Silver Mine Waterfalls at Mui Wo on Lantau Island

silvermine fallThe Silver Mine Waterfall is among the best and most easily reached Hong Kong waterfalls.

The Silver Mine Waterfall is among the best and most easily reached Hong Kong waterfalls.

The Silver Mine Waterfall at Mui Wo, eastern Lantau, is one of the most easily reached of Hong Kong’s best waterfalls. It’s accessible by strolling gentle trails, passing by the beach, village houses, and through fields and woodland. Like all our waterfalls, it’s best just after – or even during – spells of heavy rain.

There’s an even better, “hidden” fall above.

One way of heading there is to arrive at Mui Wo by ferry or bus, then walk along the waterfront, towards the beach. Take a bridge over the creek, and walk above the beach till you come to the mouth of a small, mangrove fringed creek.
to butterfly hill
Turn left at the mouth of the creek, and you soon reach a narrow rural road. Turn right here, and the road follows the creek; the housing soon thins out, as the road narrows to a footpath..


Walking here you might see butterflies such as this lovely red helen, feeding on nectar on flowers by the path.

There’s a small trail junction, with a signpost that may be in disrepair, or may point the way left, to the waterfall; past a big India rubber tree with a mass of aerial roots. Onwards! – and the environment is now verdant, with overgrown fields on the right. The path climbs a little, through woodland on Butterfly Hill. Then, down through more woods, and through overgrown fields, with a stream on the left.

Main Silver Mine Waterfall at Mui Wo, Lantau

silver mine fall lantauThere’s another junction, and a right turn soon leads to the foot of the waterfall. Here, there’s a pavilion, and you can scramble over rocks at the foot of the cascades – but if you scramble, be careful, especially if the stream’s flowing strongly.

silver mine fall
This is a good place to linger, and explore vantages for taking photos…

… and for shooting video.

“Hidden” Silver Mine Fall

A concrete path runs uphill from near the pavilion; up this – level with the top of the fall – is the entrance to an abandoned silver mine. The entrance is blocked (a little way inside), with only a small hole to allow bats to access and leave their daytime roost in the cool interior.

Above this mine is an even better waterfall. You can reach this by keeping to the concrete trail as it passes the top of the Silvermine Fall, turns left, and runs beside a small farmstead; this stretch is part of the Olympic Trail.

Take a right turn, across a footbridge over a stream. The path climbs gently, between a couple of farmhouses. Then, there’s a small orchard. As the slope becomes steeper, and enters secondary woodland, look for a rough trail on the left, alongside water pipes: this is the trail to the “hidden” fall. The trail is level, and you soon arrive at the base of the fall.

silvermine bay hidden waterfall

Providing it is dry and there is not too much water flowing, it’s possible to scramble up the left side of the cascades, to reach the topmost, best section of the waterfall – which as you’ll see is really a series of falls.

silver mine fall

Here, there’s a large plunge pool, with water coursing over the rock below it, forming more pools, then plunging down the valley.

Back to the Ferry Pier

mui wo signpostBack down below the silver mine, near the pavilion, there’s  this quirky signpost. To take a different way back to the ferry pier (and bus terminus), follow the signs towards Pak Ngan Heung and Man  Mo Temple.

pak ngan heung gate
man mo temple

Soon after the signpost, there’s a rather fine village gate; the path passes close by the Man Mo Temple, with it’s bright n cheery exterior (looking gloomier inside, as is the norm with local temples). Then, on through a small village, and you can follow paths that wind back towards the ferry pier.

4 Comments

  1. waterfalls
    Hey,
    I’ll visit HK next week and want to do a half-da-hike.I want to see some waterfalls but I’m not sure which ones are the best: silver mine or mirror/brides??
    Pls advise.
    Thank you!!!

  2. Mirror/Bride’s
    Tho for any

    Mirror/Bride’s

    Tho for any HK fall, will need some rain beforehand; now hot n dry.

    May yet get the rain.

    Take great care w heat!!

  3. Safety

    Hi we are planning of coming to silvermine falls. I heard an issue about someone got raped. Is this true?  How safe is it?

  4. Silvermine Falls safety

    Wow! – I hadn’t heard that; and in a FB group for south Lantau community where I may have seen post about this.

    Generally HK very safe in this way

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