Remote beachside estate lured residents seeking quiet life in Hong Kong. Now they say influx of imported workers has destroyed tranquillity
- Billed as a luxury retreat for city’s socialites when it opened in 1979, The Sea Ranch has since fallen into disrepair with only a few dozen residents remaining
- But some residents say imported labourers working on nearby construction project and housed at estate have disrupted their lifestyle and attempts to resolve issue have fallen flat
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Tranquillity of secluded Hong Kong luxury estate shaken by burglaries, influx of imported workers
Nestled along the southern coastline of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island is an enclave of idyllic yet semi-derelict luxury homes.
Long past its prime as a promised seaside paradise, The Sea Ranch now serves as a remote hideaway for the few people who still choose to call it home. The enclave has no road connections and is accessible only by a small privately run boat to and from Cheung Chau island for residents.
But for the past five years, the once-tranquil lives of residents have given way to what some feel is unwelcomed activity.
The estate has seen batches of new tenants, with dozens of newcomers, often dressed in construction-site attire, hanging clothes and eating meals outside.
Every morning, they load into a boat which takes them to a nearby construction site, returning later in the evening.
The presence of the newcomers had led to a showdown between some in the community and the workers’ employers – subsidiaries of major state-owned enterprises.
The firms had used The Sea Ranch to house imported workers, hired for the construction of an incinerator on a nearby island.