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Out of sight

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IT'S THE MOST far-flung of the outlying islands, tucked away in the northeast corner of Mirs Bay and left off most maps of Hong Kong. Fringed by white sand beaches and cliffs resembling layered cake because of colourful bands of eroded sedimentary rock, remote Tung Ping Chau draws enough fans to be voted the territory's 'most scenic natural spot' last year. But signs are the island may be falling victim to its own success.

Sarah Cheung Wai-man and her fellow students from Chinese University visited Tung Ping Chau a couple of weeks ago to photograph and record its wildlife for their biology class. 'This is the first time any of us have come here,' she says. 'We chose Tung Ping Chau because we'd heard it was pretty.'

But what the students found on the beaches and on the track circling the island left them less than impressed. 'There's a lot of rubbish,' Cheung says. 'It's not just on the beach; it's inland, too. People have thrown their empty packages and bottles along the paths.'

Although nearly deserted during the week, Tung Ping Chau is a popular destination on weekends and holidays when it's served by a ferry service from Ma Liu Shui. And in the peak summer months, day-trippers rise from the usual hundreds to thousands. Since 2001, when its surrounding waters were designated a marine park, visitor numbers have risen from 33,000 to 57,000 last year. More may be expected in the wake of government schemes to promote green tourism in the New Territories.

The island was once home to a thriving fishing and farm community of 3,000 people, but political turmoil during the Cultural Revolution cut off commerce with the mainland - it's just 3km off the coast of Guangdong - and most villagers moved away.

Mo Sui-ching was among the few remaining inhabitants, but he left 24 years ago to join his family in Tai Po. The 74-year-old remains the village representative for Tung Ping Chau, however, and returns to his old home most weekends.

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