hike to lion rock

Today was a perfect day for a hike -- blue, cloud-free skies (and to think that Freddy predicted rain!), sunny, yet surprisingly cool, and very very clear by HK standards. I felt like doing something a little more challenging than the short hikes I go on around my house, and since the weather was so exceptionally good, I decided that it was a perfect opportunity to go to Lion Rock. Another reason I chose Lion Rock, is that I know the trail to be a well-frequented one, even on week-days, so I felt safe about hiking it alone (even after all of those scary government commercials about the dangers of hiking solo...). For some reason, there are usually hoards of elderly people on this trail -- always a great ego boost to encounter cane-carrying old men and women casually making their way down the mountain that you're huffing and puffing to get up!


A view of Kowloon and HK island from the saddle of the mountain.
On the way up to the top. I think that Lion Rock looks especially lionish from this angle.

A sign warning of the dangers of falling. For some reason, I've always found these signs mildly amusing, but I realize that the danger is real. I think it was just a few weeks ago that a middle-aged woman fell to her death. Yikes!

View from the top. I took the next eight shots in succession, and one day might try to photoshop them together into one big panoramic shot. But for now, they're still separate.
We start with a view of Ma On Shan ("Horse Saddle Mountain") off to the left.

One of those is Kowloon Peak, and that's Eastern Kowloon below.

Kowloon and the Eastern part of HK island. You can see the old Kai Tak airport in the middle.

The Kowloon Peninsula and HK island.

Western Kowloon and the outlying islands. I think you can just barely make out Lantau. And that's Beacon Hill on the right.

More of Western Kowloon, and maybe even Tsuen Mun? And Tai Wai below.

Tai Wai and Shatin. The big mountain in the background is Tai Mo Shan, HK's tallest peak.

Shatin and Ma On Shan (far right, back where we started from). You can just barely make out the "Eight Fairies" towering above Tai Po in the distance.


On my way up and down, I was surprised by the lack of monkeys. But judging from all the warning signs, they still must be making appearances on weekends and public holidays, when people have picnics and barbecues here.
I've never understood why they use the word "stockade" for this place to dump your trash. Maybe it's all part of the "war against the monkeys" mindset.
More informational posters about monkeys. Sorry about the glare.


This poster is my favorite by far. Especially the pictures captioned "do not stare at monkeys" and "avoid eating while monkeys are watching."