This afternoon, we went back to Discovery Bay to see N_M's mum and dad before they left. As we got off the bus, they met us to suggest a trip to Peng Chau, 4km and a short ferry ride away. So we raced through to the ferry pier to get the local boat.
15 minutes later we arrived at Peng Chau - the name literally translates to a "small flat island", but in reality it is pretty steep and hilly! This is a very interesting little island which has been inhabited since Neolithic times, because it has a plentiful fresh water supply.
In the Qing Dynasty of the early 1800's, there were 11 limekiln factories which employed hundreds of people.
During the 1960's, with the decline of the limekiln industry, the biggest match making factory in south east Asia opened in Peng Chau. More than 2000 people worked there! The whole island is less than 1km square, so that is some feat! Having visited today, it is very difficult to work out how they can have all got there to work, apart from on small sampans and boats!
The island has also been a thriving fishing village for more than 200 years. There is a market on the water front, together with many small shops. The residents enjoy a peaceful existence with no cars, and the company of over 50 types of birds and hundreds of different insects. The Chinese white dolphin frequently appears in the waters around the island, but we weren't lucky enough to see one today.
This was a really interesting visit, and we were sorry to have to leave and head back to the mainland.
There we said goodbye to the parents, who are now on a flight back to England.
We took the MTR back into Mongkok and went to the Steamed Milk Company for our dinner. I have been waiting for 13 months for this visit - how I love that place!! I had a delicious egg sandwich followed by a cold chocolate steamed milk pudding, and N_M had his usual noodles with spam and egg!
As a very special gift, I am taking home a Steamed Milk mug and key ring!
And now it's time for bed, so we will say goodnight for now.
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