Crowds of tourists try to take photos at Po Pin Chau in Sai Kung’s Geopark Photos: Social media/Internet
The New Year holiday period started with tragedy as a 21-year-old mainlander fell off a cliff and was fatally injured whilst taking photos, and then the Park camping sites were overwhelmed with more campers than they were designed for.
The fatal accident happened around 10:14 am on New Year’s Eve, when the man was hiking with three classmates. The victim, from Guangzhou, died after falling 70 metres from a cliff while taking photos at Po Pin Chau in Sai Kung on New Year’s Eve. While moving closer to the edge to capture the view, he lost balance and plunged into the sea below. His companions called for help, but he was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.
Crowds continued to flock to the same spot on New Year’s Day, many disregarding safety barriers and warnings.
Newly elected Legislative Councillor, and Sai Kung District Councillor, Christine Fong Kwok-shan stated that since the Po Pin Chau viewing platform opened at the end of 2023, many tourists have made a special trip to Po Pin Chau, “Some people even said they came specifically because of the hexagonal stone pillar image on the HK$500 banknote. Although the department has already erected warning signs urging tourists not to approach the edge of the cliff to avoid danger, based on past observations, many tourists may be ‘too happy’ and will cross the warning signs to take photos in high-risk locations.”
She further stated that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has already used thick hemp rope to create fences between the wooden pillars in certain locations, and the department could consider installing more. However, she also understands that if too many fences are installed, it may affect the local landscape, and focusing on strengthening publicity and education is also feasible.
At the same time during the New Year holiday, beaches in the Sai Kung Country Park were in inundated with visitors, many not following the rules and advice of AFCD and the police.
The Ham Tin Wan camping site was awash with garbage after the campers departed
Photos and comments of the serious garbage and sanitation problems in the Ham Tin Wan area of ​​Sai Kung were once again widely covered on social media during the New Year’s Day holiday. Many citizens uploaded photos and videos on social media platforms, pointing out that the Ham Tin public toilets were filled with garbage such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, tissues and food packaging, describing it as resembling a landfill; the washbasins were also filled with mud, and food scraps such as rice grains, carrot pieces and noodles were found, and disposable toothbrushes and toothpaste were also left at the scene.
The beach at Ham Tin Wan was packed with campers overnight
Christine Fong Kwok-shan also commented on this, suggesting that the government could hire contractors to operate the popular beaches, be responsible for management and cleaning, and at the same time strengthen education for mainland tourists, such as launching a reward scheme where they can exchange their collected garbage for unique souvenirs.
In the long term, Fong suggested that many national geoparks around the world charge admission fees, and Hong Kong could also consider a fee-based scheme to balance conservation and development. She said she would later submit a proposal to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. “I hope that Hong Kong can be a place where you can travel everywhere, but you also need to have a good experience. This time, the environmental hygiene was definitely not a good experience.”
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