Tai O

Tai O is a fishing town on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong, partly located on a small island of the same name that is cut off by the Tai O River and Tai O Creek. The name means large inlet. Permanent settlement is about three centuries old, and Tai O was one of five Lantau villages resettled when the coastal restriction of the Great Clearance was lifted in 1669. It was known as a Tanka village when the British arrived, it has a history of salt production, and after the Chinese Civil War it became an entry point for people fleeing the mainland. Visitors come for the stilt houses called pang uks, the salted fish and shrimp paste, the heritage temples such as Yeung Hau Temple built in 1699, and boat trips to see Chinese white dolphins.