Hong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by

mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place. As a result, large waves seldom appear at the bays, making them suitable for human swimming. However, with the increasing development and urbanisation of Hong Kong, water quality has worsened resulting in the closure of several beaches previously suitable for swimming. These include Approach Beach, Ting Kau Beach, Anglers' Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Casam Beach and Lido Beach in Tsuen Wan. In 2011, Lido Beach, Casam Beach, Approach Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach were reopened following an improvement in water quality. About half of the beaches suitable for swimming in Hong Kong are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and are officially referred to as gazetted beaches. A number of other beaches are privately owned or not gazetted, but are nonetheless publicly accessible.

Gazetted beaches

A total of forty-two beaches in Hong Kong are managed by the LCSD. Twelve of them are located on

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...

, and the remaining 30 are located across the New Territories, including the Outlying Islands. Some are temporarily closed to swimmers.

Full list

; Tuen Mun District 1. Butterfly Beach ()
2. Castle Peak Beach ()
3.

Kadoorie Beach Kaddouri ( ar, خضوري, derived from "green", ''akhdar'' in Arabic; he, כדורי (transliterated; does not mean ''green'', which would be ירוק, yarok)) and many other transliterations, is an Arabic surname. People with the surname inclu ...

()
4.

Cafeteria Old Beach A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the United States, U.S., is a type of Foodservice, food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a lar ...

()
5. Cafeteria New Beach ()
6. Golden Beach () ; Tsuen Wan District 7. Anglers' Beach ()
8.

Gemini Beaches Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...

()
9.

Hoi Mei Wan Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach is a gazetted beach located near Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre on Castle Peak Road in Ting Kau, New Territories, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department ...

()
10.

Casam Beach Lido Beach () is located on Castle Peak Road in Ting Kau, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is a gazetted beach, meaning it is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which provides lifeguards during the summer months. The beach ...

()
11. Lido Beach ()
12. Ting Kau Beach ()
13. Approach Beach ()
14. Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach () ;

Sai Kung District Sai Kung District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. The district comprises the southern half of the Sai Kung Peninsula, the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the New Territories and a strip of lan ...

15. Trio Beach ()
16. Kiu Tsui Beach ()
17. Hap Mun Bay Beach ()
18. Silverstrand Beach ()
19. Clear Water Bay First Beach ()
20. Clear Water Bay Second Beach () ;

21. Deep Water Bay Beach ()
22. Repulse Bay Beach ()
23.

Middle Bay Beach Middle Bay () is a small bay in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, between Repulse Bay and South Bay. Middle Bay Beach () is located there. It is a gazetted beach with lifeguards provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in ...

()
24. ()
25.

Chung Hom Kok Beach Chung Hom Kok Beach is a gazetted beach next to Chung Hom Wan located on the western shore of Chung Hom Kok, Southern District, Hong Kong, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Serv ...

()
26. St. Stephen's Beach ()
27.

Stanley Main Beach Stanley Main Beach is a gazetted beach located adjacent to Stanley Market and Stanley Back Beach in the eastern side of the Stanley peninsula, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultu ...

()
28.

Hairpin Beach Hairpin Beach or Hair Pin Beach is a gazetted beach located north of Stanley Main Beach in the eastern coast of Stanley peninsula, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services D ...

()
29.

Turtle Cove Beach Turtle Cove Beach is a gazetted beach in Southern District, Hong Kong, located west of Red Hill (Pak Pat Shan) and east of Stanley. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong G ...

()
30.

Shek O Beach Shek O Beach is a gazetted beach located facing Island Bay in Shek O, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is about 230 ...

()
31.

Rocky Bay Beach Rocky Bay Beach is a gazetted beach located behind Shek O Beach in Shek O, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach did not get its grading and i ...

()
32.

Big Wave Bay Beach Big Wave Bay Beach is a gazetted beach next to Big Wave Bay, Shek O, Southern District, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 86 metres ...

() ; Lamma Island 33. Hung Shing Yeh Beach ()
34.

Lo So Shing Beach Lo So Shing Beach is a gazetted beach in Lo So Shing in the west of Lamma Island, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 214 metres long ...

() ; Cheung Chau 35.

Kwun Yam Beach Kwun Yam Beach, also known as Afternoon Beach, is a gazetted beach facing Kwun Yam Wan on the east coast of Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. The beach is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 1 ...

()
36.

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach is a gazetted beach facing Tung Wan on the east coast of Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. The beach is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 230 metres long and is r ...

() ; Lantau Island 37.

Silver Mine Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach or Silvermine Bay Beach is a gazetted beach located facing Silver Mine Bay on Tung Wan Tau Road in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Departmen ...

()
38.

Pui O Beach Pui O Beach is a gazetted beach running along almost the entire shoreline of Pui O in Lantau Island, Hong Kong, facing Pui O Wan and neighbouring Chi Ma Wan Peninsula. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Se ...

()
39.

Upper Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach is a gazetted beach in Cheung Sha in southern Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The beach has barbecue pits and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government. The ...

()
40.

Lower Cheung Sha Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach is a gazetted beach located in Cheung Sha in southern Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The beach is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 96 metres long and is rated as ...

()
41.

Tong Fuk Beach Tong Fuk Beach is a gazetted beach located on South Lantau Road in Tong Fuk, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The beach is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The beach is 150 metres long and is rated ...

() ; Tai Po District 42.

Tai Po Lung Mei Beach Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film '' Clueless'' *Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses and organisatio ...

()

Tuen Mun

Kadoorie Beach

Kadoorie Beach () is located at 18¾ milestone,

Castle Peak Road Castle Peak Road is the longest road in Hong Kong. Completed in 1920, it runs in the approximate shape of an arc of a semi-circle. It runs West from Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po, New Kowloon, to Tuen Mun, then north to Yuen Long then east to Sh ...

. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6336 and 2451 3461. There are BBQ area, changing rooms, shower facilities and toilet. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Cafeteria Old Beach

Cafeteria Old Beach () is located at 18¾ milestone, Castle Peak Road. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6306 and 2451 3461. There are refreshment kiosk, BBQ area, changing room, shower facilities, toilet and bathing shed. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Cafeteria New Beach

Cafeteria New Beach () is located at 18½ milestone, Castle Peak Road. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6440 and 2451 3461. There are refreshment kiosk and beach volleyball court. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Golden Beach

Golden Beach () is located at the 18½ milestone of Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun. It is the largest beach in Tuen Mun with a total area of 78,500 m² and a length of 545 metres. It is the first artificial beach in Hong Kong. It is classified as a Grade 2 beach, meaning that the water quality is fair. Refreshment kiosks, a hotel and a shopping mall are to be found adjacent to the beach. Golden Beach is unique amongst the beaches of Hong Kong in that it has a volleyball court. The Hong Kong Beach Volleyball Team occasionally practises on Golden Beach. Golden Beach is served by KMB bus routes 52X ( Tuen Mun Central ↔ Mong Kok), 53 ( Yuen Long station ↔ Tsuen Wan), 61A ( Yau Oi South → Tuen Mun Road Interchange), 61M (Yau Oi South ↔

Lai King Lai King, or Lai King Hill, is the colloquial name for a residential area including a number of private housing and public housing estates, located on Mo Shek Shan (), east of Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is centred on Lai King Estat ...

North), 252B (Handsome Court → Tsim Sha Tsui), 252X (Handsome Court/ Chi Lok Fa Yuen ↔ Lam Tin station) and 261B ( Sam Shing → Kowloon station);
by Citybus bus routes 962/N962 (

Lung Mun Oasis The following is an overview of public housing estates in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, including Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS), Sandwich Class Housing Scheme (SCHS), Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS), Subsidised ...

↔ Causeway Bay), 962B/962S (Chi Lok Fa Yuen ↔ Causeway Bay);
by Long Win Bus bus routes A33 ( Airport ↔ Tuen Mun Road Interchange);
by MTR Bus feeder bus routes K51 ( Fu Tai ↔ Tai Lam) and K53 ( Tuen Mun station ↺

So Kwun Wat So Kwun Wat, commonly pronounced So Kwun Fat, is an area on the south coast of the western mainland New Territories in Hong Kong. The proper So Kwun Wat is a populated area in the valley between Siu Lam and Sam Shing Hui. It includes So Kwun Ta ...

Tsuen Wan

Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach – Ma Wan

Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach () is located on Ma Wan island.

Hong Kong Island

Deep Water Bay Beach

Deep Water Bay Beach () is located on southern Hong Kong Island. See Deep Water Bay Beach.

Repulse Bay Beach

Repulse Bay Beach (), traditionally Hong Kong's most popular because of its easy access by bus and extensive facilities, is located on southern Hong Kong Island. See Repulse Bay Beach.

Middle Bay Beach and South Bay Beach

These two small beaches at South Bay and Middle Bay are located within walking distance of Repulse Bay Beach. However, since they are not directly accessible by public transport, they tend to be quieter and less crowded than Repulse Bay.

Turtle Cove Beach

The beach situated east of Stanley and west of Tai Tam Reservoir is

() which is a Grade 1 beach. Being less than 70 meters long, it can easily be considered as a "baby beach". Turtle Cove is very well equipped; with changing rooms, toilets and showers as well as a small playground, a

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

s kiosk and seven barbecue pits. Turtle Cove Beach is accessible by bus No.14 from exit A of the Sai Wan Ho MTR station or mini-bus 16X from Chai Wan; the beach is located near the Red Hill estate stop (past the Tai Tam Reservoir). From near the bus stop, stairs lead down the hill to the beach.

Big Wave Bay Beach

() in Southern District is also the site of

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

rock carvings similar to those found on Cheung Chau Island. Not to be confused with other places called '' Big Wave Bay'' or ''Tai Long Wan'' in Hong Kong.

Lamma Island

Hung Shing Yeh Beach

Hung Shing Yeh Beach () is the most popular beach on Lamma Island. The sand on the beach is very fine, like powder. The water of the Beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. Near the beach, there is a barbecue area, refreshment kiosk, and shower and changing facilities. There is no public transport on Lamma Island. To reach the beach one must travel to

Yung Shue Wan Yung Shue Wan is the main population centre on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. It has a population of approximately 6,000. Administration Yung Shue Wan is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. Features The village is ...

from

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

by ferry, and then walk for about 20 minutes. The route is signposted.

Lo So Shing Beach

() is located on Lamma Island about halfway between the main villages of

and Sok Kwu Wan. The water of the beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. Some years ago the government of Hong Kong built shower and refreshment facilities there, which remain almost unused because of the beach's remote location and the absence of public transport. To reach the beach one must travel to Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan from Central by ferry, and then walk for about 40 minutes.

Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach

There are two main beaches on Cheung Chau:

() and

() aka. Afternoon Beach. Although they are not as big as the well-known beaches along the Hong Kong Island coast, they do have their own qualities. Kwun Yam Beach is a beautiful fine white beach situated on the east coast of Cheung Chau. The water quality is good and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. It provides many water sports facilities, particularly for sailboarding. Many lovers like to take leisurely walks there and to enjoy the village scene which still keeps the old traditions. Also, it is the place where Hong Kong's first Olympic medallist,

Lee Lai Shan Lee Lai Shan () (born in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong, 5 September 1970) is a former world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning professional windsurfer from Hong Kong. She was the first athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong. ...

, practised when she was young. A formal monument to her achievement is erected in the children's playground on Tung Wan Beach, while an unofficial monument is to be found beside the "windsurfer" café owned by her uncle, which is situated between the two beaches.

Lantau Island

Silver Mine Bay Beach

Hong Kong's largest island, Lantau, has several beaches which are clean, uncrowded and relatively convenient to reach. For all of them, the first step is to simply take the ferry from Central to

Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo is located on Silvermine Bay, so named for the silver mines that were once worked along ...

. Then, if necessary, one can just hop on a bus. Silver Mine Bay Beach (), which is a Grade 1 beach, is the easiest one to get to, since it is located about a 5-minute walk away from the Mui Wo ferry pier. Since there is a sandbar area, this beach is ideal for flinging frisbees or flying kites. Further along the beach is a swimming area with several lifeguards on duty. Many visitors rent a bike for the afternoon, and stop off at the many refreshment kiosks and little restaurants along the road fronting the beach. If people do not feel like hurrying back into the city, they can also choose to stay overnight at the Silvermine Beach Hotel, located right on the waterfront. Also, there are several other hotels and guesthouses in the area where people can stay.

Pui O Beach

Cheung Sha Beaches

Cheung Sha Beach is located in

Cheung Sha Cheung Sha () is a rural area on the south coast of Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Along the South Lantau Road, Cheung Sha is located between Tong Fuk (to the southwest) and San Shek Wan (to the northeast). The most notable feature ...

, on the southern shore of Lantau Island. It is divided into two parts by a small headland:

(east) and

(west). It is 3 km long and is one of the longest beaches in Hong Kong. The beaches are accessible from South Lantau Road. Tong Fuk Beach is located nearby, to the west of Lower Cheung Sha Beach.

Tong Fuk Beach

Non-gazetted beaches

Many of these beaches are difficult to reach. Because they are not maintained by the government, some may be unclean at times. As no lifeguards are on duty, swimmers are recommended to exercise caution. Non-gazetted beaches are also not equipped with shark nets. Some, e.g., Hoi Ha, lie within protected areas. #Chung Wan () South Crooked Harbour, North District #Cheung Sha Wan () Northeast Ping Chau #Crescent Bay ()

Crescent Island Crescent Island () is a small, roughly crescent-shaped island lying close south of Mollyhawk Island in the Bay of Isles, South Georgia. It was roughly charted in 1912–13 by Robert Cushman Murphy. It was surveyed and named in 1929–30 by Disco ...

, Mirs Bay #Lo Kei Wan ()

, Mirs Bay #Tung Wan ()

Wong Wan Chau Double Island or Wong Wan Chau () is an island located in the north-eastern part of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of North District. Geography Double Island has an area of 2.13 km². It is the second largest island in North Di ...

, Mirs Bay #Wu Kai Sha () Wu Kai Sha, Ma On Shan #Lung Mei () Plover Cove, East Tai Po #Hoi Ha Wan () Hoi Ha Wan, North Sai Kung Peninsula #Nam She Wan () East Sai Kung, Mirs Bay #Tung Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan #Tai Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan #Ham Tin Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan #

Tai Long Sai Wan Sai Wan () is a beach in Sai Kung Peninsula, Hong Kong. To distinguish it from other bays and beaches of the same name, it is commonly known as Tai Long Sai Wan, as it is one of the four main beaches of Tai Long Wan. It came first in the Hong ...

() East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan #

Long Ke Wan Long Ke Wan () is a bay in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. Geography Long Ke Wan is located in the southeastern part of Sai Kung Peninsula, north of the East Dam of High Island Reservoir, and within the Sai Kung East Country Park. Village Long Ke ...

() Long Ke Wan, East Sai Kung #Long Ke Tsai () Long Ke Wan, East Sai Kung #Pak Sha Chau ()

Sai Kung Hoi Port Shelter, known in Cantonese as Ngau Mei Hoi (), is a harbour south of Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong. The water body connects to Inner Port Shelter (known in Cantonese as Sai Kung Hoi; ), as well as Hebe Haven (), Rocky Harbour () and oth ...

, Sai Kung #Pak Lap Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung #Ma Tau Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung #Kam Lo Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung #Nam Fung Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung #Kau Sai Wan () Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung #Whiskey () Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung #Campers' Bay () Port Shelter,

Clearwater Bay Clear Water Bay () is a bay on the eastern shore of Clear Water Bay Peninsula of Hong Kong, located within Clear Water Bay Country Park. There are two beaches at Clear Water Bay: " Clear Water Bay First Beach" and "Clear Water Bay Second Beach" ...

#Pak Shui Wun () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay #Bayside () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay #Little Palm () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay #Lung Ha Wan () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay #Ung Kong Wan ()

Bluff Island Bluff Island may refer to the following islands: *Bluff Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) *Bluff Island (Antarctica), Prydz Bay, Antarctica *Bluff Island (Hong Kong) Bluff Island, indigenously known as Sha Tong Hau Shan (), also known as Ung Kon ...

, Clearwater Bay #Lung Kwu Upper () Lung Kwu Tan, west Tuen Mun #Lung Kwu Lower () Lung Kwu Tan, Tuen Mun #Dragon Bay ()

Tsing Lung Tau Tsing Lung Tau () is a coastal residential area in the southwest coast of the New Territories in Hong Kong. Geography Tsing Lung Tau is located on the southwest coast of the New Territories in Hong Kong, between Sham Tseng and Tai Lam; west fro ...

, Tsuen Wan #To Tei Wan ()

Shek O Shek O is an area of the south-eastern part of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It can refers to Shek O village or Shek O Peninsula or Shek O Headland. Administratively, they are part of Southern District. Geography The name "Shek O" literal ...

, Cape D'Aguilar #Tai Pak Wan () Discovery Bay, East Lantau Island # Tai Long Wan ()

Chi Ma Wan Chi Ma Wan () is a bay on southeastern Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Chi Ma Wan Peninsula () is where Chi Ma Wan, as well as Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Long Wan, Yi Long Wan and Mong Tung Wan are located. The Peninsula is located withi ...

, South Lantau Island #Yi Long Wan () Chi Ma Wan, South Lantau Island #Sha Lo Wan () West Tung Chung, North Lantau Island # Tai Long Wan () Shek Pik, South Lantau Island #Lo Kei Wan () Shui Hau, South Lantau Island #Kau Ling Chung () Fan Lau, Southwest Lantau Island #Fan Lau Tung Wan () Fan Lau, Southwest Lantau Island #Fan Lan Sai Wan () Fan Lau,Jules Brown and Dinah Gardner, ''Hong Kong and Macau'', page 187 Southwest Lantau Island #Luk Keng Wan ()

Yam O Yam O () is a bay located on the northeast shore of Lantau Island, in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is part of the Ma Wan constituency of the Tsuen Wan District Council. Yam O was the only natural lumber preservation zone in Hong Kong. Ev ...

, Northeast Lantau Island #Tai Kwai Wan () Northwest Cheung Chau #Po Yue Wan () Southwest Cheung Chau #Pak Tso Wan () Southwest Cheung Chau #Shek Pai Wan () Southeast Lamma Island #Mo Tat Wan () East Lamma Island #Kwo Chau Wan () Tai Chau, Ninepin Group #Siu A Chau Wan () Siu A Chau,

Soko Islands The Soko Islands () are a group of islands in Hong Kong. The group consists of Tai A Chau, Siu A Chau and several smaller nearby islands, in the southwesternmost waters of the territory, to the southwest of Lantau Island. An older name for th ...

Water quality grading system

Gazetted beaches in Hong Kong are classified into four grades ( Grades 1 – 4 ) according to the level of

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

in the water of the beaches. This is done by the

Environmental Protection Department Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is a department of Hong Kong Government concerning the issues of environmental protection in Hong Kong.The EPD is responsible for developing policies covering environmental protection, nature conserva ...

. Every week, water samples of each beach are collected for analysis to find out their bacterial level. Grade 1 means that the water qualities of the beaches are good. The amount of E. coli is no more than 24 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also no related case of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses has been reported by swimmers who have swum at these beaches. Grade 2 means that the water qualities of the beaches are fair. The amount of E. coli is about 25 – 180 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is no more than 10 cases per 1000 swimmers. Grade 3 means that the water qualities of the beaches are poor. The amount of E. coli is about 181 – 610 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is about 11 – 15 cases per 1000 swimmers. Grade 4 means that the water quality is very poor. The amount of E. coli is greater than 610 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is greater than 15 cases per 1000 swimmers. As a result, swimmers are advised not to swim at Grade 4 beaches.

References

External links

* Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Public Beaches on Hong Kong Island
* Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Public Beaches in the New TerritoriesEnvironmental Protection DepartmentGrading of beach water qualityBeaches of Hong Kong, from HK-place.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaches Of Hong Kong Places in Hong Kong Hong Kong geography-related lists Hong Kong Lists of landforms of Hong Kong Swimming in Hong Kong