Situated in the Sai Kung Inner Sea, Yim Tin Tsai is a tiny island of less than one square kilometre and about 3 km away from the Sai Kung town. More than 200 years ago, the villagers’ ancestors, the Chan couple, moved from Yantiancun in the mainland China to this island. They earned a living by building salt field to harvest salt from the sea. “Yim Tin” (Cantonese) or Yantian (Mandarin) literally means salt field, and the word “Tsai” means “neighbours from hometown”, referencing to “forget not your hometown”.

Yim Tin Tsai was one of the few places in Hong Kong that harvest salt. The Chan couple learned of salt harvesting and built the salt field on the island. The harvest of sea salt relies on the tides. Seawater inflows to salt field through the gate when the tide is high and surplus seawater will drain out through another gate in low tide. By sun heating and wind blowing, seawater in the field turn into salt.