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Saturday, April 25, 2015

Ping Shan Heritage Trail

(2 kilometers)
As long as you need it to be

Difficulty: 1/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 0.5 liter

Appreciation: 10/10. Little gem of densely-packed heritage elements in Yuen Long.

Transportation: MTR to Yuen Long. Then take light rail to Ping Shan stop. Return via Tin Shui Wai MTR.

Why it's worth it:

Hong Kong is great that way: we have been here for about 7 years now and never know about the Ping Shan Heritage Trail until recently... A very nice afternoon can be spent learning about history and culture of old Hong Kong

1. Ping Shan Tang Clan gallery and Heritage Trail Visitor Centre
2. Hung Shin Temple
3. Shut Hung Study Hall
4. Kun Ting Study Hall
5. Tang and Yu Kui Ancestral Halls
6. Yeung Hau Temple
7. Old Well
8. Sheung Cheung Wai
9. Shrine of the earth god
10. Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (the only surviving ancient pagoda in Hong Kong. 1486)
Right off the Ping Shan light-rail station, take Ping Ha road...

You'll go on Ping Shan Chuk Lam road, on the right, towards the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery. Once done, you'll retrace your steps and keep going on the Ping Ha Road towards the rest of the trail. The rest is quite easy to find with the map above
There are signs pointing towards it.

The Ping Shan Tang Clan gallery and Heritage Trail Visitor Centre

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Hong Kong Trail Section 1 & 2

(11.5 kilometers)
3.5 hours

Difficulty: 4/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter

Appreciation: 8/10. Leisurely hike with good views of the harbour. Shaded.

Transportation: Bus 15 to the Peak from Exchange Square in Central. Return to Central via bus 43x in Aberdeen.

Why it's worth it:

Maps: http://hiking.gov.hk/eng/pdf/longtrail/hktrail/hkmap02.pdf

Once you're off bus #15 at the Peak terminus, walk towards the Peak building which houses the Peak tram terminus. Then, spot the white building on the left, pictured above (and highlighted with a square on the top-view map above).  You will be walking in front of it, to the right, on Lugard Road. Make sure you don't take the steps to Old Peak Road, nor walk to the left of the building (Mount Austin and Harlech Road)...
... There's actually signage for the Hong Kong Traild right udner the Lugard Road sign. SHouldn't be too difficult to find your way. From this point on, it is quite straight forward; stay on the main path, don't take the side-paths climbing the mountain on your left, unless there's signage for the Hong Kong Trail indicating you to do so
After having gone around the Victoria Peak, you'll arrive at the Peak, Harlech and Lugard Road intersection. There's a pavillion there (white circle on the map). Take the path parrallel to the Harlech Road sign (you're coming from the Lugard Road on the map). Keep going there. Quite easy afterwards...
About an hour walk later, you'll see stairs on your left. There's signage for the trail too. Keep following the trail. There's plenty of signage (always the 2 little hiking guys). You have about another hour or so to go before we exit the trail
You'll eventually go down steps and reach the catchwater. You'll be going to the left. Keep following the catchwater until you reach the set of stairs pictures above. Signage will say 'Tin Wan Estate'. That's not the official end of section 2 per se but there's not much of a point to keep going to the end. Take the stairs down to Aberdeen
Stairs are marked by the small square on the map. As you come down to Tin Wan Estates, go around the buildings on the right. Go down Tin Wan road as per the map above. The bus stop is in front of the Tin Wan Shopping Centre. Bus 43x will bring you back to Central

Monday, April 13, 2015

Hong Kong Trail Section 5 & 6

(7.5 kilometers)
3 hours

Difficulty: 6/10. 

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter

Appreciation: 8/10. Great views of the harbour at Jardine's lookout

Transportation: CTB bus 6 from Exchange Square. Get off at "Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park". Do not take 6x as it goes through the tunnel. Return on Tai Tam Rd via NWFB bus 14 to Sai Wan Ho MTR station, or green minibus 16 to Chai Wan MTR station.

Why it's worth it:




The trail head, across from the Parkview housing complex.

Quite hard to get lost on the trail, just follow the signagne and stay on Hong Kong trail. The milestone signs are pre-fixed with an 'H'. The little hiking guys are also displayed. The Wilson and Hong Kong trail overlap for about 2km, just make sure not to take the Wilson trail at the crossroads a short time after the quarry, keep going straight on Hong Kong trail
You'll eventually get to the top of Mount Buttler. At this point, it's pretty much down all the way...
After about 3k (not sure why the official maps say 4k), you'll reach the end of section 5. Many roads cross here. Make sure to take the Tai Tam Tuk road (not a path at this point), on the right. The road gently slopes down
You'll eventually arrive at the dam, which you must cross. Then end to the left. Keep following the HK trail signage.

You'll arrive at a point where the road you're on keeps going straight but there are stairs on your left. Take the stairs. You are about 20 minutes away from the end of Section 6
You'll arrive at the end of Section 6. Can't miss it, there's Tam Tam Road and the big board with the trail map. The bus stop is on your right, about 100m away. Be super careful as there are no sidewalks. HK gov should really do something about that...

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Please, don't litter!
