Castle Peak Hinterland

Castle Peak

At 583m it is the tallest of the 3 peaks of Hong Kong. It is also the easiest one, with one route paved completely under concrete stairs. 

The route starts near Leung King/Tsing Shan Tsuen, all served by light rail. It is all well paved through to Tsing Shan Monastery at the base of the hill. 

We often start near Shan King where there is a shopping mall nearby. The Shan King loop is a one-way loop on the Light Rail network, served by one route where trains go through tight curves in the public housing estate. Drinks and snacks are purchased before setting off onto the trail. Before entering the monastery there are the words "Fragrant Sea and Prestigious Mountain" and "Repentance is Salvation" on both sides. It is a popular sight in the area with many driving or walking up to pray for good luck.

Without entering the monastery the track towards the summit starts shortly after. Some engineering works are in place leading to a temporary detour, then continuous stairs go all the way up to the summit. It is nowhere difficult, yet warning signs are in place advising ill-prepared hikers not to attempt the route. Many nearby residents take the trail on a daily basis and see it as their backyard for a daily workout. On the way, a cleaner cleans the trail, picks up trash and sweeps out fallen leaves along the stairs.

City view comes in shortly after the monastery.

On the other side are Lantau Island and the airport. Two major mountains, Lantau and Sunset Peaks, form the backdrop of Tung Chung and the airport. Hong Kong's airport is built through sea reclamation, similar to how many airports were built in Japan. The Hong Kong port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) is also built on a nearby man-made island. The summit route on the east shows the rocky cliff faces of the peak (hence why it's one of the three peaks in Hong Kong), but the walking trail, which obviously bypasses these bits, is not as hard as it might seem.

The aerial view of the city is also a great way to witness and experience how the city is being developed. Tuen Mun is already a fully-developed new town, yet chronic housing shortages in Hong Kong have forced the government into further densifying the town, making use of any green spaces they could find.

A pavillion is built on the peak. Some hikers have also added a thermometer and clock onto it. A short set of stairs leads to the trigonometric station, marking the actual summit.

To the north and west- on a good day places as far as Macau and Zhuhai on the other side of Pearl River Estuary is visible. Lung Kwu Tan and the nearby shoreline is used as an industrial area and houses several power stations.

Time to head back down, this time via a different route to the north. Without concrete paved stairs the gravel paths are slippery and extra care was needed.

and there comes the Castle Peak Hinterland. The track is heavily eroded under decades of bombing and use of artillery. 

After a bit of walking through the same terrain and we reached Leung Tin Pass. A concrete trail leads up from Leung King Estate and towards the so-called grand canyon. It is a common spot for nearby residents to come up to nature and exercise. A bit of effort is made, probably by residents, to bring back vegetation to the area. It is surprising that the trees were able to survive despite being within the firing range. 

Leung Tin Pass / Tuen Mun Grand Canyon

A sandy gap a off the Pui Ling track, also a common instagram photo spot.

The uphill continued after the mountain pass. Castle Peak slides towards the back as the greener bit of the hinterland. Vegetation still remains relatively dense for this section of the trail.

The view of Tuen Mun new town followed as we walked. Hong Kong on one side and Shenzhen on the other.

Another hill climb, now on gravel surfaces. On the right sits another landfill along with several waste processing facilities.

Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Qianhai (in Shenzhen, China) on the left, and Siu Hong on the right. The new public housing developments of Tsing Tin, Wo Tin estates are right below, making use of land that was once villages.

The walk followed through the ridge till the highest peak at the end (Yuen Tau Shan). On the side there's a shell-like rock facing the residential suburbs.

Then comes the well-known landmark of the trail- 一線脊 (one-line ridge?). Years of erosion have made this bit very narrow, only wide enough for one foot at a time. While it's a short one that many simply jumped over, it took some of us some time to crawl through. The downhill bit is also full of smooth gravel, making it impossible to stand without shoes with a good grip. There are bits where many have stepped on and gravel has washed out, making it safe to walk on without slipping. It simply takes time to observe the surface and see which route works the best (similar to walking on smooth or wet rock surfaces).

More crawling through gravel. This track is considered some of the hardest in Hong Kong due to its combination of unusual terrain, continuous ascent and length, requiring extra experience and endurance to complete. 

And the final climb is finally in sight- Yuen Tau Shan. The eroded track makes this ascent into the round-shaped hill harder than usual. Imagine if this were to be properly maintained a zig-zaggy route will certainly reduce erosion for an easier walk. It's a vicious cycle- the track is eroded and hard to walk on, then people step onto the grass off the track, then the vegetation gets eroded, the track gets wider and wider and the same thing continues.

This time the view towards the north looks a lot better. There's Hung Shui Kiu, the underdeveloped land filled with industrial warehouses and wasteland, and Tin Shui Wai, the city of sorrow packed with public housing blocks. From the hills, it is quite obvious to see why Hong Kong is in a chronic housing shortage. While it is true that Hong Kong has a large population and limited land supply, but is it really true that we have limited land? Simply look at northwestern New Territories and it's not hard to see large chunks of low-density land lying around, with a huge potential for future housing supply.

Modern urban planners often mention that densifying area, not urban sprawl, should be the solution to urban population growth. Instead of uncontrolled expansion of the city through car-dependent suburbs, existing rail corridors should be densified for shorter commutes and increased public transport patronage. In Hong Kong this will likely be translated into making use of existing land, not creating new land through reclamation. In reality, land rights over rural lands have made large-scale development hard, and it will likely remain as it is for decades to come. 

The climb down Yuen Tau Shan is very steep. While ropes are there to assist, one can easily make it down without requiring any assistance.

The walk ultimately ends at Ling To Tsz, a Buddist temple built hundreds of years ago after a monk named Pui To. It still remains to be a wonderful part of local history, drawing in local tourists. The temple closes at 5 pm and we, unfortunately, missed the chance to visit it.

From the temple, we started the slow walk back to the main road for public transport. A couple of minutes into the walk and we met local villagers in their car, asking where we are heading. We told them we are hikers and luckily they are willing to give us a lift to Tin Shui Wai Station, the nearest metro station. In the car, we had a fun conversation on our hike and as students, our dream career path.

With empty stomachs, we walked from the station to nearby public housing estates for food. There is nothing good to eat in Tin Shui Wai and all we got was hot noodles from 7-11. The best place for food is still the city as we got on the bus to Hong Kong Island, a 40min ride on highways where everyone on the bus slept through Western Harbour Crossing.