As far as hiking goes, Hong Kong has trails to suit every level of difficulty and taste, from scrambling up the side of a mountain on all fours to easy walks on paved roads. The route from Shing Mun to Tai Po is one of the latter. This is a leisurely 9 km stroll mostly along a paved path that leads from Shing Mun Reservoir to the town of Tai Po.

Unfortunately there’s not too much to see on the way, other than a few glimpses of the reservoir at the beginning of the walk. The reservoir loop road winds through the typically thick forest of Shing Mun Country Park (populated by more than a few monkeys) before joining with Stage 7 of the Wilson Trail that continues north to Lead Mine Pass, roughly half way along our walk today.

At that point the pavement ends and the rest of the trail is a descent to Tai Po through Tai Mo Shan Country Park on a dirt path paved with large stone steps. This part of the trail used to be an old trade route to and from Tai Po village.

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Route Map