The village of Mui Wo on the south side of Lantau Island is only a short hop from HK’s international airport and a 30-minute ferry ride to the bustle of Central on HK Island. However, it’s such a contrast from the rest of HK that it’s hard to believe you’re in the same place. One of the reasons for this is that vehicular traffic on Lantau South is restricted to residents only, and in the villages behind Mui Wo, vehicular access is even more restricted. The upshot is that everyone uses bicycles, with flocks of them descending on the ferry pier in the morning rush and leaving it on the commuters’ return in the evening. At any given time, there are several thousand bikes chained up at the pier and around the village. As we found, it’s one thing to dash to the ferry, grab a cup of coffee and head for Central; it’s another to remember where you left the bike on your return several hours later.
