Tucked into a valley off the Wilson Trail and at the foothills of Tai Mo Shan are a cluster of villages known collectively as Tai Po South. The megatowers of Tai Po can be seen in the distance but, here, the landscape is tranquil and green.
Lead Mine Pass carves a notch into the hills overlooking the valley. Like the pass, the nearby village of Ta Tit Yan, or 'iron- beating cliff', references the region's mining heritage. At the base of the valley, there's Lai Chi Shan, or 'lychee hill', a village named for the fruit trees that were found here.
However, the area is best known for its traditional blue and white porcelain. The industry developed in the twin villages of Sheung Wun Yiu and Ha Wun Yiu ('higher' and 'lower', respectively), during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), but was wiped out by competition from Guangdong kilns in the early 20th century. Production ceased in 1932 and, while fragments of pottery can still be seen scattered about, conservation of what remains of the kilns is half hearted.
Due to land pressure, some of the villages around Wun Yiu have been built on old stream beds. Driver Lam Wing-yick was swept away at Sha Po Chai Tsuen by floodwaters last July. His death was ruled accidental but villagers blamed the Drainage Services Department, which had channel- led natural streams into an ugly concrete watercourse, for causing the flood.
They still contain squatter-style homes and small-scale farming - Tai Po, or 'big field', is known for its produce - but the villages are modernising and expanding due to the demand for village houses. Houses in the New Territories are mostly built to a maximum of three floors and 2,100 square feet.
The modern properties have attracted many 'townies' - such as television chef Maria Cordero - seeking greater space and low-rise living, and it's only a short drive from the shopping malls and wet markets of central Tai Po.