If you’ve hiked Pinewood Battery Heritage Trail: Shui Long Wo
Sure, the Pinewood Battery Heritage Trail boasts the highest coastal defence battery in Hong Kong as its crowning jewel and doubles as an awesome history lesson, but wouldn’t you rather pretend to be Indiana Jones for a few hours and “unearth” an Aztec-looking structure instead?
Shui Long Wo in Ma On Shan Country Park is an easy hike that even beginners should be able to complete without any problems. Overlapping Stage 4 of the MacLehose Trail, this route starts on Sai Sha Road and can be quickly completed by circling down to Sai Kung’s Shan Liu Sheung Road. If you’re just here for the tower, you can consider this as a short and sweet visit, as you’ll come across the mysterious structure shortly into the start of your journey. Sitting in a lush clearing surrounded by tall trees near the Shui Long Wo Campsite, this overgrown stone edifice is actually an ancient stargazing platform that rises six metres high and is said to be modelled after the Dengfeng Observatory, a World Heritage Site in Gaocheng Town in Henan province.
However, should you be down for a challenge, you can continue to scale MacLehose Trail Stage 4 once past the campsite to reach Pyramid Hill, the Ngong Ping Viewing Point, and Ma On Shan Barbecue Site, all while feasting on views of Sai Kung and Ma On Shan. Naturally, this will take several more hours. Pack enough water and refreshments, as there are no kiosks along the way.
Length: Two kilometres
Time: 1 hour
How to get there: Take bus 99 from Wu Kai Sha Station and alight at Shui Long Wo stop.