Cheung Po Tsai Cave
22°12′01.1″N 114°01′03.0″E / 22.200306°N 114.017500°E / 22.200306; 114.017500
| Cheung Po Tsai Cave | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 張保仔洞 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张保仔洞 | ||||||||||||
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Cheung Po Tsai Cave (Chinese: 張保仔洞) is a natural cave where the famous Guangdong pirate Cheung Po Tsai (Chinese: 張保仔), according to legend, kept his treasures. It is located on Hong Kong's outlying island of Cheung Chau and is a popular attraction of it. No treasures have been found in the cave.[1]
Origin
Cheung Po Tsai was a famous pirate during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty and was active in the eastern part of the Guangdong Province. According to legend, the natural cave is the place Cheung hid in to avoid capture and one of the secret places he hid his treasures in. No traces of treasure have been found in the cave.[1]
The cave is about 10 metres deep and 88 metres long from the entrance to the exit. The inside is dark and narrow, and the ground is slippery and uneven. In recent years, steel ladders have been added to facilitate visitors' access in and out of the cave. To enter, visitors must use the ladder and have to bring along a torch for illumination. The narrowness of the cave allows visitors to move only in a single file line, so they must enter from one side of the cave and leave on the other.[1] In 2012, the entrance of the cave was made even narrower after a large stone fell due to weathering.[2][3]
In popular culture
- The Amazing Race 17 visited this cave during the season's tenth episode.[4]
Other Cheung Po Tsai Caves
Lamma Island Cheung Po Tsai Cave was located in Po Lo Tsui, Lamma Island. It was much darker and larger than Cheung Chau's cave, at 9 storeys deep. In 1979, the cave was presumed to be destroyed when the Lamma Island Power Station was built near the site. However, decades of rain and weathering has revealed an entrance to the cave, making it partly accessible again.[1]
In addition, there are also Cheung Po Tsai Caves in Tap Mun, Sai Wan, Chung Hom Kok, Chek Chau, Siu Kau Yi Chau, and Longxue Island, Guangzhou.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Hong Kong's Jack Sparrow: the legend behind Cheung Po Tsai cave". South China Morning Post. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ 張保仔洞日久失修塌石
- ^ 塌石堵張保仔洞 長洲名勝 遊人掃興
- ^ Jenson, Jeff (29 November 2010). "The Amazing Race recap: Hurling Nemo". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
Further reading
- Davis, Hana (21 July 2018). "Hong Kong's Jack Sparrow: a pirate legend behind Cheung Po Tsai cave on Cheung Chau Island". South China Morning Post.
External links
- Cheung Po Tsai Cave at discoverhongkong.com
- Pictures of the cave
