HK Sai Kung District 西貢 Sai Kung Ma On Shan Country Park zh:三星灣泳灘 Trio Beach in February 2021
HK Sai Kung District 西貢 Sai Kung Ma On Shan Country Park zh:三星灣泳灘 Trio Beach in February 2021 — Photo: Yautae Taieim MA | CC BY-SA 4.0

Trio Beach

Sai Kung DistrictBeaches of Hong Kong
4 min read

Dragon boat paddlers know to watch for speedboat wakes. On 18 July 2010, two passing speedboats swamped a training dragon boat at Trio Beach, sending all 21 paddlers into Sam Sing Wan Bay. It was a reminder that even the most familiar stretch of water has its own rules — and that Trio Beach, tucked into Pak Sha Wan Peninsula in Sai Kung District, is a working beach, not a postcard.

Split by Rock and Tower

The beach runs 131 metres along the bay of Sam Sing Wan, but it does not run uninterrupted. A rocky outcrop divides the sand into two distinct sections, each with its own temperament — one more sheltered, one more open to the chop coming in from Port Shelter. Between them stands a lifeguard tower, practical and prominent, the kind of structure that makes no architectural apologies. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department manages the beach, and its amenities reflect that civic seriousness: 20 barbecue pits, changing rooms, showers, toilets, a refreshment kiosk, a water sports centre, and a playground. People come here to do things, not simply to sit.

Getting There the Scenic Way

Trio Beach is reachable by road, but the more appealing option is the kai-to — the small inter-island ferry that departs from Hebe Haven Pier and deposits passengers directly at the sand. Hiking paths also arrive from the surrounding hills, threading through the scrubby slopes of the Sai Kung peninsula. The walk rewards those who make it: views open across Port Shelter toward the islands scattered offshore, and the descent to the beach feels earned. For residents of nearby Sai Kung Town, the beach is a familiar destination. For visitors arriving by kai-to, it has the satisfying quality of a place discovered.

Water Quality and Occasional Closures

The Environmental Protection Department monitors Trio Beach and has rated its water quality as good to fair over the past two decades — a respectable but not unblemished record. In September 2018, Typhoon Mangkhut forced a temporary closure when the storm damaged the Sai Kung Sewage Treatment Works, sending wastewater into the bay. The incident underscored what typhoon season means on a coast like this: not just heavy rain and high winds, but the cascading failures that follow. The beach reopened once conditions improved, returning to the seasonal rhythms it has kept for years.

What the Bay Remembers

Sam Sing Wan Bay is calm by Sai Kung standards, sheltered enough for swimming and water sports on most days. But the bay also holds the ordinary weight of incidents that accumulate over time at any active beach. On 1 July 2020, a 68-year-old woman lost consciousness while swimming near the shore; a lifeguard pulled her out, and she was taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital. The lifeguard was there because such things happen. The beach continues — mornings when families claim the barbecue pits, afternoons when the water sports centre sends kayaks out across the bay, evenings when the last kai-to returns to Hebe Haven with tired, sun-salted passengers.

From the Air

Trio Beach sits at 22.358°N, 114.268°E on Pak Sha Wan Peninsula in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. From the air at 2,000–4,000 feet, the rocky outcrop dividing the beach is visible, along with the broader expanse of Port Shelter and its scatter of islands to the south. Hebe Haven Pier lies to the west. The nearest major airport is VHHH (Hong Kong International), approximately 45 km to the southwest; approach paths along the south side of Lantau pass well clear of the Sai Kung hills. Visibility in the New Territories is best in the cooler months of October through March, when northeast winds push the haze offshore.