I often hike along Lantau Trail which offers many views of the Soko Islands, however I hardly know a thing about them. Today I thought it was about time to do some research, so here goes:

The Soko Islands (索罟群島) are a group of islands located to the southwest of Lantau Island.Views of the Soko Islands can be seen from Lantau Trail Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 5, Stage 8 & Stage 9. Below, the Soko Islands can be seen in the distance from Lantau Trail Stage 9 Reversed.

The group of the Soko Islands consist of:

• Cheung Muk Tau (樟木頭)
• Ko Pai (高排)
• Lung Shuen Pai (龍船排)
• Ma Chau (孖洲)
• Shek Chau (石洲)
• Siu A Chau (小鴉洲)
  The northernmost uninhabited island of the Soko Islands. Siu A Chau is the second largest island of the Soko Islands. In 1937 it was noted the several fishing village huts were located here which were significantly different from any other Chinese Dwelling. There is a temple located on the south side of the island. A low-level radio-active waste (LLRW) facility began operation in July 2005. 
• Tai A Chau (大鴉洲)
  Often referred to as South Soko Island. Largest of the Soko Islands. Up until the 1980's there were two villages located here: Ha Tsuen and Sheung Tsuen. They were abandoned when the detention camp for Vietnamese refugees was build. Tai A Chau Detention Centre housed thousands of Vietnamese refugees from 1991 to 1996. The centre was closed and all buildings demolished prior to the handover in 1997. Two helicopter landing pads and a jetty remain from the detention centre. Tai A Chau has a temple dedicated to Tin Hau and seven earth shrines on it, which were built in 1828 and renovated in 2000. The beach located on Tai A Chau is considered to be the most polluted beach in all of Hong Kong, consisting mainly of plastic bottles as well as pre-production plastic pellets (nurdles). These nurdles absord Persistant Organics Pollutants (POPs) that naturally occur in the ocean, some of which are cancer causing. These nurdles are consequently eaten by marine life, which are then eaten by us, after having been caught by fishermen.
• Tau Lo Chau (頭顱洲)
• Wan Hau Chau (灣口洲)
• Yuen Chau (圓洲)
• Yuen Kong Chau (圓崗洲)

The Soko Islands are now for the most part uninhabited, however in the past, there was a refugee camp for Vietnamese boat people.

In May 2002, a Soko Islands Marine Park was proposed.

CLP put in a proposal to the Government to establish a Natural Liquified Gas (LNG) power plant, which was under heavy scrutiny by local green groups as the surrounding waters were an important habitat for various marine species, including the rare Chinese white dolphin.  The proposal was cancelled in September 2008.

WWF are still pushing for the Soko Islands to become a marine park, so that CLP cannot propose another LNG plant in the future.