How enjoyable can a hike in winter in Hong Kong be? One answer is: So enjoyable that rather than follow the originally planned route, one -- and one's obliging hiking companion -- can decide mid-excursion to extend it and go along a longer route just so that one can spend more time enjoying being outdoors in the Big Lychee's countryside. More specifically, that's exactly what my regular hiking companion and I decided that December day that saw us ending up hiking Lantau Trail Section 12 in reverse!
So, rather than end up at the Nam Shan Barbecue Area, near where sections (or stages) 1 and the considerably more challenging 2 of the Lantau Trail meet, we ended our hike that we began in Mui Wo in picturesque Pui O. And while we did see the buffalo that (in)famously hang out in the area, some other -- cultural as well as natural -- sights actually caught our eye and attention more there... ;b
So, rather than end up at the Nam Shan Barbecue Area, near where sections (or stages) 1 and the considerably more challenging 2 of the Lantau Trail meet, we ended our hike that we began in Mui Wo in picturesque Pui O. And while we did see the buffalo that (in)famously hang out in the area, some other -- cultural as well as natural -- sights actually caught our eye and attention more there... ;b
Photographic evidence that not all hiking trails inHong Kong have had concrete poured over them!
A warning to those thinking of going along this trailin the opposite direction from me: there are a lot of steps --
particularly ascending up from near Shap Long Kau Tsuen
Also do please note that some of the stepsare more difficult to go on than others...
The Tin Hau temple at the southeastern end of Pui Othat dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
The Tin Hau temple's main fruit-laden altar 
A modest -- but well kept up -- shrine not far away from the Tin Hau temple
Birds find a perch in the form of a branch stretching out of the water of a nearby tidal creek
The Chi Ma Wan peninsula's 302-meter-high Miu Tsai Tuncasts a scenic shadow over this part of Lantau
4 comments:
Happy Chinese New Year! :)
Hi Bengbeng --
Happy Chinese New Year to you too -- and thanks for the blast from the past! :)
I'd guess it's very much enjoyable hiking in cooler weather... and the scene will be totally different too, comparing the always hot and humid weather here in Malaysia.
Hi Horsoon --
Yes, indeed, re hiking in cooler weather often being prett enjoyable. And yes too re it being pretty different to hiking in perenially hot and humid Malaysia. For one thing, places in Hong Kong can look so different in different seasons -- and yes, that's one attraction/reason to hike a favorite trail more than once. :)
Post a Comment