The Lion Rock hike in Hong Kong is probably going one of many hottest trails throughout the space with an epic viewpoint over Kowloon all the easiest way to Hong Kong Central. The lion-head shaped rock on the summit is the correct spot to look at the sunset over the city from the forest.
LION ROCK HIKING GUIDE
On this weblog submit, I’ll share each little factor it is good to know regarding the Lion Rock Hike along with the place it is, discover ways to get there, and when it’s best to go to.
LION ROCK HIKE IN HONG KONG DETAILS
- Hike Distance: The Lion Rock Hong Kong Hike was 6.9km for the loop path, nevertheless there are strategies to make it shorter. We began and accomplished on Chuk Yuen Freeway and achieved a full loop nevertheless you can shorten the trail by starting at Chuk Yuen Freeway and doing an out and once more to Lion Rock. I’ll share further about that throughout the directions beneath so you can peak the correct mountaineering route for you.
- Hike Interval: The entire interval for the hike was 2-3 hours counting on how prolonged you spend on the summit. It is pretty steep so it’ll sluggish you down considerably bit in parts nevertheless you can undoubtedly make it to the summit in merely over an hour when you’re rushing up.
- Hike Drawback: The hike was a mid-range challenge for the everyday vacationer I’d say. The incline was very steep in some sections, normally with a staircase at a ridiculous angle. It was a quad and calf-burner at cases. The trail was filth and a bit slippery nevertheless pretty safe for primarily essentially the most half. Anyone with an affordable diploma of well being will doubtless be large nevertheless anyone a bit out of form will definitely be hurling some curse phrases to their buddies who happy them to come back again.
- Hike Incline: The Lion Rock Hike had 540m of incline when mountaineering the loop route.
HOW TO GET TO LION ROCK IN HONG KONG
- Step 1: It is pretty simple to reach the beginning line of the Lion Rock Hike in Hong Kong. From wherever you are based, catch the MTR (put together/subway) on the inexperienced line to Wong Tai Sin MTR Station. You can begin the stroll from the MTR station nevertheless it is solely a 20-minute stroll alongside the streets of the neighborhood and pretty steep so when you want a train, go for it nevertheless for lots of, they will favor to grab a taxi merely open air the MTR Station for the transient journey up the hill.
- Step 2: While you do catch a taxi, inform the driving force to drop you at Fat Jong Temple, which is the furthest degree the taxi can attain alongside the freeway ascending to the hike entrance. I took a taxi from the MTR and no matter the driving force getting misplaced it worth us $34 HKD, which is decrease than $5 lower up between two of us, so hardly an expensive time and energy-saving tactic.
- Step 3: Now that you’ve arrived at Fat Jong Temple, you will proceed strolling up the steep, paved Shatin Transfer freeway to Freeway for 20-minutes. Even from this freeway, it’s best to have good views down over Kowloon nevertheless it’s nothing compared with what you’ll discover from the summit. You are almost on the doorway gate to the Lion Rock Hike.
- Step 4: Enter via the Lion Rock archway entrance gate after which merely adjust to the indications from that point on to Lion Rock on the well-defined and intently trafficked path.
You NEED the Octopus Card
TRAVEL TIP: In Hong Kong you NEED the Octopus Card to utilize public transport and ferries, which is how everyone will get spherical. Pre-E-book your Octopus Card with a Pre-Loaded steadiness of 50HKD so you can resolve it up on the airport (quite simple) after which catch public transport straight to your resort.
- Conveniently expertise the MTR, bus, ferry, coach, and tram with solely a faucet of your Hong Kong Vacationer Octopus Card
- Conveniently resolve up your card with a preloaded credit score rating of HKD50-100 on the Hong Kong Worldwide Airport
MY EXPERIENCE HIKING THE TRAIL TO LION ROCK PEAK IN HONG KONG
The Lion Rock hike can begin on the Wong Tai Sin MTR Station for some nevertheless for us, it began after being dropped by the taxi at Fat Jong Temple. We saved ourselves a quick stroll up the hill nevertheless we nonetheless had a method to go, trudging up Shatin Freeway to succeed at first of the trek. Alongside Shatin Freeway, we caught a few glimpses out to our left of the city as we peered via the forest.
I was glad to lastly attain the doorway arch and veer off of the freeway and onto the trail. It solely seems like a hike after you’ve filth beneath your toes and you have got left the paved roads behind. The Lion Peak Rock path begins with an immediate ascent of steps, which models the tone for the fairly just a few staircases all via the route.
From the very first second of the trek, you are immersed throughout the forest. The gaps throughout the foliage present views once more within the route of the city, which allows you the angle of how far up you are climbing. I believed this path was in all probability essentially the most well-defined in Hong Kong however moreover very pure and in parts, the forest appeared to engulf as on all sides.
After about 45-minutes, we reached a sign that pointed up within the route of the Lion Rock summit. It indicated there was 500m left sooner than we’d attain the best.
Nonetheless, what the sign forgot to say was that it was almost 500m of stairs! This was the hardest part of the hike with a particularly steep set of stairs to navigate sooner than you are rewarded with the views on the summit. While you make it via these stairs, you deserve the epic environment on the excessive!
The summit blew me away from the very first second I emerged from the steps. We had views all the easiest way out over Kowloon and even within the route of Hong Kong Central. The summit is unquestionably an prolonged ridge and counting on which route you’re taking, you will seemingly come up on the choice end of the ridge to the Lion’s Head. When you’re on the ridge, the highest of the Lion is unquestionably not very recognizable and is easier to see from the drone and even from completely different peaks or hikes throughout the house.
We reached the best in the midst of the golden hour and snapped a few photographs nevertheless decided to proceed our means alongside the ridge to go to the other viewpoints as correctly.
The second viewpoint had an infinite stone ledge. It was the correct sunset viewing platform. There’s a big, deadly drop-off when you occur to had been to have a fall so don’t take this ridge or stone viewpoints flippantly. Be careful, remember and hold the place you are cosy and should profit from the experience. I grabbed {a photograph} of this couple having enjoyable with the view, what a second!
The next viewpoint was one amongst my favorites because of as a result of the photo voltaic goes down it leaks light off of the sting of the rock on excessive of the summit. With a few timber on excessive, I believed it will likely be the correct spot for a silhouette {photograph} with the backdrop of the city buildings. The {photograph} after this one is the view from on excessive of the summit pictured.
We had been now on the second remaining viewpoint and with just one further viewpoint to go and the sunshine quickly fading, I decided to throw up the drone on the easiest way to the final word viewpoint to catch the ultimate light. The aerial view from the drone allowed me to realize a model new perspective of the ridge and to find a superb angle of the Lion’s Head. These are my favorite captures from the air.
As a result of the fiery pink ball lowered itself out of the picture, most of the crowds left. Nonetheless, in Hong Kong, there’s on a regular basis the thought to attend and see how the scene will look as quickly because the city lights up. It was a warmth evening time and we weren’t in a rush so we caught spherical to see the city lights slowly change on.
I counsel on a regular basis carrying considerably tripod up on hikes for this very state of affairs so you can catch an prolonged publicity nightscape shot. I’m not too good at them nevertheless captured one on my wide-angle nonetheless. I counsel bringing a tighter lens presumably 100mm+ to primarily zoom in on among the many particulars as a result of the scene was a bit flat on my 35mm from Lion Rock on this evening time. There have been some evening time footage gurus up on the summit who had been getting some evening time tighter-in photographs so it seems to be an vital vantage degree for evening time pictures.
After the evening time pictures, we made our means once more down the trail taking a definite route once more down from the easiest way up. We headed straight down from Lion’s Head to complete the loop and make our means once more to civilization and catch a put together dwelling to cap off an epic Hong Kong journey. I hope you get an vital sunset and luxuriate in trying over the city on among the many best hikes in Hong Kong.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LION ROCK
- Iconic Landmark: Lion Rock is one amongst Hong Kong’s most iconic pure landmarks, acknowledged for its distinctive type resembling a crouching lion. It holds cultural significance and symbolizes the resilience and spirit of the people of Hong Kong.
- Path Drawback: The hike to Lion Rock is taken under consideration fairly troublesome, with steep ascents and rocky sections. Hikers must have a reasonable diploma of well being and be prepared for an affordable bodily exertion. Appropriate mountaineering gear and footwear are advisable.
- Spectacular Views: Reaching the summit of Lion Rock rewards hikers with breathtaking panoramic views of Hong Kong’s skyline, along with the city’s towering skyscrapers, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding pure landscapes. It’s a super spot for footage and appreciating the city’s magnificence from above.
- Historic Significance: Lion Rock holds historic significance as a brand of unity and dedication all through troublesome cases in Hong Kong’s historic previous. It turned a powerful emblem of the city’s spirit in the midst of the Seventies when a most popular TV assortment featured the monitor “Boundless Oceans, Big Skies” and showcased the long-lasting rock.
- Entry and Transportation: Lion Rock shall be accessed from completely completely different starting components, similar to Wong Tai Sin or Sha Tin. Public transportation decisions, along with buses and taxis, can take you shut to these starting components. It’s advisable to confirm the bus schedules and plan your transportation upfront.
By conserving these key components in ideas, you can embark on a memorable hike to Lion Rock, respect its cultural significance, profit from the attractive views, and experience the resilience and spirit that it represents throughout the coronary coronary heart of Hong Kong.
BEST TIME TO HIKE LION ROCK PEAK IN HONG KONG
The best time of day to hike the trail as a lot as Lion Rock Peak is about an hour or two sooner than sunset in my view. There are a few causes for this. Firstly, you will steer clear of the most well-liked interval of the day by leaving it till later throughout the afternoon. The trail is form of steep in parts and isn’t absolutely throughout the shade so going later throughout the day will help. The second trigger why I like to recommend late afternoon as the simplest time to hike Lion Rock Peak is which you can be up on the summit for the sunset.
The photo voltaic will set out over the ocean and we might actually see the fiery, orange ball slowly reducing itself down (via the smog) to the horizon.
It’s a reasonably simple and safe path to get once more down at nighttime after the sunset nevertheless make certain that to convey a headtorch or not lower than your cellphone light when you occur to do carry on the summit for sunset. I’ve not executed this hike for daybreak nevertheless it could very properly be good moreover at golden hour on each end of the day.
I did the hike in December and had pretty conditions as you can see from the pictures with a pleasing sunny day.
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