This Dragon's Back hike was named "The Best Urban Hiking Trail in Asia". Despite being less than 10K from Hong Kong's financial district the hike seems to transfer you to the great outdoors. Depending upon your approach it's not a very strenuous or long hike. There's a series of trails in the Shek O Country Park that connect to Dragon's Back. Dragon's Back runs along the ridge of a mountain and reaches the peak of Shek O mountain. Along the way it provides excellent views of the Eastern side of Hong Kong.
Most people take the No. 9 bus from Shau Kei Wan to To Tei Wan Village and hike in a south to north direction before heading east and descending to Big Wave Beach where the extended route ends. From Big Wave Beach you can take a mini-bus back to Shau Kei Wan although it does not run as frequently as the No. 9, which runs every 10-15 minutes.
I took a different approach to the start of the hike, beginning from the Chai Wan MTR station. This hike "starts" at the Cape Collision Catholic cemetery with a flight of about 300 steps. Fortunately the intricate design and Feng Shui organization of the cemetery keeps you from looking up at the daunting task of climbing all those stairs. At the top of the stairs there's a great view of the cemetery's structure and Chai Wan high rises. |
The Catholic Cemetery incorporates the Chinese Feng Shui concept. Graves are built into the side of a mountain and face the ocean which generates good Feng Shui and ensures a happy afterlife. Individual graces have a mini-monument on top and often feature a photo of the deceased similar to cremation vaults in Daoist Temples.
The view from the top of the cemetery may be the best in all the hike. The cemetery sits in a semicircle ridge and the building of the graves creates an auditorium-like effect. Chai Wan residential buildings rise in the background.
Unfortunately, once you reach the top of the cemetery there's still more climbing to do - another flight of 200 stairs leads to an access road, parking lot, and a small park. The trails to the left lead to Big Wave Beach. The road to the right leads to an access point for Dragon's Back trail - about twenty minutes away.
From the North to South direction the first half of the trail is shaded. Finishing the stair climb completes the major ascent - the rest of the hike is on relatively even ground (if I had taken the bus, the ascent would have been much easier). Once you reach the turnoff for the Dragon's Back portion of the trail you'll be in an open area with unobstructed views and have an understanding why this hike is so highly rated. The views are mostly to the east looking down at Big Wave Beach, Shek O, and a few outer islands. To the west is Stanley Peninsula and on a clear day you can see Lamma Island.
From the North to South direction the first half of the trail is shaded. Finishing the stair climb completes the major ascent - the rest of the hike is on relatively even ground (if I had taken the bus, the ascent would have been much easier). Once you reach the turnoff for the Dragon's Back portion of the trail you'll be in an open area with unobstructed views and have an understanding why this hike is so highly rated. The views are mostly to the east looking down at Big Wave Beach, Shek O, and a few outer islands. To the west is Stanley Peninsula and on a clear day you can see Lamma Island.
It is windy up on the ridge and quite a few people take advantage of these conditions by paragliding and flying remote control airplanes. Shek O Peak is 284 Meters, I'd estimate that 250 of those meters were covered in the initial stair climb.
The three views to the East: Big Wave Beach, Shek O Country Club, and Shek O Village.
From the Shek O Peak viewing area it's about a 30 minute walk down to the No 9 bus stop where I continued south to Shek O (highly recommended during the summer). Alternatively I could have crossed the street for a ride back to Shau Kei Wan.
In total the hike from the Cemetery to the Bus Station took three hours. If you are looking for a meal before the hike there's two good CFCs in Chai Wan: Yue Wan Market and Kut Shing Market. Both have a variety of stalls to choose from.
For more info on the hike see Hike Hong Kong.
In total the hike from the Cemetery to the Bus Station took three hours. If you are looking for a meal before the hike there's two good CFCs in Chai Wan: Yue Wan Market and Kut Shing Market. Both have a variety of stalls to choose from.
For more info on the hike see Hike Hong Kong.