The Qing dynasty fort that still stands on the headland overlooking Fan Lau was built to protect Lantau islanders and the Pearl River estuary from pirates.
But 250 years later the pirates are still coming ashore, and threaten to drive the final nail into the coffin of the village, one of the most remote in Lantau, a two-hour walk from Tai O along a coastal footpath.
For Fan Lau, which until a few years ago was a thriving fishing and farming community, has been reduced to only three residents, aged between 70 and 80, who live in fear of illegal immigrants who have targeted their homes.
Now they face a dilemma: give up their traditional homes and land for the safety of a tiny flat in a government block in Tai O, or remain in Fan Lau at the mercy of intruders.
In its hey-day, the village had more than 100 residents, and even opened its own school, facing the beach.
It is easy to imagine the peals of laughter of village children, for the school still stands, the blackboard bears the teacher's chalked instructions from the final lesson, and rickety wooden forms are scattered around the classroom.
