Tolo Harbour, Natural harbour in Tai Po District, Hong Kong.
Tolo Harbour is a sheltered inlet in the northeastern part of Hong Kong's New Territories, bordered by the Tai Po District to the north and Sha Tin District to the south. It connects to open sea through a narrow channel and is surrounded by wooded hills, rocky shorelines, and a mix of smaller villages and newer developments.
For centuries, the waters here supported a thriving pearl industry, with divers harvesting oysters from the seabed across many generations. Over time, overharvesting depleted the oyster beds, and the trade eventually disappeared.
Along the shores, a few fishing villages still have boats tied at the docks and nets hung out to dry, giving visitors a sense of how waterside life looked in the New Territories. The harbour is also a popular spot for local people who come on weekends to walk, fish from the banks, or watch the water.
The harbour area is accessible from several train stations along the East Rail Line, which runs through Tai Po and Sha Tin. If you plan to walk along the shore, wear sturdy shoes, as some stretches of the coastline can be uneven and rocky.
Tolo Harbour is one of the few areas in Hong Kong where Chinese white dolphins have occasionally been spotted, as the calmer waters here are more suitable for them than the busier shipping lanes to the south. Visitors on local ferry routes sometimes catch a glimpse of these animals near the surface.
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