Visitors to Hong Kong’s Tung Ping Chau shocked to find Ragasa debris uncleared

More than 350 people, including mainland Chinese tourists, headed to Hong Kong’s Tung Ping Chau for Tuesday’s public holiday to enjoy its blue waters, but were shocked to find debris left over from Super Typhoon Ragasa’s passage last month.

While visitors said the eastern island’s clear waters were mesmerising, others spoke about waiting hours for the only ferry service that could bring them back to Sha Tin’s Ma Liu Shui Pier during the public holiday following the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Tung Ping Chau has been listed on mainland social media platform RedNote as a hidden treasure boasting volcanic landforms, crystal-clear waters and pristine fine sand.

The island, which is part of the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark, is among the areas named in the government’s plans to develop island-hopping tours under its tourism blueprint to grow ecotourism.

A local vendor, who runs a store on the island that sells food and drink, said strong waves brought about by Ragasa had destroyed part of the island’s only hiking trail.

The vendor, who declined to be named, said the storm had hit the island hard, with parts of the store’s seating area near the beach destroyed by the resulting waves.