The Shing Mun Country Park (established 24 June 1977) 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 ...
of
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 ...
, hugging the
Shing Mun Reservoir
Shing Mun Reservoir is a reservoir in Hong Kong. It is located in Shing Mun, the area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, in the New Territories.
History
Several hundreds years ago, the area around the reservoir was a dense forest with very few inh ...
.
Location
Located in the central
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 ...
, it covers a total of . It extends from
Lead Mine Pass Lead Mine Pass () is a mountain pass in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It is near Grassy Hill and two walking trails, MacLehose Trail (Stages 7 & 8) and Wilson Trail (Stage 7) intersect at the pass. The pass lies to the north of Shing Mun Reservoir ...
in the north, to the
Shing Mun
Shing Mun () is an area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It used to be, as suggested by its Chinese characters, a gate between the two areas separated by a range of hills.
History
Before the construction of Shing ...
catchwater road in the south, and from
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 ...
in the west to
Grassy Hill
Grassy Hill () is the fourteenth highest mountain in Hong Kong. Peaked at 647 m (2,123 ft), it is situated between Tsuen Wan and Tai Po and near Lead Mine Pass. Stage 7 of MacLehose Trail runs near its peak.
The summit of the hill is loc ...
and
Needle Hill
Needle Hill or Cham Shan () is a mountain in New Territories, Hong Kong. It has an altitude of 532 m. This is a part of a popular hiking route including Grassy Hill and Tai Mo Shan. The mountain got its name due to the resemblance of a needle by it ...
in the east.
History
As early as 1971, a "pilot scheme" was initiated and prototype picnic facilities were provided, using funds from Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation. These were well received by visitors. In 1977, the area was formally designated as a country park.
Vegetation
At the head of the
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
near the former Tai Wai Village, a "
fung shui" grove contains a rich variety of more than 70 species of trees. It has been designated as a "special area" that merits special protection. To the west of the reservoir, both sides of the stream known as
Tai Shing Shek Kan are covered with a rich variety of shrubs, grasses and trees, including several species of
Camellia
''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controversy ...
, ''
Camellia granthamiana'', which bears beautiful white flowers more than 12 cm in diameter, is a rare species found only a few decades ago. It is named after a former
Hong Kong Governor
The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. ...
, Sir
Alexander Grantham
Sir Alexander William George Herder Grantham, GCMG (; 15 March 1899 – 4 October 1978) was a British colonial administrator who governed Hong Kong and Fiji.
Early life, colonial administration career
Grantham was born on 15 March 1899 and ...
.
During the
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese occupation of Hong Kong in
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 ...
, most of the trees in the park were cut down. Extensive
reforestation
Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting.
Management
A debate ...
was carried out after the war. The main species was ''
Pinus massoniana
''Pinus massoniana'' (English: Masson's pine, Chinese red pine, horsetail pine; Chinese: 馬尾松) is a species of pine, native to Taiwan, a wide area of central and southern China, and northern Vietnam.
Description
It is an evergreen tree ...
'', whilst ''
Pinus elliottii
''Pinus elliottii'', commonly known as slash pine,Family, P. P. (1990). Pinus elliottii Engelm. slash pine. ''Silvics of North America: Conifers'', (654), 338. is a conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after ...
'', ''
Lophostemon confertus
''Lophostemon confertus'' (syn. ''Tristania conferta''), is an evergreen tree native to Australia, though it is cultivated in the United States and elsewhere. Common names include brush box, Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, box scrub, and ...
'', ''
Melaleuca quinquenervia
''Melaleuca quinquenervia'', commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, with its trunk co ...
'' and ''
Acacia confusa
''Acacia confusa'' is a perennial tree native to South-East Asia. Some common names for it are acacia petit feuille, Ayangile, small Philippine acacia, Formosa acacia (Taiwan acacia), Philippine Wattle, and Formosan koa. It grows to a height of 1 ...
'' were introduced later. The area has now become one of the major forest plantations in Hong Kong.
Wildlife
As the park is situated close to the densely populated urban area of
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and flee ...
, wildlife is seldom seen. Apart from a few common birds, other animals such as
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s,
barking deer
Barking may refer to:
Places
* Barking, London, a town in East London, England
** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking
** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...
,
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
s and
pangolin
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smut ...
s may occasionally be discovered. Some
monkeys
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 ...
, believed to have migrated from nearby
Kam Shan Country Park
Golden Hill Country Park or Kam Shan Country Park (), also known in Hong Kong as Monkey Hill (), established on 24 June 1977, is a country park located in the ranges north of Kowloon, Hong Kong. It covers an area of . Most of the area is covered by ...
, can sometimes be found along the forest tracks.
Geology
The land in this area is composed of
granitic
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 ...
and
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. The latter form the highest ground, while the granitic rocks, which weather relatively easily, form the lower areas in the southern parts of the park. To the east of the park is a rich deposit of
wolfram which was first mined in 1936. Mining was interrupted during World War II. With the high post-war prices, mining was resumed in 1951 and continued until 1968 when the prices again fell drastically. The highest average monthly output in the latter period was 30 tonnes, and was entirely for export. There are several abandoned
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
mine
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
* Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
...
workings around Lead Mine Pass, some of which date back several centuries.
Places to go
Shing Mun Country Park Visitor Centre
The Shing Mun Country Park Visitor Centre, is situated near the maxicab terminus.
It provides displays on the origin and history of Shing Mun, the reservoir and the mining industry in the early 20th centuries. Animals and mineral specimens are also on display. Video programmes on Country Parks and Countryside Conservation matters are shown in the visitor centre at regular intervals.
Shing Mun Arboretum
The Shing Mun Arboretum, occupies 14 square kilometres, is situated in the Country Park. It extends to Shing Mun Reservoir Road in the south. The western border lies in Tai Mo Shan, while Grassy Hill and Needle Hill mark the eastern margin. There are 7000 plants, belonging to over 270 species (which are native to Hong Kong or Southern China) in the Arboretum.
Botanic Garden Conservation International: Shing Mun Arboretum
/ref> The plants include a collection of bamboos, protected plant species, plants named after Botanists, plants first discovered in Hong Kong and Camellias found in Hong Kong Countryside, etc.
Other facilities
At the park entrance a large information board and a direction post have been erected, providing visitors with information and guidance. Barbecue facilities are provided throughout the areas to the south and south-east of the reservoir, near the dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
s. Toilets, a refreshment kiosk, rain-shelters, warden posts, jogging trails, a nature trail, viewcompasses and many other facilities are also provided. Sections 7 and 8 of 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 po ...
run through the Park from Smugglers' Ridge in the south-east of the park to Route Twisk
Route Twisk is a steep and tortuous dual-lane road in Hong Kong, linking Tsuen Wan and Pat Heung via Shek Kong. It joins Kam Tin Road and Lam Kam Road north in Kam Tin, and ends in the Tsuen Kam Interchange south in Tsuen Wan.
It was named fo ...
in the west. A campsite is provided near Lead Mine Pass for trail hikers.
Transportation
Visitors are advised to use public transport, as there is no parking space in the park. The Transport Department also prohibits coaches and private buses from using the Shing Mun Road leading to the park because of the narrowness of the road. Minibus
A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, th ...
82 runs between Shiu Wo Street(HairTrend), Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and flee ...
and Shing Mun Reservoir.
See also
* Geography of Hong Kong
* Environment of Hong Kong
The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes. Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to alternating wind direction between winter and summer.
Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years. Flora an ...
* Hong Kong Country Parks & Special Areas
Out of the total 1,092 km2 of Hong Kong land, three-quarters is countryside, with various landscapes including beaches, woodlands, and mountain ranges being found within the small territory. Most of Hong Kong's parks have abundant natural dive ...
* List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
The following is a list of areashttp://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/download/imts18.pdf of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Island
* Central and Western District
** Central District
***Admiralty
** Mid-Levels
***Soho
**Sai Wan
*** Kenn ...
Notes
*Note1:
References
External links
*Initial text based on information provided by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), under the provision that the re-dissemination or reproduction is for non-commercial use
AFCD Shing Mun
{{Conservation designations in Hong Kong
Country parks and special areas of Hong Kong
Shing Mun
1977 establishments in Hong Kong