Devastating and beautiful Bride’s Pool seen from above
Thrilling lore and lush flora, the trail to the Bride’s Pool is a must-visit
Bride’s Pool seen from above
Heartbreaking legend of Bride’s Pool
All brides have worries on their wedding day. Death shouldn’t be one of them. Nestled deep in the New Territories’ Plover Cove Country Park lies a stunning waterfall that rushes into a calm pool below. The tranquility of the pool’s atmosphere masks the heartbreaking legend that gave the area its name, “Bride’s Pool”.
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No matter the culture, weddings are rife with superstitions. In ancient Chinese wedding traditions, it was believed that the louder the bride cried, the better.
For the blushing young lady of “Bride’s Pool” fame, how was she to know that her wedding-day tears would forever flow with the river’s waters? Perhaps all the better that her vision was blurred.
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On the day of her nuptials, local legend tells of stormy weather that would have greatly reduced visibility. For the bride, raised high on a sedan chair, the rain would have pattered relentlessly against the ceiling and walls.
Bride’s Pool stream, Photo by Werner Schulz
Earlier that day, as per custom, the sedan’s four porters had collected the bride from her family’s home. Now they were taking her to her husband’s family home, where the wedding ceremony was to be held.
There was just a matter of cutting through the dense forest that separated the two houses, and crossing over a towering waterfall.
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Whether due to the poor conditions, lack of visibility, or horrible luck, one of the porters lost his footing – and the bride lost her life.
In an instant, the porters’ secure hold on the sedan chair was undone, and the bride fell to her death.
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Down, down, down her sedan fell, her cries lost among the stormy squalls as she washed down the fifteen-metre-tall waterfall before the sedan plunged into the pool below.
Death marked forever
A two-metre-deep plunge pool lies at the base of the waterfall, and it was in these crystal-clear waters that the bride spent her last moments among the living.
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Weighed down by her heavy ceremonial clothing, her death was forever marked in the memories of locals and visitors alike.
It is said that the bride’s ghost still haunts the pool.
Bride’s Pool water fall, Photo by Werner Schulz
Visitors claim to see her delicate foot in the pool water, possibly trying to regain the balance that the porter had failed to.
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Spirit tablets, small placards that typically have the names of deities or deceased ancestors, have been found abandoned under the shade of trees near Bride’s Pool.
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Some terrified hikers have even found cremated remains in the pool itself.
Bride’s Pool Stone Bridge
By 1906, after the bride met her tragic end, provisions had been made for the development of the Bride’s Pool Stone Bridge.
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Made up of three parts, two original stone sections remain standing while the third has since been replaced with concrete.
Donations for the building funds were made in Pounds Sterling and US dollars, demonstrating the international movement of Plover Cove villagers as well as their continued devotion to their old communities.
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It was no surprise how old residents still reserved a place in their hearts for Plover Cove. Away from the rush of city life, rolling mountains are seen in all directions.
Colossal, moss-covered boulders act as cushioned lean-tos. Surrounded by so much nature, a sense of calm easily overcomes even the most stressed spirit.
Bride’s Pool from above, Photo by Werner Schulz
But even in such a haven, one must remember to exercise caution.
Locals, wary of the death toll attached to it, have named the road directly above Bride’s Pool as the “deadly curve”.
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The sharp turn is a terrible blind spot that has led to many fatal car accidents over the years. The modern woes don’t stop there.
Almost as if the bride’s spirit acts out in her anguish and loneliness, there have been three recorded deaths associated with the waterfalls near Bride’s Pool.
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In July 2011, a 27-year-old man climbed up the waterfall, slipped and hit his head on a rock.
Five and a half years later, a 56-year-old retired male teacher died when he fell six metres from the waterfall, meeting his grisly fate in the pool below.
Bride’s Pool aerial view, Photo by Werner Schulz
In 2020, a 59-year-old hiker fell forty metres to his death in Sin San Stream – close to Bride’s Pool.
Eerily, all of the victims were men.
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Were they called on by the spirit of the lonely bride? Probably not. To be on the safe side, visitors should avoid visiting Bride’s Pool at night.
Evil spirits call the waters home
Locals claim that under the cover of night, evil spirits that call the waters home search for any souls to join them.
Text & Photos Victoria Mae Martyn
