Last month, I announced to kick start a project, A Year in Hong Kong, to rekindle my photography passion. The best way to start is to resume my hiking habit. Last year, we went to Hung Heung Lo Fung. This time, we planned to revisit Hung Heung Lo Fung and extend our journey to the nearby mountains.
Hung Heung Lo Fung is located west of Braemar Hill, North Point. According to the legend, a Hakka family who settled in Kowloon in the 18th century built a Tin Hau temple in Causeway Bay. As the number of worshippers increased, they bought a red incense burner. The temple was then called the Hung Heung Lo Temple. The mountain at the back of the temple was named Hung Heung Lo Fung.
Among all the trails I’ve ever known, Hung Heung Lo Fung is the shortest trail for watching the scenery of Victoria Harbour. Photographers love shooting sunsets and fireworks there. We started at St. Joan of Arc Secondary School, walked for 600m and arrived at Hung Heung Lo Fung. However, the shortest trail doesn’t mean it is safe. The last path towards Hung Heung Lo Fung isn’t the official path, which is unpaved. You must climb on the large stones and may get injured if you fall down from them accidentally.
The scenery at Hung Heung Lo Fung
Last year, there were so many visitors that I couldn’t exclude them from my composition. In contrast, this time, we were surprised that there was no other hiker around Hung Heung Lo Fung. We enjoyed staying there and taking photos without being interfered with by others.
Our journey didn’t end on Hung Heung Lo Fung. The next milestone was Siu Ma Shan and then Mount Butler. To go there, we walked through Sir Cecil’s Ride. There are lots of crossroads every few hundred metres. The advantage is that if you feel tired, you can always find a way to retreat from the woodland. But the bad point is you may get lost if you don’t prepare well.
We haven’t been to Mount Butler since 2019. An observation deck was built with fences on the peak. It seems like these fences protect hikers from falling down. But in reality, they block the view, especially when taking photos. Hikers might lean much forward at them, putting themselves into a much risky stance.
The scenery at Mount Butler
As there were too many people at the peak, and we started feeling hungry, it was time to leave Mount Butler and go back to the city for lunch.