I'd been in Hong Kong a few years before I "discovered" one of the best wild places here, Ng Tung Chai (吳桐寨). A friend had told me of a great valley with waterfalls on the north slopes of Tai Mo Shan (大帽山); I'd read an account of hikers who, early last century, visited surely the same valley, using a rope to negotiate a particularly steep section.
Searching the Countryside Series map, Central New Territories, I figured the place marked as Ng Tung Chai Waterfall was maybe the same location; the map showed there were trails here, so one day, I set off to explore.
That first visit, I hiked up and past the summit of Tai Mo Shan, then down to the east, and north - into the ravine. But I've since visited by the rather simpler route, from Ng Tung Chai (village), near the head of the Lam Tsuen Valley, and just east of Kadoorie Farm.
My most recent visit was just a week ago, when the waterfalls were a little disappointing - as this summer has been dry - but Ng Tung Chai was still magical; like a secret place you can glimpse from outside, but must enter to really experience.
At first, you walk up a concrete footpath from the village, passing stands of trees, and fields on the left, with the main tributary of the Lam Tsuen River below. The concrete path ends at a temple complex (where I believe you can sometimes buy soft drinks); the route to the falls now becomes a forest trail.
The trail is well maintained, with occasional signposts - one of which points uphill to the high, Scattered Fall, the other showing it's straight on to the other falls. Head straight on, to the lower reaches of the ravine.
