HONG KONG

The Oddly-named Beach!

Repulse Bay is one of the most popular beaches of Hong Kong – but why does this beautiful crescent-shaped shoreline have such a strange, off-putting name? 

The origins of the bay’s English name are quite a mystery. The bay was once used as a base by pirates who attacked and stole from foreign merchant ships trading with China. In order to protect the ships, the Royal Navy repulsed (attacked) the pirates and their base, hence the name.

Another story holds that the bay was named after HMS Repulse which was stationed at the bay at one point. However the HMS Repulse was never documented as having docked there!

The name, Repulse Bay, wasn’t widely used until the 20th century. At that time, the area developed rapidly with the construction of the Hong Kong Golf Club in 1898 and the development of the recreational beach a decade later. In 1920, the Kadoorie family built the Repulse Bay Hotel which was later immortalised as the setting in Eileen Chang’s novel “Love in a Fallen City”.

This southside beach is popular due to its convenient location, cleanliness and all the essential facilities you could possibly desire, such as showers, a beach volleyball court, a selection of rafts available for rent, as well as award-winning restaurants and bars. 

Check out Repulse Bay on your next trip to Hong Kong by booking the popular Hong Kong island tour.

Images from Wikipedia