A hiking path on a remote Hong Kong island damaged by Super Typhoon Ragasa will require two weeks for repairs, authorities have said, while a green group urged the government to conduct a study on the attraction’s capacity for tourists as it becomes increasingly popular.
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The eastern island of Tung Ping Chau, which like much of the city was wrecked by Super Typhoon Ragasa in September, has become a major draw among mainland Chinese tourists seeking more novel experiences.
But when the Post visited on October 7, the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival public holiday and second-last day of the mainland’s National Day “golden week” break, debris such as fishing nets and huge pieces of driftwood were littered on the beach, while parts of the island’s only hiking trail remained blocked.
The state of disrepair on the island, part of the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark, left many of the 350 tourists lamenting their decision to visit on that day.
As Tung Ping Chau is listed in government plans to develop island-hopping tours under a blueprint to boost ecotourism, the Post initially approached the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for comment about the state of the island.
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The bureau directed inquiries to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which said only part of the island’s hiking trail within the Plover Cove (Extension) Country Park fell under its jurisdiction.