Introduction:
Stage Five, which snakes along the sharp peaks above Kowloon, is the Trail's closest approach to urban Hong Kong. Here, crossing Lion Rock Country Park (557 hectares), Kowloon lies below the plunging slopes. The route begins at Tate's Cairn, near the top of Fei Ngo Shan Road. Heading west, sometimes along paths, sometimes along narrow roads, the Trail passes summits and spurs. Beyond Temple Hill the route climbs to the summit of Lion Rock, 495 metres, and then over Beacon Hill, 458 metres. Descending past Eagle's Nest, Stage Five ends along the old Tai Po Road.

The line of Kowloon peaks, stretching east to west for ten kilometres, is one of Hong Kong's main topographical features. Today, with tunnels criss-crossing the territory, we can easily forget that for centuries the Kowloon peaks formed a physical barrier between Kowloon and the New Territories. The barrier was broken in 1910, when the Kowloon-Canton Railway opened -- running through its tunnel under Beacon Hill.

Along Stage Five are some dramatic rocky outcrops -- the best known being Amah Rock. Legend has it that the rock was once a woman who, her child on her back, stood waiting for her long-gone husband. He never returned. Finally, she turned to stone. Equally true is the geological story of Amah Rock: it is a telling example of granite weathering. Long-ago other granite surrounded Amah Rock; and, as this gradually weathered and eroded away, a much harder granite 'corestone' -- today's Amah Rock -- remained in place.

Transport Access:
A food kiosk and a public toilet can be found at Sha Tin Pass. No public transport is available to access Sha Tin Pass or Tate’s Cairn. The easiest way is to take a taxi from Fat Chong Temple at Sha tin Pass Estate of Tze Wan Shan or Tse Wan Shan MTR Station.