Skating Yuen Long's Industrial Area

If it weren't for us shipping our rollerblades back to Hong Kong, we would have never really taken it upon us to explore the Tung Tau Industrial area of Yuen Long.  Over the weekend, we went to the OTHER SIDE of the Long Ping MTR Station and took to one of the biking lanes around that area.

There are a lot of big industrial buildings in the Tung Tau Industrial Area, like the San Miguel Brewery.

I wonder if they give tours.

That's what my father would probably be saying.

Actually, when we used to take road trips over summer holidays, we used to all get in to the van and look out for tourist attraction signs.  I remember discovering the Jelly Belly Factory tour down in California that way.

A Bus Barn

A Beverage Building

Because it was the weekend, there was absolutely no traffic and no people around the Industrial area…apart from a few weekend workers who were smoking outside.  But, there were no bikers on the trails, which was awesome because we had the trails to ourselves.

Though the roads are a bit covered in debris and are bumpy in a few areas, it was a pretty all right ride. It was at quite a slow pace because we had to watch out for the debris.  But, along the way, there are quite a few interesting things to see.  So, quite a scenic route.

A Shrine at the Side of the Parking Lot

Parked Semi-s

A Roof Top Garden

The Tung Tau Industrial Area is a ways away from the core of the town, but some of the street signs we passed were Wang Lee Street and Wang Lok Street.  They are easily viewable on Google Maps!  These routes went pretty straight for a few blocks before intersecting with another street or dead ending.

Main Road Back to the Long Ping MTR Station

On the way back to the Long Ping MTR Station, there is a village that separates the Tung Tau Industrial Area from the main part of Yuen Long.  It's a good landmark for getting your bearings back to the MTR Station.

NOTE:  This area goes from sidewalk to really cracked up biking trails.  It's probably the area that we had to be the most careful of not tripping over concrete.

The Yuen Long "River" is also down along this street back to the Long Ping MTR Station.  We crossed over to skate around that area and check out if there were good biking trails to skate on.

Like most of the trails around here, they are pretty choppy, so you have to really take the time to wander around and see where they lead to.

It was a good morning's exploration.

Illegally Riding in the Waterway

Overall Thoughts:

1.  The Industrial Area doesn't make for a great skate if you like going faster than walking pace

2.  There is some debris and cracks along the biking paths

3.  The trail isn't so continuous, so you would have to skate on the roads or sidewalks

4.  It was a good workout

5.  It was interesting to see what the Industrial Area was about

Th Long Ping Estate

Afterwards, we headed over to the Yuen Long West Bus Terminus for some good ole congee and rice rolls.  This is the same place that has a dai pai dong in the evenings.

The menu is basic, cheap, and cheerful.

The atmosphere is cool and quiet.

The rice rolls are pretty good…especially when doused in soy sauce and other condiments.

The congee fills the stomach to satisfaction.

It's always fun to treat yourself to a fun meal after a morning's exercise.

Skating Kam Sheung Area

My husband and I have been using the weekends to search for places to rollerblade.  

NOTE:  If there is a nice bit of land like Seattle's Alki, please do let me know!

We went out to the Kam Sheung Road MTR Station area, strapped on our rollerblades, and just got to exploring.  When heading past the little flea market area near the MTR Station, there is a bike path that we wondered where it lead to.

It actually went ended at a road, which was pretty barren because it was the weekend.

The road was quite smooth, but it was basically riding round and around like a roller derby almost.  After wondering around that area, we went back to the bike path and followed the waterway to a little strip of road (pictured below).

The road ran along the MTR line, but it was nice and smooth.

There is a nice bit of scenery, but the road is not exactly the best when you want to skate for miles.  It's a good place to practice rollerblading for beginners.  It's also nice and quiet.  We were skating back and forth for an hour and only a handful of joggers or bicyclists passed us.

NOTE:  The road was called Kam Po Road.  It's definitely an excellent place to practice skateboarding or rollerblading…smooth, straight, and quiet!

When lunchtime came around, we headed over to the Red Brick House for some grub.

We ordered the best jiaozi in town, as always.

Overall, this place is a good skating area and it has good food in close proximity.  Going out to the Kam Sheung Road area always feels like going on holiday because it's so peaceful and away from the city.

A future goal of mine is to go a bit further along the roads and see if the bike paths went beyond the areas around the MTR (which they probably do!).

Nam Sang Wai's Ghost House

The weather is quite nice, warm and sunny again.  I remember, around this time last year, it was raining torrential rains almost daily.  But, because the weather is so fine, we headed out to Nam Sang Wai to get some rollerblading in.

Besides a pretty nice scenic route of the wetlands that stretches a mile or so, Nam Sang Wai has a beautiful stretch of land that is popular for picnics and remote controlled flying objects.

There is also a huge area of tall grass that leads to one of the landmarks of the area.  My husband called it the Nam Sang Wai Ghost House.

It is an abandoned home out in the fields just behind the grassy area.

The feeling of the area takes me away from Hong Kong and into the midwest US.

I think it's the tall grass and the rolling clouds that make it seem less like the fast-paced Hong Kong.

When I first went out here a few years ago, the house didn't have the fence.  Teenagers would be climbing all over the house and taking photos in the doorways.

People still head out to the Ghost House, obviously, and leave their trash everywhere.

It is amazing how someone lived here, probably within the past few decades.  But so much of the house has fallen into ruins.

The Ghost House of Nam Sang Wai is truly a reminder of how much time changes things.

During the late Spring and Summer months, this place will be getting pretty busy with droves of tourists passing through.

I'm glad that I have the opportunity to be here when it's so quiet and peaceful.

This place is so beautiful that I hope it doesn't get excessively trashed up when I next visit.