The coastline along Ha Pak Nai is one of Hong Kong’s most-prized sunset-viewing spots. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
While many people around the world seem to be worried about the so-called erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong, perhaps it’s worthwhile to consider that residents here never lost their freedom of movement. Hong Kong is one of few metropolises in the world that was not locked down to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the first half of 2020. It’s easy to forget how vital the freedom to step out of our homes at will is as we were never deprived of it.
Even now, as Hong Kong experiences the most-challenging phase of its fight against COVID-19 so far, there is no ban on travel within the city or between districts. Although dine-in service in restaurants is suspended after 6 pm, entertainment venues are closed and public gatherings are restricted to not more than two people at a time, residents are free to explore Hong Kong’s great outdoors as long as they put a mask on.
Ha Pak Nai coast is known for its variety of terrestrial and marine species. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
With the volume of air traffic less than 5 percent of what it was around a year ago, Hong Kong’s skies look clearer and a more vivid shade of blue. Its sprawling beaches are far less crowded than during the summer months in a regular year. This might be a good time to take a break from worrying about Hong Kong’s future in the wake of US sanctions and COVID-19 and turn one’s gaze toward the array of spectacular scenic spots in the city, blessed with plentiful signs of nature’s generosity.
One of the best sunset-viewing spots in Hong Kong is at Ha Pak Nai in Yuen Long district, New Territories. A favorite of dating couples and photo hunters, it’s a shallow beach with a spectacular view of the rolling plain gently sliding into Deep Bay and the coastal skyline of bustling Shenzhen on the other side of the waters. The sight of giant cranes at work with the Shenzhen Shekou Container Terminals in the background underscores the flurry of industrial activity in the Pearl River Delta and the singular role Hong Kong is set to play in this growth story.
An aircraft leaves a contrail mark in the clear sky above Ha Pak Nai. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
Both natural and manmade appear in the same frame in Ha Pak Nai. Rich in biodiversity, its sprawling wetlands are home to horseshoe crabs — a species that can be traced back 450 million years and is known to have medicinal properties. Rows of oyster shell deposits, accumulated over time and fused together to form reefs that are almost sculptural in appearance, double as natural embankments against soil erosion.
Watching the sun go down in Ha Pak Nai is sheer magic. Even if you are cautious about heading there now, there is no reason to prevent you from imagining that you are already there.
Oyster reefs serve as a natural barrier against soil erosion in Deep Bay. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
The shallow beach of Ha Pak Nai in Yuen Long district remains less-crowded in the wake of COVID-19. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
It is possible to view the Shenzhen skyline across the waters from Ha Pak Nai. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
The sun goes down behind the cranes at Shezhen Shekou Container Terminals. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
Ha Pak Nai’s 6-kilometer coastline is a photographer’s delight. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
