No one told me about this side of Hong Kong before I came here to study. Realizing that Hong Kong is not all skyscrapers, crowded streets and pollution was the best surprise I could have hoped for. The university where I study, HKUST, is located in Clear Water Bay, Sai Kung, on the eastern side of HK about an hour away from Central via public transport, and the views here are just spectacular.
Last week I went hiking not too far away from the university, at the Clear Water Bay National Park in Sai Kung, taking a trail leading to High Junk Peak. Hiking down south, the views unfolding just take your breath away.
This is what you get to see if you look east in the direction of the Sai Kung Peninsula.
Slightly less appealing, but still impressive, is what you see when you look west, the combination of skyscraper Hong Kong, smaller villages
And finally, at the tip, this is what you see at the southern part, with Po Toi O Village.
and the Tin Hau Temple with the oldest inscription found in Hong Kong…
Looks good?
If you want to get started, here’s where you should take off from 91 leaving Diamond Hill or the green Minibus (103, I think) from Tseung Kwan O heading towards Clear Water Bay Second Beach.
Here are a few more details from the Country and Marine Park official website :
Grade: 2 Distance: 6.6 km Time: 2.5 Hour(s)
Starting Point: Ng Fai Tin Finishing Point: Tai Miu Au
Most people trek the High Junk Peak Country Trail from Ng Fai Tin to Tai Miu Au. The beginning section is fairly steep but you can look back to beautiful Port Shelter as a reward. The section to Ha Yeung Shan and Miu Tsai Tun is much gentle, with contrasting views of scenic Clearwater Bay on the left and modern developments of Tseung Kwan O on the right. The once Tiu Keng Leng settlement and pier were replaced by MTR station and highrise communities.
The section between Ng Fai Tin and Ha Shan Tuk is also the High Junk Peak Mountain Bike Trail open for mountain biking on weekdays. Hikers and bikers should exercise care and patience to avoid accidents.
The trail winds round the mid slope, instead of the rugged uphill path, of High Junk Peak to reduce risk. Viewed from another angle, the sharp peak appears as rounded top!
Following the trail downhill, the lovely scenery of Hong Kong Island, Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club also comes into full view, as well as Basalt Island, the Ninepins, and Tung Lung Chau is within sight.
To sum up this wonderful trail, here are the panoramas you can expect from the hike :
Highly recommended. Let me know if you did it and what you thought.
More details on the hike :
beautiful place spectacular photos.
Yes – coincidentally – I did this hike a few weeks ago and have a similar blog post and title already queued up to go. I think it's the minibus 103M from Tseung Kwan O – nice panoramic photos
quickroute – Thanks, I appreciate that. Yeah, I think I saw your post.
Does anyone try this hike in July? Way to hot? We’re making trip to HK in July and we love this part of HK. We plan to visit the HKUST and explore hiking around the school. Possible in terms of weather in July and distance from school? Thanks
Welcome to Hong Kong. It depends on how lucky you are. Hikes are possible in July, it could be a bit hot and sometimes rainy, but if you’re going to be here more than a day most chances are you’ll find atleast one day that will be great for your hikes. The weather in CWB is also a bit cooler than other places in HK.
If you’re coming to HKUST and want a quick tour or coffee, let me know. I’m mostly around during the summer.