Vignettes of the World
I visited the Mount Davis Battery twice. On the first visit, I went on a sunny day and saw the Mount Davis Battery at mid-hill. I stopped short at seeing the command center on the hilltop. The steep incline was daunting. On my second visit, …
We aimed to do a short 1.5 hour walk from Pineapple Dam, but we asked for the wrong directions and ended up on the Shing Mun Reservoir Walk for three hours instead. But there were many pleasant surprises on the way. As usual, we began …
Legend has it that a bride was carried through the pool in a wedding sedan chair on a rainy day. One of the carriers slipped and fell. The whole sedan chair fell into the pool. As a result the bride drowned. To remember this ill-fated bride, the villagers named this pool Bride’s Pool. As the legend is relevant to us today, the pool is believed to be haunted still.
Photo: View of the Bride’s Pool at the Viewing Point
Notwithstanding the sadness of its story, the Bride’s Pool area was blessed with positive energies on this sunny day, especially where rapid streams filled the three main bodies of water, constantly overflowing. This water level was enabled by continuous rain for three days prior.
The Bride’s Pool Nature Trail begins on Bride’s Pool Road. After a long flights of stairs down, one would come across a stream.
Water was the defining feature of the Bride’s Pool Nature Trail. The sound of water filled the air as I walked along. It was an animated sound, as the rapids splashed every tree and every rock along its way.
Keep on going and one would be at a crossroad. On the left is the bridge, and having crossed the bridge, there is a sign showing the way to Mirror Pool.
Photos: coming across the crossroad, with the stone sign on the left pointing to Mirror Pool, therefore take the left. The steps on on the next picture is the path to the Mirror Pool, about a 5, 10 minute walk.
Be careful as the trees trap plenty of moisture and the path is covered with moss. After about ten minutes, I saw the Mirror Pool, running, running with water. The view was unexpected, and a little overwhelming as nature roared and roused all my senses. The view was exceptional too, as this would certainly be one of the biggest waterfalls in Hong Kong.
The area in front of the pool was small and there were people sunbathing there. I breathed deeply as I could almost taste the negative ions in the air. Because it was such an amazing scenery, I took my time there.
Heading back on the same way, I continued toward the Bride’s Pool Nature Trail. This sign indicates the way to Bride’s Pool, and the trail on the immediate left leads one to the Chung Kik Pool.
Photos: this is where the sign pointing to the Bride’s Pool and if going upwards turn to your immediate left to descend down to Chung Kik Pool. The picture on the right shows the direction going downward.
Although the pool is of a much smaller scale than the waterfall at Mirror Pool, the close distance with which you can observe the water makes it another exceptional experience. That is also the way to hike to the Bride’s Pool.
It takes treading the stream for one to be able to reach the Bride’s Pool. The government has not opened a land route that can reach it. Although I was very fortunate that day to have met experienced hikers who said they could lead the way, I stopped at Chung Kik Pool because there was a point that required a leap over the stream to the rock across. I was simply too scared to go on. Too bad, I thought, but better be safe than sorry.
Going back to the signage, the Bride’s Pool Nature Trail will take one to views of the upstream. I did manage to observe small potholes in the rocks there.
Going back to the entrance of the Bride’s Pool Nature Trail, at the pagoda there is a viewing point for Bride’s Pool, clearly visible though very, very far away. I did feel that I made the right decision not to go forward to the pool. It was risky.
To simply hike through the Bride’s Pool Nature Trail, the distance is short and a little more than an hour would suffice. There were some steps here and there but the trail was easy. I did spend considerable time admiring the water views so I ended up spending 2.5 hours in the area.
I went by private car and there is a small parking lot right outside the entrance to the trail on Bride’s Pool Road.
By public transport: During the weekend, Bus 275R runs through this part of Bride’s Pool Road from Tai Po Market. On a weekday, take Bus 75K or Green top minibus 20C at Tai Po Market, and get off at the Tai Mei Tuk Terminus. The walk between the bus terminus and Bride’s Pool is a bit long. I estimate the distance of about 4km (possibly an hour of walking).
Heritage, history, hiking, and happy dining – we did an all-in-one trip at Mei Ho House in Shek Kip Mei on a sunny afternoon. Trail at the Back The original intention of the day was to do a simple walk up the stairs behind Mei …
You may have noticed a big white cross on top of the mountain as you drive through Tai Wai into Shatin. The cross is part of the Tao Fong Shan Christian Center on Tao Fong Shan. History In its name, Tao Fong Shan may sound …
On this sunny and hot day I headed out to the Kam Shan Country Park area. The plan was to visit Wilson Trail Section 6 off of the Kam Shan Family Walk. The trail exits at Tai Po Road. This area is known to hikers as the “Tail of Kowloon Reservoir.” It is where the waters of Kowloon Reservoir ends at its northern and eastern borders. Thus, the “tail” of the reservoir.
I parked on Tai Po Road and entered the Kam Shan Country Park via the Golden Hill Road. Having passed the Kowloon Reservoir, I went on a gradual incline to reach the entrance into the Kam Shan Family Walk.
About five minutes into the Kam Shan Family Walk, you will see a crossroad. Take the trail on the right. The one on the left is the Kam Shan Family Walk with many steps up. On the right is Wilson Trail Section 6.
All along this part of the trail there was the presence of water. I could hear it and smell it. Despite the hot weather, the generous shades throughout the trail tampered the heat significantly. It felt like the lush foliage trapped the dews. As such, it was a little humid and perhaps even a little moldy at the beginning parts of the trail. However, in the latter section the trail opens up and it became very pleasant with a nice balance of sunshine and shade.
However, as the trail ends one would come upon a not-so-pleasing sight. The very, very northern end of the Kowloon Reservoir littered with lots of trash. The path out to Tai Po Road was crowded with many cars at the Shatin Heights car park. I suggest taking the path immediate to the right along the waters for further views of the tail of Kowloon Reservoir.
Photos: A Panorama of the Views of Kowloon Reservoir at its Eastern Border
Including the walk from the Tai Po Road car park to the Kam Shan Family Walk entrance, this trail takes about one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes. However, upon exit, from the Shatin Heights car park to where I parked, it was another 25 to 30 minutes of walk.
Photo: On Exit at the Shatin Heights Car Park, but choose the path along the reservoir for better views.
I went by private car and parked at the Tai Po Road metered parking lot. Buses 72 and 81 run on Tai Po Road.
I do try, to the extent I can, to learn some Vietnamese. And I can only learn it by associating it with English, Cantonese and Mandarin. As the Vietnamese pronounce it, “Hue” is the English pronunciation of “hwei” the tone is a combination of the …
The Hok Tau Country Trail is delightful. There are two distinct sections of the trail, the latter part of which takes hikers through the villages and farms of Hok Tau. It is an easy trail of about 1.5 hours with some climbing, at a level …
The North District Park is a horticultural innovation waiting to be discovered. Located between Sheung Shui and Fanling, the park has its northern end at the So Kwun Po village and stretches southward to the Fanling Wai Village. Carefully manicured gardens, beautiful pavilions, covered walkways and a lake in the park create an ecosystem of its own, properly blending human footprints within a designed natural environ.
Although the park is not large, it gives visitors ample recreational space. I saw many people there doing walks and tai-chi, resting in the pavilions and some even brought their bird cages. Workers were also busy with mowing, pruning and maintenance all over the park. Clearly, this is a much-treasured space.
According to the introduction by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the park opened in 1990. It is intended to be as much a cultural space as it is a man-made haven for wildlife. In the park there is an amphitheater for holding cultural events. Fragrant plants line the twin pavilion. It is a thoughtful, pleasing detail.
The conservation area aims to provide a sanctuary for wild birds, butterflies and dragonflies. The plants are carefully chosen to include native flowers and fruit trees so that the area is itself an ecological haven. Chemical use is also reduced to the very minimum in this area. It is clear that the purpose is well-accomplished. I did see large birds resting over the park’s waters, and also many butterflies along my way.
On the southern end, there is a community garden, where people nurse edible plants. I find this feature to be unusual for Hong Kong. Clearly, this is a government space, and the active involvement of the people in sharing this space, other than for recreation, is quite uncommon. The community initiative is commendable.
A leisurely walk in the park takes about one hour, but after the first visit I already plan on spending lazy afternoons there with a book.
At the park’s southern gate lies the Fanling Wai village. There are three cannons that witness the village’s history since its pre-colonial days. In 1669, during the early reign of Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the villagers built gun towers and cannons as defenses against bandits in the area. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong beginning in 1941, the villagers feared that these defensive structures would cause danger to the village. They therefore removed these three cannons and buried them under the gun tower. When during the 1980s the villagers rebuilt the gun towers, they found these cannons. The cannons now stand as the spiritual defense of the village’s fortunes.
I must see Mr. T. He has the stories of the DMZ as a veteran. So I chose Hue as my fourth trip to Vietnam. On this first morning in Danang I had coffee, worked a bit more, and had lunch at the Happy Bread …