Hong Kong Day 8 | Comparative Analysis of Tai-O versus Rooftops

As the week started to come to a close, I still hadn’t been able to make it out to Tai-O. But as I did research last night I realized I really had to make time to see this small fishing village on Lantau Island. The village is known for its stilt houses and strong fishing culture, and from word of mouth of other Urban Design classmates it was well worth it. Eager for an early start so that I could cover Tai-O and still make it back to Sham Shui Po to see it active on a weekend, I got up at 7 am. The journey to the village was a forty-five minute ferry to Lantau followed by a forty-five minute bus journey through mountains that definitely had a play with my stomach!

Tai-O itself is a very small town with one main market street filled with tourists, and the rest a very residential area almost unventured by anyone other than locals. I definitely got many stares as I wandered through the meandering streets and alleys with my camera and sketchbook in hand. I am so happy I made it out to Tai-O though! Located in a very secluded area, the town itself is made up of hundreds of homes that appear to be made of metal and reflect beautifully in the water. As a comparative to the rooftops, the village was a nice example of another slum-style condition but this time happening on the ground level of the water rather than the sky level of the rooftop. The alleys reminded me of those that you find in Sham Shui Po, and the overall “slum”-feel of the place was similar to that of the rooftop communities, but there were also some nice distinctions between the two. As I ventured further and further away from the tourist area, I felt more intrusive but found myself so intrigued. It was obvious I didn’t belong here when a few local schoolgirls came up and asked to take a photo with me – they were so excited to be practicing their English! In this way, it was similar to the rooftops in that you really get a sense of community and feel like an obvious outsider.

Comparative Photos | A Story of Similarities and Contrasts in Sky vs. Ground Slums

1. Overall Appearance

2. Alleyways Between Structures 

3. Paths of Entry

4. Structure

5. Materiality 

7. Grounding

8. Construction

9. Joint

After Tai-O, I returned to Sham Shui Po to complete the last of my mappings and then met up with a few students to make sure to see Victoria Peak before we leave Hong Kong tomorrow. I knew I had to do this because it would be my biggest regret if I came to Hong Kong and didn’t see the peak….sadly the day was super foggy and the view from Central was better, but it was a nice little adventure to end my last night on!