The hike
At the end of Mui Tsz Lam Road, you will find a long flight of stairs pointing to Mau Ping, which is under two kilometres away. Thankfully, this leg of the trail provides plenty of shade and offers a gentle incline throughout, with the last section posing a slightly more challenging climb. You will know that you are on the right path as soon as you pass by ramshackle buildings, architectural relics from when village settlers populated the area. Surrounding the old houses are the lush, natural sceneries of foliage.
To get to the famed “Vine King,” you’ll need to hike up to Mau Ping Au, which is part of Section 5 of the Maclehose Trail. Rising up from out of the ground, the gigantic St. Thomas’ bean leans on a portion of the abandoned village school. If that is not enough to give it an eerie, haunting impression, the vine tree towers over the clearing in a twisting pattern, expanding into all directions like cables or webs. From here, you can choose to end your walk by going down Buffalo Hills or continue onwards to see the bamboo tunnels.