Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. It is located in
Sha Tin District
Sha Tin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. As one of the 9 districts located in the New Territories, it covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Siu Lek Yuen, and Ma Liu Shui. The district is the most populo ...
, between
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong () is an area of Hong Kong located in Kowloon. The majority of the area is in the Kowloon City District. Its exaclocationis south of the Lion Rock, north of Boundary Street, east of the East Rail line and west of Grampian Road. It i ...
of
Kowloon
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
and
Tai Wai
Tai Wai () is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.
With three rapid transit stations, one of which an interchange station serving two lines, five bus termini and ...
of the
New Territories
The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...
, and is high. The peak consists of
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
covered sparsely by shrubs. The
Kowloon granite, which includes Lion Rock, is estimated to be around 140 million years old.
Lion Rock is noted for its shape. Its resemblance to a crouching
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
is most striking from the
Choi Hung
Choi Hung Estate () is a public housing estate in Ngau Chi Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was built by the former Hong Kong Housing Authority () and is now managed by the current Hong Kong Housing Authority (). It received a Silver Medal at the 1965 ...
and
San Po Kong
San Po Kong () is an area in New Kowloon in Hong Kong. It is largely industrial and partly residential. Administratively, it belongs to Wong Tai Sin District.
Location
San Po Kong is located south of Wong Tai Sin and Diamond Hill, north of th ...
areas in East Kowloon. A trail winds its way up the forested hillside to the top, culminating atop the "lion's head". The trail can be followed across the profile of the lion, eventually linking up with the
MacLehose Trail
The MacLehose Trail is a 100-kilometre hiking trail that crosses much of the New Territories, Hong Kong, starting from Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung District in the east to Tuen Mun Town, Tuen Mun District in the west. The path is marked by distance p ...
. The rock provides a view of the city and
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
in the distance. The entire mountain is located within
Lion Rock Country Park
Lion Rock Country Park (established 24 June 1977) is a country park, located in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It consists of approximately of land, including Lion Rock and Mong Fu Shek (Amah Rock) and their surrounding scenic hillsides, of whi ...
, south of
Hung Mui Kuk
Tai Wai () is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.
With three rapid transit stations, one of which an interchange station serving two lines, five bus termini and ...
, Tai Wai and is made passable by vehicles by
Lion Rock Tunnel
The Lion Rock Tunnel, the first major road tunnel in Hong Kong, is a twin-bored toll tunnel, connecting Hin Tin, Sha Tin in the New Territories and New Kowloon near Kowloon Tong. It has two southbound lanes, and there are two northbound la ...
, which connects Kowloon Tong and Tai Wai.
Lion Rock is near another famous rock structure, the
Amah Rock
Amah Rock (, ''Mong Fu Shek'', "husband-watching stone") is a naturally shaped rock located on a hilltop in southwest Sha Tin District, Hong Kong.
Description
The rock is approximately 15 meters in height, and is shaped much like a woman car ...
. A road in
Kowloon City
Kowloon City is an neighbourhood, area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Kowloon City District.
Compared with the council area of Kowloon City District, the Kowloon City area is
History
As early as in the Qin dynasty (221 BCE ...
is named Lion Rock Road ().
Cultural references
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and Communists' victory in the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, many people who fled to Hong Kong from Mainland China lived in squatters in Kowloon, where the Lion Rock is clearly visible. The lives of the era, during which Hong Kong was rebuilt from poverty, was depicted by the
RTHK
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econom ...
in the 1974 TV series ''
Below the Lion Rock
''Below the Lion Rock'' () is a TV show about the lives of Hong Kong citizens. It was broadcast five times, each forming its own series, from 1972 to 1979, 1984 to 1988, 1990, 1992 to 1995, 2006, 2014 to 2020. Each series was a collection of unrel ...
''. The TV series featured some of the early work of now-famous film directors such as
Ann Hui
Ann Hui On-wah, (; born 23 May 1947) is a film director, producer, screenwriter and actress from Hong Kong who is one of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers of the Hong Kong New Wave. She is known for her films about social issues in Hon ...
. Its theme song "
Below the Lion Rock
''Below the Lion Rock'' () is a TV show about the lives of Hong Kong citizens. It was broadcast five times, each forming its own series, from 1972 to 1979, 1984 to 1988, 1990, 1992 to 1995, 2006, 2014 to 2020. Each series was a collection of unrel ...
", sung by
Cantopop
Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") or HK-pop (short for "Hong Kong pop music") is a genre of pop music written in standard Chinese and sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production ...
star
Roman Tam
Roman Tam Pak-sin (; 12 February 1945– 18 October 2002), known professionally by his stage name Law Man (), was a Hong Kong singer. He is regarded as the "Grand Godfather of Cantopop".
Career
Born in Baise, Guangxi, China, with family root ...
, is considered to represent the spirit of the Hong Kong people. The name of the series and its eponymous theme song has since been connected to the "
Lion Rock Spirit
Lion Rock Spirit (), is said to be the core values (香港核心價值) that is inherited by Hong Kong people from generation to generation.
This term originated from the theme song of a 1970s TV series, ''Below the Lion Rock'', which portray ...
" (), used to refer to Hong Kong as a whole.
The second version of the government-sponsored
Brand Hong Kong
Brand Hong Kong (or BrandHK) was launched in 2001 as a government programme designed to promote Hong Kong as "Asia’s World City". The purpose of this concept is to create a reputation of Hong Kong as a top international city. This idea was fo ...
contains a silhouette of the Lion Rock. According to the brand, the Lion Rock represents "the Hong Kong people's 'can-do' spirit".
[Visual Identity](_blank)
Brand Hong Kong
A banner that reads in Chinese “我要真普選” (I want real
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...
) was hung up near the head of the 'Lion' on 23 October 2014 to show support for
2014 Hong Kong protests
A series of sit-in street protests, often called the Umbrella Revolution and sometimes used interchangeably with Umbrella Movement, or Occupy Movement, occurred in Hong Kong from 26 September to 15 December 2014.
The protests began after ...
.
The banner was removed by the government on the next day.
*
The Lion Rock Institute is a public policy think tank advocating free market solutions for Hong Kong's policy challenges.
*
Gavin Young
Gavin David Young (24 April 1928 – 18 January 2001) was a journalist and travel writer.
He was born in Bude, Cornwall, England. His father, Gavin Young, was a lieutenant colonel in the Welsh Guards. Daphne, his mother, was the daughter of Sir ...
wrote the history of
Cathay Pacific Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have s ...
in a book entitled ''
Beyond Lion Rock'' (1988).
*The reggae band
Culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
has a song entitled 'Lion Rock'.
*Famed British mountaineer
Sir Chris Bonington calls Lion Rock his personal favourite climb in Hong Kong.
History
When the ban on human settlement of coastal areas of the
Great Clearance
The Great Clearance (), also translated as the Great Evacuation or Great Frontier Shift, was caused by edicts issued in 1661, 1664, and 1679, which required the evacuation of the coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangnan, and Shandon ...
was lifted in 1668, the coastal defense was reinforced. Twenty-one fortified
mound
A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher el ...
s, each manned with an army unit, were created along the border of
Xin'an County
Xin'an County () is a county in the west of Henan Province, bordering Shanxi Province to the north across the Yellow River. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Luoyang, and contains its northernmost point.
History
In an ...
, and at least five of them were located in present-day Hong Kong. 1) The
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more re ...
Mound, believed to have been built on
Castle Peak or
Kau Keng Shan
Kau Keng Shan ( Cantonese: 九逕山) is a hill in Tuen Mun, the New Territories, Hong Kong and stands opposite from Castle Peak. Kau Keng Shan has a height of . During the Ming dynasty era (1368–1644), the area around the hill was used as a def ...
, was manned by 50 soldiers. 2) The
Kowloon
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
Mound on Lion Rock and 3) the
Tai Po Tau Mound northwest of
Tai Po Old Market had each 30 soldiers. 4) The
Ma Tseuk Leng
Ma Tseuk Leng (), sometimes transliterated as Ma Tseuk Ling, is an area in Sha Tau Kok, North District, Hong Kong.
The area contains the villages of Ma Tseuk Leng Sheung () and Ma Tseuk Leng Ha (). Ma Tseuk Leng San Uk Ha (), part of Ma Tseuk ...
Mound stood between present-day
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok is a closed city, closed town in Hong Kong. The last remaining major settlement in the Frontier Closed Area, it is Hong Kong's northernmost town.
Geography
The small rural village of Sha Tau Kok is located on the northern sh ...
and
Fan Ling
Fanling ( zh, t=粉嶺; also spelled Fan Ling or Fan Leng) is a town in the New Territories East
New Territories East is the eastern part of New Territories, covering North, Tai Po, Sha Tin, and Sai Kung District.
History
All districts ...
and was manned by 50 men. 5) The fifth one at
Fat Tong Mun
Fat Tong Mun () is a channel in Sai Kung District of Hong Kong located between the southern tip of Clear Water Bay Peninsula and the northern tip of Tung Lung Chau.
See also
* List of channels in Hong Kong
* Tin Hau Temple, Joss House Bay
...
, probably on today's
Tin Ha Shan Peninsula, was an observation post manned by 10 soldiers. In 1682, these forces were re-organized and manned by detachments from the
Green Standard Army
The Green Standard Army (; Manchu: ''niowanggiyan turun i kūwaran'') was the name of a category of military units under the control of Qing dynasty in China. It was made up mostly of ethnic Han soldiers and operated concurrently with the Manchu- ...
with reduced strength.
Geology
![HK_geological_map_revised_version_3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/HK_geological_map_revised_version_3.png)
The many
mountains in the Kowloon area, which include Lion Rock, are formed by
Granitic rocks
A granitoid is a generic term for a diverse category of coarse-grained igneous rocks that consist predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and alkali feldspar. Granitoids range from plagioclase-rich tonalites to alkali-rich syenites and from quart ...
. This is in contrast to some of the highest mountains in Hong Kong that are formed by much younger
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic r ...
s, such as
Tai Mo Shan
Tai Mo Shan is the highest mountain, peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories.
The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located ...
(957 m, the highest mountain).
Geography
To the north of Lion Rock are the new towns of
Tai Wai
Tai Wai () is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District.
With three rapid transit stations, one of which an interchange station serving two lines, five bus termini and ...
and
Sha Tin
Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District. Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project.
The ne ...
. To the west is
Beacon Hill (), which has a civil aviation tower on its summit. To the south is the
Wong Tai Sin
Wong Tai Sin or Huang Daxian () is a Chinese Taoist Deity popular in Jinhua, Zhejiang, and Hong Kong with the power of healing. The name, meaning the "Great Immortal Wong (Huang)", is the divine form of Huang Chuping or Wong Cho Ping (; c. 32 ...
area, while to the west, there is another mountain called
Temple Hill ().
Hiking
According to the
Hong Kong Government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
, the Lion Rock summit is one of 16 "high risk locations" for hikers in Hong Kong owing to its level of difficulty.
A few parts of the trail are rocky and have no barrier fencing, so hikers are exposed to falls off steep cliffs. Numerous signs are placed by the Government throughout the trail to warn hikers of this danger. It is not advisable to take selfies close to the edge of the cliffs on foggy or wet days, or take shortcuts to the summit, as hikers have died needlessly trying to do so.
A number of deaths have occurred on this trail.
Casual tourists who are not properly prepared should not attempt this hike.
Hiking Fatalities
* On December 20, 1982, a 14-year-old British boy fell off a 30-meter cliff from the lion's head and died.
* On April 1, 2007, a 48-year-old woman lost her way while climbing Lion Rock with her companions, fell off a 100m-cliff and died.
* On September 10, 2008, a 26-year-old man fell off a 40-meter cliff and died while hiking on Lion Rock.
* In November 2011, a 73-year-old hiker fell off a cliff at the top of Lion Rock and died.
* On March 12, 2016, when a 22-year-old man climbed to the top of Lion Rock alone to take pictures, he stumbled and fell 400 meters off a cliff and died.
* On October 5, 2019, a woman was found dead 20 meters under the western cliff of Lion Rock.
* On January 28, 2020, a man fell off a cliff from Lion Rock and was found on a slope 200 meters under the Lion’s head.
* On November 21, 2020, a 56-year-old woman accidentally fell 30 meters off a cliff while climbing on a treacherous mountainside trail south of Lion’s Tail. She was pronounced dead after a 4-hour rescue operation.
Environment
* The Lion Rock trail, unlike tourist-friendly
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in H ...
, is a
country park
A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
United Kingdom
History
In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
trail and has no street lights, roads or cable cars. It is completely dark by the evening. Some parts of the trail can be rocky, so when hikers go up or down the trail in total darkness, one should have a strong flashlight and backup batteries.
* Hikers who go up or down in total darkness to catch the night views should try to go on this trail first during daytime, or go with someone who has gone up before.
* Starting from
Wong Tai Sin
Wong Tai Sin or Huang Daxian () is a Chinese Taoist Deity popular in Jinhua, Zhejiang, and Hong Kong with the power of healing. The name, meaning the "Great Immortal Wong (Huang)", is the divine form of Huang Chuping or Wong Cho Ping (; c. 32 ...
, close to the entrance of the Lion Rock trail preferred by the locals, hikers face a nearly 400-m elevation gain (from 100m to 495m) consisting mostly of stairs and rocks to the top. On a hot and humid summer day, bring as much water as possible.
Wildlife
There are
monkey
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
s that may attempt to take away food from hikers as they recognize that plastic bags may contain food. The monkeys are called
Longtailed Macaques and are descendants of pets released into the wild in the 1920s.
The government introduced these macaques to protect the trees that surround reservoirs near Lion Rock from a vine called
Mikania micrantha
''Mikania micrantha'' is a tropical plant in the family Asteraceae; known as bitter vine, climbing hemp vine, or American rope. It is also sometimes called mile-a-minute vine (a moniker also used for the unrelated '' Persicaria perfoliata'').
I ...
, as the macaques loved to feed on this vine.
Venomous snake
Venomous snakes are Species (biology), species of the Suborder (biology), suborder Snake, Serpentes that are capable of producing Snake venom, venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The v ...
s are active in the evening, especially in the late summer or early autumn just before hibernation. The venomous but rarely-lethal
Bamboo Pit Viper
''Craspedocephalus gramineus'', known as the bamboo pit viper, Indian green pit viper, or common green pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species found in the southern and north eastern parts of India. No subspecies are currently recognized.
D ...
, among other venomous snakes, is seen in the area mostly at night, so try to avoid stepping into bushes or thick grass where they might be lurking. The Bamboo Pit Viper accounts for over 90% of all snake bites in Hong Kong.
Gallery
File:Kowloon City, Mainland, opposite Hong Kong.jpg, General view of Kowloon circa 1868, with Lion Rock in the background overlooking the Qing-era Kowloon Walled City
Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated ''de jure'' Imperial Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Ter ...
.
File:Kwun Tong Road 1945.jpg, Kwun Tong Road
Kwun Tong Road () is a major thoroughfare in Kwun Tong District, New Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Location
Kwun Tong Road starts at the junction with Prince Edward Road East, Clear Water Bay Road and Lung Cheung Road in Ngau Chi Wan. It runs along the c ...
and Lion Rock in 1945 (upper right corner)
File:Lionrock.jpg, Photo of Lion Rock taken in 2006 from the Kowloon side.
File:Lion Rock Pano 201602.jpg, Panorama from the top of Lion Rock.
File:Lion Rock View1 201602.jpg, Looking towards the west.
File:Lion Rocks Umbrella Revolution Banner 20141024.jpg, Banner hung up on the Lion Rock in support of the 2014 Hong Kong protests
A series of sit-in street protests, often called the Umbrella Revolution and sometimes used interchangeably with Umbrella Movement, or Occupy Movement, occurred in Hong Kong from 26 September to 15 December 2014.
The protests began after ...
.
File:Kowloon Peninsula from Lion Rock Summit.jpg, Kowloon Peninsula from Lion Rock Summit on a clear day (2019)
See also
*
List of mountains, peaks and hills in Hong Kong
The following is a list of mountains, peaks and hills in Hong Kong.
In the romanisation system used by the Hong Kong Government known as Standard Romanisation, 'shan' and 'leng' are the transliterations of the Cantonese words for 'mount' ( ...
*
Eight Mountains of Kowloon
The Eight Mountains of Kowloon () are eight prominent mountains in Hong Kong that serve as a natural border between the Kowloon area and the New Territories. The eight mountains are: Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate's Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn R ...
*
Lion Rock Country Park
Lion Rock Country Park (established 24 June 1977) is a country park, located in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It consists of approximately of land, including Lion Rock and Mong Fu Shek (Amah Rock) and their surrounding scenic hillsides, of whi ...
References
External links
HK Government Lion Rock Country Park
{{Hills and Mountains in Hong Kong
Mountains, peaks and hills of Hong Kong
Landmarks in Hong Kong
Sha Tin District