New Territories

Hong Kong’s Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve is like a natural theatre, a place where you can enjoy impressive wildlife spectacles. Visit during the hot, steamy days of summer, and you will find it quiet: the main players, migratory birds, are mainly at breeding grounds far to the north. But Mai Po will soon be busy again, as shorebirds begin passing through, on journeys that may take them from the high Arctic to beaches around Australia.

The Clear Water Bay Peninsula (清水灣半島) lies to the east of Kowloon. It’s hilly, especially towards the south, where much of the land is protected by Clear Water Bay Country Park. The main hill is the striking, steep sided High Junk Peak (釣魚翁), which at 344 metres dominates a ridge that runs south to the tip of the peninsula.

I headed to the Hong Kong Wetland Park a few days ago, for my first visit since it fully opened. It's a place I've long been criticial of - even though had some involvement in creating educational videos, but I figured it may be interesting/fun to go with my wife, two-year old son, and a friend and his son.

Indeed proved interesting, but didn't raise my opinion of the park thing - which to me seemed surreal: as if a bunch of designers who aren't conservationists had been given vast budget and allowed to do as they pleased, with only small nod to actual wetlands and conservation.

Just look at the picture here, from a theatre in the visitor centre: is this like someplace in wetland area, or more like set from Star Trek?

Originally designated as a Special Area within the country parks system, the Tai Po Kau (大埔滘) Nature Reserve is a splendid example of reforestation - supporting a wide range of fauna and flora as well as being a good place to visit, with an excellent trail system. It's set in a valley on the east slopes of Grassy Hill, low on the Tai Mo Shan (大帽山) massif.

Like much of Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau was originally forested, but by early last century the hillsides were mostly cleared of trees. In 1926, the government established a plantation here. The main trees were Chinese red pines Pinus massoniana, giving rise to the local name for the area: Tsung Tsai Yuen - Pine Garden.

There was further deforestation during the Second World War, but since 1946 the forest has been protected, with many trees planted. Rather than employ the sparse mix of non-native species typical of Hong Kong plantations, there was a far-sighted decision to instead plant and nurture a mixture of tree species, including some that were uncommon or rare.

The Tai Po area was an especially appropriate location for such a reforestation scheme - as according to legend, the original name was derived from dense forests that once grew here. There were said to be wild and dangerous animals in the forest, and if locals were to enter, they were warned, Take long strides [tai po], otherwise the tigers and snakes will get you!

Today, with the tigers long gone, and snakes rarely encountered during daytime - especially in cooler weather you can enjoy the regenerating sub-tropical forest by walking one of the sign-posted trails. If you are new to such forest, one thing you will soon learn is that although there is plenty of information telling of the relative abundance of plants and animals here, it's hard to see the wildlife for the trees: finding wild creatures such as birds and mammals requires effort, and a degree of luck.

Hoi Ha Wan (海下灣) - the Bay Beneath the Sea - in the north of the Sai Kung Peninsula, is one of Hong Kong's best places for hard corals, with around 60 species. The bay below the high tideline has been designated a country park; and I've just visited, including joining an eco-tour by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.