Funny Rock Formations at Po Toi Island and a Haunted Story

Po Toi Island is known locally as the “South Pole of Hong Kong.” For Po Toi Island is the southernmost inhabited island within Hong Kong’s waters. the Chinese word “po” means “floating,” and therefore the name Po Toi means a “floating platform.” It is believed that the island acquired its name due to its relatively flat terrain (which turns out to be somewhat untrue, as its peaks are almost 400 meters high. Also, the word “toi” could have referred to the seaweed that the islanders used to harvest.



The existence of the Rock Carving suggests that early settlement in Po Toi Island goes as far back as 3,500 years. In modern times, the residents of Po Toi Island lived by fishing, seaweed harvesting and farming. In the 1950s, residents numbered 500. Due to the lack of facilities in the island, most residents have moved out to live elsewhere. We asked the people there if they still live in the island. They told us that very few stay overnight. Although there are still signs of business activities that cater to the visitors.

From the Po Toi Island Pier we headed over the Route No. 1, which is the Po Toi Island Country Trail, to begin our journey. We first came upon the Mo’s Mansion.

The Mo’s Mansion was home to a rich family. Mr. Mo built this mansion in the 1920s. There are rumours that it is now haunted. As the story goes, the Mo’s disappeared from their home in one night. The true story is probably a lot more sensible. One night, the pirates ransacked the mansion when the residents were watching a show. Upon returning, the residents decided to pack their bags and leave the house for good. Thus they “disappeared” overnight.

The Po Toi Country Trail shows very picturesque views of a rocky terrain. The Hong Kong Government’s CEDD has a very technical introduction on the mostly granite formation of Po Toi Island. Suffice to say, the granite formations of Po Toi Island are considered relatively young in Hong Kong with 140 million years behind them. They share the same age and formation as the granites of Cape D’Aguilar, Stanley, Shek O and Beaufort Island.




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Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Mar 4, 2025