What’s life like on Hong Kong’s outlying islands? Inter-Island Festival gives an insight from people who love to live on them

Hong Kong has more than 250 outlying islands, with many providing a much-needed escape from the city’s crowded concrete jungles.

Some are sparsely populated and mostly rural. Others, such as Peng Chau, Lantau and Cheung Chau, have thriving communities connected by ferry routes.

Shining a light on these islands – and “borrowing” their transport routes – is the Inter-Island Festival, which will be held every weekend until November 26.

With a strong grass-roots focus, the festival unites artists, architects, biologists, poets, craftspeople, musicians and writers, who express their love for island life through workshops, performances, installations, exhibitions and screenings.

“The relationship between these islands is inextricably linked by the ferry routes, and the festival helps strengthen these connections,” says festival co-organiser Kit Chan, who is fully aware of the ebb and flow of island life. He moved from the hustle and bustle of Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Peng Chau a decade ago.

“Since I moved to Peng Chau I have married and now we are raising our child here.”

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The sense of community, he says, adds to the relaxed island vibe. “It’s very easy to get to know your neighbours.”

Now in its second edition, the festival, he says, provides an insight into island living – past and present – with a focus on nature and community.

This year’s vast programme includes events from yoga classes to coastal walks and immersive workshops, such as learning how to make ceramic tiles. To guarantee a spot, registration is vital, Chan says.

The festival also showcases creatives living on the islands.

On November 11, Cheung Chau-based artist Olgierd Nitka will share graphic techniques that inspire his art, including stencil and linocut, while Hong Kong multidisciplinary artist Preston Hartwick, who has called Cheung Chau home for almost 10 years, will exhibit photos and sculptural installations on the island.

People can take part in “ReCreation”, an installation of handmade paper supported by a bamboo structure that is inspired by the precariousness of a fisherman’s hut on Peng Chau.

The Peng Chau Theatre, abandoned for 30 years as a result of the island’s population decline and the global rise in popularity of at-home entertainment during the 1970s and ’80s, will get a new lease of life by hosting a number of events.

Helping fly the green flag are workshops on November 19 and November 26 where guests can build shelters for solitary bees while learning about the species’ vital ecological role.

In Mui Wo on Lantau Island, nature lovers can get their hands dirty by taking part in a native forest restoration walk to help care for some of the more than 37,000 trees planted by local eco-education centre Ark Eden, which is also hosting guided forest art activities and a mountain campfire party (both November 19).

On November 25, a workshop will be held to convert rubbish collected from Silvermine Bay Beach on Lantau into mini motorised boats, which will then be raced along the beach in Mui Wo. Coined a “Rubbish Regatta”, the event is run by Hong Kong-based Australian artist Tully Arnot and aims to raise awareness about the city’s waste problem.

Workshops on games such as Yau Fu and mahjong will provide a glimpse into the leisure activities of islanders, in particular the elderly.

“The traditional card game Yau Fu is almost extinct, but a group of villagers on Cheung Chau still play it,” says Chan, adding the workshop on November 11 is purely educational.

The film, a collaboration with WWF-Hong Kong, looks at how ocean noise pollution is threatening Chinese white dolphins, affecting the critically endangered creatures’ ability to hunt, navigate and communicate.

Music events also feature in the programme, with performances by Hong Kong orchestra Celestial and harpist Shelly Cox.

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It’s impossible to mention every event but what is guaranteed, Chan says, is each offers a unique and interesting insight into island life.

“We really want people to know where we live and get an insight into what life is like on the islands.”