WHERE TO GO - Hong Kong - page 72

Remote areas of the New Territories and sections of Lantau Island are happy
sighting grounds for birdwatchers. Hundreds of species have been recorded,
from everyday egrets and funny-faced cockatoos to mynahs and pelicans. The
Sai Kung Peninsula Nature Preserve has many hiking trails for the nature lover.
As civilisation encroaches, wild animals and their habitats are threatened, but
there are a few thousand monkeys living in the hills around the Kowloon reservoir
and you still come across barking deer, wild pigs, porcupines, civets and scaly
anteaters. In the wilderness you may also stumble upon a banded krait, a cobra,
or some other fearsome snake. Though sightings are common, bitings are rare.
Ping Shan Heritage Trail
Two stops along the LRT, Tin Shui Wah stop is the start of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail ª
[map] , a 1km (0.6-mile) walk through villages where sites include the 600-year-old Tsui
Sing Lau Pagoda, a walled village, shrines, temples, study halls and the ancestral hall of the
Tang clan, one of the Five Great Clans that migrated here from North China. The well-
signed trail includes a five-minute hike up a small hill where a 1899 police station has been
cleverly converted into the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery (daily 10am-5pm), with displays
of village life and old photographs. The trail ends conveniently close to the Ping Shan Light
Rail station.
Kam Tin and Lo Wai
Kat Hing Wai q [map] , one of the most easily accessible of the New Territories' walled
villages, is located in the village of Kam Tin at Kan Sheun Road MTR station. The huge
new station is set in an open plain surrounded by imposing mountains, and hosts an outdoor
market selling household items, gifts, toys and plants each weekend. A 10-minute walk over
a bridge and past an indoor market (with stalls selling decorative items, water features,
paintings, wine and plants), takes you through narrow alleys to the walled village, which is
surrounded by the remains of a stagnant moat and a sprawling modern village.