SOUTH OF THE BUDDHA
On South Lantau, a community of artists, entrepreneurs and nature lovers is quietly 1ourishing
Heading west, the Mui Wo Laundry (previously an ironmonger’s) does coffee and merch – hats, bags, tees – as well as the obvious. The Lantau Pottery Studio, which runs classes for both children and adults, shares its display window with an estate agency, while around the corner, in hailing distance of the Hung Shing temple, family-run boutique Marcy’s sells jewellery and fashion items.
“There’ve been some signicant changes around here,” says Mui Wo Laundry founder Tony Tsang Wing-yu, whose family has lived in Mui Wo for 200 years.
“Obviously, we’re a business, but we wanted to capture the essence and simple lifestyle of the town,” he says. “We’ve become a bit of a landmark since we opened in 2022, and many visitors pose for photos with our delivery van, which has a scalemodel washing machine on its roof.”
再往西行，原址為五金舖的梅窩洗衣公司已改建成洗衣店，除了洗衣服務，更出售咖啡，以及帽子、手提袋、T恤等時尚單品。與地產代理公司共用櫥窗的工作坊Lantau Pottery Studio，為小朋友及成年人開辦陶藝班。距離洪聖古廟不遠的轉角處有美時百貨，為家庭式經營的時裝店，售賣首飾及時尚精品。
梅窩洗衣公司創辦人Tony的曾氏家族在梅窩已扎根兩個世紀，他說：「這個社區出現了明顯的變化。」
「我們在做生意以外，亦同時希望呈現此區的鄉村特色及簡樸生活。自2022年開業以來，我們的店似乎成為了地標，送貨車的車頂以洗衣機模型裝飾，很多遊客喜歡在車旁拍照打卡。」
街道前方的Wood and Art Create不時舉辦美術工作坊，繼續漫步前行，來到Winnie the Farm，主理人由銀行從業員化身農場主人，會舉行「農舍度假」導賞，為參加者提供自家製洛神花茶，及闡釋有機耕種的運作概念。
THE ISLAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN HONG KONG’S GREENEST; NOW, THAT’S GONE BEYOND THE HILLS
A little way up the street, art classes are held at Wood and Art Create, while a short stroll leads to Winnie the Farm, run by a banker-turned-gardener who hosts “farmcation” tours – dishing out homegrown roselle tea and explaining the ins and outs of organic farming. Elsewhere in Mui Wo – whose ferry pier and surrounds are being given an extensive multimillion-dollar faceli – independents have been upping their game. The Beach House, as well as offering unmatched views over Silvermine Bay, pours everything from kombucha to locally brewed Double Haven cra beers. Solomon Leeder of wine boutique Leeder Quay hosts regular tastings, drawing from a stock that includes a well-curated range of organic and vegan-friendly reds and whites. And at Vibe, Gary Brightman has turned a second-hand bookshop into an unofficial community centre, hosting author talks and livestreamed gigs as well as selling vinyl records, CDs and stereo equipment. “Folk bands and musicians have played here, we stock some quite specialised gear, and our 15,000 or so books include titles in Chinese, French and other languages,” says Brightman, who packed in his IT job to devote himself to music and books. Further up the valley beyond the re station, The Hideout – sheltered among greenery and with deck seating overlooking a shpond – serves as a tranquil event space, art jamming studio and garden-to-table eatery.
這小島一直是香港最青蔥翠綠的福地，綠色生活早已越過山林
“The Hideout really lives up to its name,” says the venue’s event manager Ziva Chung. “We’ve also started yoga and breathwork classes, which work well in this chill space.”
A great deal more lies waiting to be discovered outside Mui Wo: not least Lantau’s hiking trails. These range from the 70km Mui Wo Loop, which opened 40 years ago, to the vertiginous pathways that lead up from the Tian Tan Buddha to the island’s highest points.
“We’re very lucky with the sheer variety,” says Rory Mackay, who leads Wild Hong Kong’s hiking and cycling tours. “Summiting Lantau Peak’s 934 metres at sunrise is very popular, but if the weather’s uncooperative we can switch to something like the waterfall trek up Wong Lung Hang. We host a lot of overseas clients, and they’re all blown away by Lantau’s green vistas.”
Down on the coast, Lantau’s beaches are a visitor magnet for much of the year, but especially in summer.
“At Treasure Island in Pui O, we run a variety of outdoor adventure tours; kids really love our surng classes, which are led by a Hawaiian expert,” says Adrienne Ng, the group’s founder. “We help them hone their water skills while also underscoring the importance of the environment.”
Naturally, there are plenty of opportunities to eat and drink by the sea. Apart from Treasure Island’s restaurant, there’s Lantana Beach Club at Cheung Sha, where the calamari and salmon llet are two menu highlights, and The Gallery in Tong Fuk, which boasts quality organic beef, Black Angus steak and pulled pork dishes.
All over Lantau, there’s a new, palpable sense of community, a vigorous appreciation for the natural environment and a real interest in sustainable lifestyles. The island has always been Hong Kong’s greenest: now, that’s gone beyond the hills and into the homes and businesses.
GETTING THERE
Mui Wo provides the main gateway to the rest of South Lantau. Ferries to Mui Wo run every 30 to 50 minutes from Central’s Pier 6 and take about 30 minutes.
經過消防局來到山谷，The Hideout隱身於翠綠樹木間，設有戶外平台座位，可眺望魚塘，寧靜活動空間可作藝術工作坊，其餐廳也供應菜園直送的時鮮美食。活動統籌經理Ziva Chung說：「The Hideout名副其實是輕鬆、和諧的隱世之所，我們同時設有瑜伽及呼吸班，跟這裡氣氛互相呼應。」梅窩以外還有很多值得探索的地方，大嶼山的行山徑也有眾多選擇，如啟用了40年的鳳凰徑，其環形路線全長70公里；你亦可從天壇大佛登上大嶼山最高點，感受山徑之美。專門舉辦行山及單車遊的公司Wild Hong Kong負責人Rory Mackay表示：「我們很幸運有如此豐富多樣的選擇。受歡迎的行程，要數登上934米高的鳳凰山頂觀看日出。如天氣不似預期，可改辦其他活動，如到黃龍坑行石澗觀看瀑布美景。我們接待過許多海外客人，他們無一不被大嶼山的翠綠景觀所震撼。」說到大嶼山的海岸，海灘景色全年美不勝收，吸引不少遊客到訪，在夏天尤為熱鬧。
Treasure Island的創辦人Adrienne Ng說：「我們在貝澳舉辦各種戶外歷奇活動，最受小朋友歡迎的衝浪課程由來自夏威夷的導師主理，教導他們提升技巧的同時，也讓他們了解保護環境的重要性。」。
海邊當然不乏享用美酒佳餚的地方。除了Treasure Island的餐廳以外，位於長沙的Lantana Beach Club也是不錯之選，其招牌菜為炸魷魚圈及煎三文魚柳。位處塘福的The Gallery則提供有機牛肉、純黑安格斯牛扒、手撕豬肉等美食。
現在的大嶼山，各處均凝聚著嶄新而明確的社區意識，對自然環境滿懷熱愛，同時嚮往可持續發展的生活方式。這小島一直是香港最青蔥翠綠的福地，綠色生活早已越過山林，走進每個家庭與企業當中。如何前往
以梅窩為起點暢遊南大嶼山最為方便。由中環6號碼頭開往梅窩的渡輪每30-50分鐘一班，船程約30分鐘。