Beautiful Mui Fa Ancient Trail is a fantastic adventure
Search for a hiking path found Mui Fa Ancient Trail
Lantana camara in bloom on the Mui Fa Ancient Trail
Mui Fa Ancient Trail a great start to a long weekend
A wrong turn can sometimes result in great adventures; the search for a hiking path found us stumbling upon a completely different, though nonetheless enchanting Mui Fa Ancient Trail.
Unparalleled vibrancy in Mui Tsz Lam Village
While we had originally intended to make our way along Mau Ping Ancient Trail (which would lead us to Sai Kung), our unexpected turn onto Mui Fa Ancient Trail was a calming morning hike and a great start to a long weekend.
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Mui Fa Ancient Trail is one of several man-made paths in the area. Cutting through Ma On Shan Country Park, the pathway is a cool, narrow path that spans roughly 2.5 kilometres of stone steps working in harmony with the surrounding environment.
One of many signposts we passed, this one stating “Ma On Shan Country Park”
It sits between the villages of Mui Tsz Lam and Fa Sam Hang, with Nui Po Au sitting in the middle. With little to no flat sections in the trail, hiking Mui Fa is a reasonable substitute for leg day at the gym.
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Towering foliage provides shade at every turn, which, though we began our hike in the early hours of morning, was nonetheless appreciated. Our relief towards the natural UV protection stemmed from the shock it took to reach the starting point.
Purple sweet potato vine
To our surprise, half of our walking time was spent making our way to the beginning of the trail. At approximately seven in the morning, we alighted at the Tai Shui Hang MTR station and made our way to Mui Tsz Lam Road, which would eventually connect to our desired hiking path.
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Broad and open to sun exposure, we fatigued easily and took frequent rests for stretching and hydrating. We were not alone in our journey into nature and passed by many groups of seniors enjoying an early morning stroll with their neighbourhood friends.
The dense foliage turned the trail in a cool tunnel
We even chanced on two families, each with young children, which absolutely floored me. Idly, I wondered if the children had been promised sweets at the end of the hike or if we were witness to truly fit examples of family.
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The deceptively steep road became visibly tougher when we reached Mui Tsz Lam Village. Comprising several gardening plots, a slim, rocky path was our only way up.
Rolling verdant mountains ran parallel to houses, both modern and traditional
As the sun crept higher into the sky, we admired the beauty surrounding us. There were broad-leaf palm trees, netted crops and trellises straining under the weight of their gardeners’ efforts.
Houses both modern and traditional sit side by side
Rolling verdant mountains ran parallel to low-lying houses, both modern and traditional in style, that were no taller than three stories high. If I wasn’t so in love with dining out, such a peaceful setting would make for an excellent home.
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Well, except for the dogs. It seems to be an unspoken rule that every village, especially if crops are grown there, must have at least one dog that will bark incessantly once a stranger steps foot into its territory.
White gordonias
But as the adage goes, their bark is worse than their bite, and as we continued our way, the yapping eventually ceased (surely the mutts believed that their yowls had done the trick – and who was I to tell them otherwise?).
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Turning right, a neatly curated stone path clearly demarcated the start of the trail. The short stone walls to the left reminded me of classic trails in the British and Irish countryside, a style that is retained in more than half of the pathway.
The path narrowed considerably, forcing us to trek upwards in single file
While the precision that the walkway began with was not maintained throughout, there were usually a series of broad, smooth-topped rocks to help pedestrians track the correct route to follow. Near the start of the walk, a shallow stream cut through the steppingstones.
Foliage surrounding the waters spoke of the rich nutrients in the soil
Patches of moss grew on rocks touched by the gently flowing water. The abundance of low-lying foliage surrounding the waters spoke of the rich nutrients in the soil. Gigantic monstera leaves dotted the area.
Bright pink bougainvillea
Ferns were aplenty, rooting in between rocks and framing other greenery. As we left the tiny creek, an official post with the Chinese characters for “Ma On Shan Country Park” assured us that we were not lost.
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And if we were ever in doubt, we were quickly reassured by the slow but steady stream of fellow hikers that cheerily greeted us.
Concrete steps and thick tree roots lead the descent
Whether walking in the same direction as us or heading the way we had arrived, these groups, consisting mostly of spry elderly folk, would put many youths to shame with their energy and enthusiasm so early in the day.
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In the stretches of time where we were the only people on the trail, we easily passed the time soaking up our surroundings.
A steady stream trickled near the entrance of the trail
A colossal boulder, at least six feet in height, was split from top to the ground. More alarmingly, a tree branch appeared to grow into and through the halved rock.
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I shuddered to think about the natural forces that would have conspired to make such things possible. An eight-spotted forrester moth hungrily nipped at a young leaf.
Male variety of the forest queen butterfly
A common evening brown butterfly showed far more energy than me as it flitted between branches and through bamboo shoots, ever evasive and uncaptured by my camera. After spending a few moments floating around me, a nimble, white-edged blue baron rested atop a cluster of dried leaves.
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His beautiful wings, black with blue trimming at the ends, were a sight to see. Remarkably, he rested there in serene stillness, allowing me to capture his image before he continued his way.
Black swallowtail butterfly
From here the path narrowed considerably, forcing us to trek upwards in single file.
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This section of the trail showed signs of dilapidation. Tree roots broke through some of the stone steps. The earth under patches of the manmade path had long since eroded — these sections we passed with the utmost care.
Red margin bamboo
We received a respite from this uncertainty as the route transformed into a clear dirt path, flanked by trees and bamboo shoots on either side to provide shade and slow the storm in times of flood.
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See-sawing between stone and dirt, this uncertainty was diminished when we reached a sign announcing Fa Sam Hang Village’s proximity (at this point, we had half a kilometre to go before reaching the farming area).
Purple flower from the Manacá plant
From there, concrete steps paved the way downwards, and we took our time descending them to avoid rushing through and toppling over from our own momentum. By this time, it was nearing ten in the morning, the trail becoming livelier with other hikers.
Hong Kong is a treasure trove of hiking trails
The demographics showed a notable shift: where we began with seniors, we were now joined by middle-aged trekkers and young families toting their children (and carrying a considerable amount of baggage on their excursions).
Lush greenery surround the path along Mui Fa Ancient Trail
A cheery dog, its hind legs dragging behind, jaunted up to us with an open-mouthed smile. His owner, a reserved older man, turned his attention away from the covered gardening plots that made up Fa Sam Hang to make the introductions.
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“Charlie” the dog, he explained, was getting on in years, but still as spirited as ever. After making our acquaintance with Charlie, we bid goodbye to the pair and continued the long walk down.
The buds of the Chinese medicinal plant, Maytenus hookeri
Lively greens gave way to bursts of colour, flowers growing in larger bunches here than in the country park. White gordonias were in full bloom, their lemon-yellow pollen at the ready for hungry creatures.
Hiking through nature on the Mui a Ancient Trail
Lantana camara shone in the light, their shades of oranges, reds and yellows reflecting against the midmorning sun.
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Bougainvillea and bauhinias, common and admired sights in Hong Kong, happily greeted all passers-by. A blue and black forest queen butterfly couldn’t decide which flower to suckle from.
Six cherry-red legged insect
To top off our unexpectedly wonderful hike, my friend and I spent far too long being equal parts terrified of and intrigued by a bug that, approximating the width of a thumbnail, had a black body and six cherry-red legs.
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As we “returned to civilization” (a phrase my friend said with a chuckle), we marvelled at the people braving the start to their own hikes. It was not even midday yet, but we could feel the pressure of the sun’s full force on this bright and cloudless day.
Farm land and urban districts blend together
While Hong Kong is a treasure trove of hiking trails, summer is not a time to hike when the sun has fully awakened.
Text & photos Victoria Mae Martyn
