundings.

Having evolved from a fishing village, it is a mecca for seafood lovers, locals and tourists alike. Visitors can stroll around the market centre of Sai Kung Town or explore the back lanes, visit the Tin Hau Temple, feast on seafood or enjoy different delicacies at Western-style pubs and restaurants. Sai Kung is home to a famous dessert restaurant called Honeymoon Dessert that brings in many visitors from all over Hong Kong and even from abroad.

Sai Kung Hoi is a fishing harbour and fishermen gather there. There is a typhoon shelter in the harbour protecting a marina, where some of the last remaining Tanka junks in Hong Kong are to be found. Many of these boats are now abandoned as homes with their former residents moving to land but they are still kept as pleasure boats by their owners. The are boats that you can hire for cuttlefish catching trips. A typical trip would last 3 hours, costing perhaps HKD500 for a group of five.

The development of the town has been remarkably restrained. There are few condominiums that rise above ten storeys. Before the relocation of the airport of Hong Kong from Kai Tak to Chep Lap Kok, the town was a popular residential area for airport staff from all over the world. The town, with its relatively clean air and slow pace of life, for Hong Kong, is still a popular place for many people of Hong Kong to live.

Transport

Most public transport in Sai Kung starts and stops at the bus and minibus terminus in the town. There is no MTR link in Sai Kung. Ferry service is available to the neighbouring islands and isolated coastal villages in the Sai Kung Hoi.

Getting to Sai Kung

Sai Kung can be reached by minibus routes 1 from Kowloon Bay MTR Station, 1A from Choi Hung MTR station, route 12 from Po Lam MTR Station or KMB bus route 92 from Diamond Hill MTR Station. People going via Tseung Kwan O can take minibus route 101 from Hang Hau MTR station or NWFB bus route 792M from Tiu Keng Leng MTR station. Sai Kung can also be reached by KMB bus routes 99 (from Wu Kai Sha Station) or 299 (from Sha Tin Central).

There are direct Public light bus services from Sai Kung to Dundas Street in Mong Kok (24 hour service) and Kwun Tong. There is also a service to Causeway Bay and Wanchai on the weekend and on weekday evenings. These can be caught at the entrance of the Sai Kung Tang Shiu Kin Sports Ground.

On Sundays and public holidays KMB route 96R from Diamond Hill MTR station and route 698R from Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) also pass through Sai Kung town and end at Wong Shek Pier.

Getting around Sai Kung

From Sai Kung bus and minibus terminus, minibus routes 7 and 9, and KMB route 94 go into Sai Kung East Country Park and Sai Kung West Country Park. Route 9 ends at the Pak Tam Chung country park entrance, while route 7 and 94 continue on to Hoi Ha Wan and Wong Shek Pier respectively.

There are taxi stands at the bus terminus, outside McDonald's and outside the public carpark near the temple.

ee also

*Sai Kung District

External links

* [http://www.exploresaikung.com Explore Sai Kung - Sai Kung portal]
* [http://www.saikung-hk.com Sai Kung Forum]
* [http://www.dhphk.com/map.php Sai Kung Map]
* [http://www.saikung-hk.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=12 Sai Kung Food Map]