Geography
Geographically, Ping Chau is an offshore island located in the northeast corner of Hong Kong in Mirs Bay and is close to the border with Guangdong Province in mainland China. The island has an area of 1.16 km² and consists of shale rock. The island is much closer to mainland China (4 km) than to the main landmass of Hong Kong. It is close to Nan'ao of Dapeng. The island is the most easterly point of Hong Kong.
The island's largest village, Sha Tau, is something of a ghost town, with many cottages boarded up. A large part of the island is country parkland, with footpaths overgrown with orchids, wild mint, and morning glories. At the island's southeastern end are two huge rocks known as the Drum Rocks, or Watchman's Tower Rocks (更樓石, Kang Lau Shek). At the north end is a chunk of land that has broken away from the island; the Chinese say it represents the head of a dragon.
The island has the shape of a kidney bean with its concave side facing northeast. Its name "Ping Chau" means "flat island" in Chinese, suggesting that the island is flat. The highest points on the island are, in the south is 46 metres and the north is 37 metres. The eastern inner shore of the crescent hugs the Ping Chau Hoi with a few beaches. On the contrary, the opposite western coast of the island is fairly rocky. This is the results of inclined siltstones, and wave action being higher along the west coast while the east is relatively sheltered.
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