The MacLehose Trail

The MacLehose Trail is a very long hiking trail in Hong Kong, named after the former Governor of Hong Kong. The MacLehose Trail is divided into ten sections, each with a length ranging from 5 to 16 kilometers. It starts from Sai Kung in the west, ends in Tuen Mun in the east, runs through the New Territories of Hong Kong from east to west, with a total length of 100 kilometers, passing through the peaks of Hong Kong. Hiking Trail Segmentation MacLehose Trail connects eight country parks, including Sai Kung East, Sai Kung West, Ma On Shan, Lion Rock, Kam Shan, Shing Mun, Tai Mo Shan and Tai Lam Country Park. Except for some sections which are cement-level roads, most of the MacLehose Trail is built according to the mountains, and only a small part is difficult to navigate. The third, fourth, seventh, and eighth sections are all continuous and rugged mountain roads. , a few hundred meters straight up and down, and most of the rest are easy to do. Section 1: Take the bus to Pak Tam Chung Station and get off to MacLehose Trail. The starting point of the entire hiking trail originates from here. The starting point is relatively simple, most of which are very flat, with only a few slopes. There is no water supply for the first section of the road, try to replenish the water source at the tea kiosk in the Beitanyong parking lot. Walk along Bangi Road in Saigon, pass the East Dam and West Dam of the Bangi Reservoir, and then arrive at Langgae. The whole journey can be completed in about 3 and a half hours. Among them, the Wanyi Reservoir is famous for its huge water capacity, sloping embankments and magnificent dams. Section 2: Starting from Long Kee, walking along the border of the country park and ending at Pak Tam Road. The journey took 4 and a half hours to complete. There are two supply stations, one can buy water, eat, and camp in West Bay, and there is a camp near the end, but it is very simple. The other is that you can take a car or walk to the Yellowstone Pier Camp at the end point. It is fully equipped and you can supplement it with your own barbecue. After climbing the steep Sai Wan Mountain from Langka Beach, the magnificent and vast coastal scenery here is also suitable for taking photos. Go down through Sai Wan, bypass the mountain trail by the sea, walk inland along Ham Tin Wan, pass Tai Long Village, Tai Long Au and Chek Keng, and then arrive at Pak Tam Au. Some "recommended rest spots" signs are installed along the trail from Dongba to Chuutongao for hikers to refer to and take a proper rest. The third section: From Beitanwa to Qiling, this section is 10 kilometers. The whole section of the road takes 4 hours to complete. There are toilets and running water at the end of the road. Hikers need to climb four peaks about 400 meters above sea level in this section, they are Yantou Mountain, Huamei Mountain, Leidashi Mountain and Jigong Mountain, so it requires a lot of physical strength to complete. But at the same time, this section of the road is condescending, looking at the boundless sea in the east, Tai Po in the west, Tolo Harbour in the north, and Ma On Shan in the south. The surrounding scenery can be brought into view. Section 4: From the foot of Qiling Mountain to the end of Tate's Lao Mountain, the distance is about 12 kilometers. It usually takes about 5 hours, and it is also one of the very fortunate sections of the road. There is no supply during the whole process, so try to burn tap water at the starting point to replenish it. From Qiling, cross Ma On Shan Country Park and head straight for the Kowloon Mountains. Pass the rugged east of Ma'anshan Mountain, bypass the 702-meter-high Ma'an Mountain Peak, walk south along the ridge, pass the Grand Admiralty and the rolling Ngong Ping Plateau, continue to the south, follow the rural road, pass Buffalo Mountain to Tate Laoshan . If it is evening when you finish the fourth section, it is better to camp at Ngong Ping Camp. Section 5: From Tate's Cairn to Tai Po Highway, the distance is about 10 kilometers. It takes about 3 hours, and you can eat and drink water to replenish your physical strength in the Lion Pavilion. Extending from the ridge to the north of the Kowloon Peninsula, it is the part of MacLehose Trail close to the urban area, and the fifth section spans Lion Rock Country Park. Starting from Tate’s Old Mountain next to Fei’e Mountain Road, go west, follow the mountain road or car road to climb over mountains and mountains, climb from Tszyun Mountain to Lion Mountain with an altitude of 495 meters, Beacon Mountain with an altitude of 458 meters, and then go down to Yingchao Mountain. You can reach Tai Po Highway. Section 6: From Tai Po Highway to Shing Mun, it takes one and a half hours to complete the journey. The whole section of the road is about 4 kilometers, which is also the shortest distance in the MacLehose Trail. There is no supply throughout the whole process, only the barbecue site at the terminal can eat, and there is direct drinking water to replenish physical fitness. This path starts from Tai Po Highway, follows the Kowloon Reservoir, and passes through several hills. After passing the Golden Mountain, it goes northwest, following the valley under the Miaozhi Trail (Smuggling Ridge), and then descends sharply. Walk through the defensive line left in the war, and end at the Shing Mun Reservoir. Section 7: From the city gate to the lead mine, the distance is about 6 kilometers. It takes 2 and a half hours to complete. There is no supply for the whole section. Only at the end there is a campsite with toilets and running water to replenish physical fitness. The seventh section is also the second shortest section of the entire MacLehose Trail. It starts from the magnificent dam of the Shing Mun Reservoir and climbs several rugged and gravel-covered hillsides to reach Needle Mountain; then from the other side of the steep hillside Go down, follow the forest road to Caoshan, which is 647 meters above sea level, where you can see the vast scenery, and then walk down from Caoshan to the end of the lead mine. The most unforgettable part of the road is the scenery under Ling Ha, which is located in the Shing Mun Country Park. Visitors can overlook the entire Sha Tin Valley, Shing Mun Valley and the reservoirs of the Shing Mun Inner Valley. Section 8: Starting from Lead Mine Au and ending at Tsuen-Jin Highway, the whole section is about 9 kilometers. It takes about 4 hours, and there are more food and water at the terminal station. There are no camps throughout. This section has to cross Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong and go west through Tai Mo Shan Country Park. If the weather is fine, visitors can almost overlook the whole Hong Kong scenery. The section of the road starts from the lead mine concave at a height of 400 meters and climbs up to Tai Mo Shan at an altitude of 975 meters, passing through boulders and trapezoidal tea fields. The top of Tai Mo Shan is a restricted area, but nearby places can overlook the surrounding area. After passing this road, it begins to detour to Tsuen Kam Highway. The ninth section: the road from Tsuenjin Highway to Tianfuzai, the total distance is about 6 kilometers. It takes about 2 and a half hours. At the end of the Tianfuzai Camp and Tianfuzai Stalls, you can add water and eat. Starting from Tsuen Kam Au next to the Tsuen Kam Highway, heading towards the mountains to the southwest, halfway through, you can clearly see the Hebei Reservoir in the deep valley on the right; continue to the west, pass the dense plantings, and reach the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. The Tianfuzai Village of kilometers is the end point. Section 10: It is about 15 kilometers from Tin Fu Tsai to Tuen Mun. It takes about 5 hours, and the road is relatively flat. There are two or three restaurants in Tianfuzai, where you can eat and replenish water. Extend along the northern part of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir and part of the catchment channel to the destination of Tuen Mun. Starting from Tin Fu Tsai, going through a narrow valley to Tai Lam, and then detouring along the northern part of the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, the small islands in the pond are clearly visible. Hikers can go straight to Tuen Mun along the flat aqueduct of the reservoir and mountain trails. When you have conquered these 10 sections, remember to take pictures at a gauge post at the end of the tenth section.