An angel headstone. I felt uncomfortable taking pictures of individual headstones/plots. I snapped this one quick and walked away, not knowing if there was some no-photography policy.
(written by Cait)
Why is a white girl with a big camera walking through a Chinese cemetery on a Thursday afternoon? Valid question. I imagine this is what the construction workers and the two other people in the Chinese Permanent Cemetery were thinking. She was lost, alright! (Let’s go back to the ‘Permanent’ part in the cemetery’s name. Are there temporary cemeteries? That’d be quite a job working at those.) I had been walking for about 30 minutes wondering when I would see a sign or some indication of the Hong Kong Trail, a hiking trail that is very popular on the island. If it was so popular, where was everyone and how did I end up in a cemetery? I’m sure by the name, you can tell that this just isn’t any cemetery, not only is it permanent (again, aren’t they all?) but this is built into a mountain and seemed to go on and on, and I can’t imagine how many people are buried there.
Even though I was lost, I wasn’t all that worried. I find it strange to even type this next sentence, but it was a peaceful walk through the cemetery. I was high above (most) of the city’s buildings and had a beautiful view of the harbor and Kowloon and the New Territories beyond. The birds were singing and the sun was shining. Fully knowing that I hadn’t copied down the exact directions to the trail, I looked back at my phone where I had put them. I left out a part about some stairs, but I thought there would be an obvious path, way, or sign. Well, it hadn’t been obvious-lesson learned: write down ALL directions. But I managed to get online and found where I had gone wrong.
Chinese Permanent Cemetery
Victoria Harbor View from Cemetery
I came across this random pile of rubble and broken stones and possible headstones.
“Damnit.” I had been walking in the wrong direction for about half an hour, and I knew exactly where I had deviated off the course. There was a section of the cemetery where a road and a set of stairs intercepted, and at that point, I had stopped to ask for directions. Three or four (very old) people were going up the stairs, and a couple decked out in hiking gear was coming down the road. I asked them for directions and they pointed in the direction they had just came. I even asked specifically, “not up those stairs,” pointing to where the old people had just disappeared. “No, no, no. Not that way!” I remember the directions from online had said there were going to be a lot of stairs before you reached the trail, and since the cemetery was built in a lattice like structure, there were stairs everywhere. My stairs just must be somewhere else. Well, lo and behold my direction buddies gave me bad advice, and I should’ve followed the old geezer crowd.
So, I eventually found my trail, but then I didn’t follow it for very long before I left it for promises of a big waves and a beach. Several trails lead off of the Hong Kong trail, and one of them is for Big Wave Beach. The beginning of the trail is wooded, so when I came to an opening in the trees and bushes I was quite surprised. So far, I can’t honestly describe any view as breath-taking or speechless, not for lack of beauty or amazement, but because I tend to let my breath out and make some sound like, “Wow!” “Whoa,” “Oh my god!” etc. And this is one of those times I did that. Standing on top of a mountain on the east side of Hong Kong Island, I found myself gazing out at a wide expanse of dark blue waters and green islands in the distance. I can easily get claustrophobic feelings when in the downtown area because the buildings are all so tall and close together; I crave to look at open views. It’s weird, I know, and I’ve never had this feeling before moving to HK.
I slowly made my downhill to the beach, stopping often to admire the landscape and environment around me. Even from that viewpoint, far above Big Wave Beach, I could tell that today was going to put the beach’s name to shame. The water was so calm that surfers barely moved while sitting on their boards, waiting for a wave to bring them ashore. But it’s a lovely beach with plenty of shade, and little shops nearby to rent beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie and surf boards, as well as restaurants and ice cream.
Looking out on the east side of Hong Kong. As far as I could see, that island out there is uninhabited.
Big Wave Bay, and Shek-O village beyond.
The trail leading down to Big Wave Beach
Looking down on Big Wave Beach
Big Wave Beach
Big Wave Beach
An hour or so out from sunset, I hopped on a bus back into town (there was no way I would get stuck hiking in the dark-that’s just asking for trouble). The ride was almost as beautiful as the hike to the beach, driving up and down through tree and flower covered hills. But now I had the added bonus of air conditioning and sitting on my ass.
Again, I’ve read that this is a popular hiking trail and beach, but it wasn’t busy at all. Maybe it’s only busy on weekends. We shall see.