Pat Sin Leng Country Park
Overview
Trail on Pat Sin Leng
Designated in 1978, Pat Sin Leng Country Park covers 3,125 hectares of natural terrain in the Northeastern New Territories. Pat Sin Leng The Eight Fairies is a range of eight stately peaks, each commanding an imposing presence like the fairy in Chinese mythology. Other famous spurs within the park are Wong Leng, Ping Fung Shan, Cloudy Hill (Kau Lung Hang Shan) and Kwai Tau Leng.
These majestic uplands are set amidst emerald lakes. The picturesque Hok Tau Reservoir and Lau Shui Heung Reservoir are well known leisure destinations with a host of country park facilities. In addition to serene catchment plantations, there are lakeside barbecue areas, picnic areas and campsites. It is not a bad idea to use the campsite as a base, and explore the surrounding wild country at your leisure.
Experienced hikers can test their skills on Stage 9 and Stage 10 of the Wilson Trail, two challenging sections that traverse Pat Sin Leng Country Park. These routes travel along the ridges of Wong Leng, Lai Pek Shan and Pat Sin Leng. On fine days, the view at the top is simply arresting. For miles across, peaks roll and billow, their intense greens set against the glinting water of Plover Cove Reservoir. When the sky is clear, you can see the urban maze of Shenzhen in the distance. The conglomerate atop Pat Sin Leng is known as cap-rock, a well known rock formation in geology.
In the southern part of the park you find Sha Lo Tung the dragonfly haven, and the Ting Kok wetlands which have been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest. In the north sits Yim Tso Ha the egret paradise and its fung shui wood. Also within the borders of Pat Sin Leng Country Park are the Chung Pui and Chung Mei barbecue and picnic areas, which are just off Bride's Pool Road.
Major Attractions
If we were to rate Hong Kong's mountains by level of difficulty, Pat Sin Leng must rank first with its frequent ascents and descents. The eight monumental peaks are named after the Eight Fairies in Chinese mythology. From the east, they are Ho Hsien Ku (Hsien Ku Fung), Han Sheung Tsz (Sheung Tsz Fung), Nam Choi Wo (Choi Wo Fung), Tsao Kuok Kau (Tsao Kau Fung), Teh Kuai Li (Kuai Li Fung), Cheung Kao Lao (Kao Lao Fung), Han Chung Li (Chung Li Fung) and Lu Tung Bin (Shun Yeung Fung). The 591 m Shun Yeung Fung is the main peak of the range. Its summit gives an incomparable panorama of Northeastern landscape and seascape.
At the other end of the range, Hsien Ku Fung rises 511 metres above the lowlands. This peak is inferior to Shun Yeung Fung in height but by no means in fame, for it offers an excellent angle of vista. It is also the site of a tragic hillfire in 1996 during which a school party met dire fate in Monkey Cliff on the south face. This accident has worn a deep rut in our hearts. Spring Breeze Pavilion, a rain shelter in memory of the dead, is set on the southern slope of Hsien Ku Fung, just by the entrance of Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail. On weekends and public holidays, the trail receives many visitors.