Introduction:
Stage Six, the shortest section along the Trail, runs through some steep hills between the Kowloon reservoirs and Shing Mun Reservoir. Here, in Kam Shan Country Park (337 hectares), the landscape is much altered by man.

The route begins by the old Tai Po Road, then winds amongst the Kowloon reservoirs and through nearby hills. Beyond Golden Hill the Trail heads north-west, following the valley that lies below Smugglers' Ridge. Farther on, across the ridge, Stage Six descends along a steep path past wartime defences -- to end at the south end of Shing Mun Reservoir.

This stage, lower than most, begins near the Kowloon reservoirs -- which were built during the 1920s. Along here are communities of rhesus macaques, Hong Kong's indigenous monkey. Rhesus macaques had almost disappeared from Hong Kong by early this century, because of hunting and forest habitat loss -- and those seen today are descended from macaques brought here by man. Feeding the macaques is not permitted, and may be dangerous.

The final few kilometres along Smuggler's Ridg pass major wartime ruins -- Gin Drinkers Line and the Shing Mun Redoubt. Built during the 1930s, Gin Drinkers Line was a string of trenches, pill-boxes and bunkers stretching across the New Territories. Also built then, the massive Shing Mun Redoubt (or underground fortress) was the strongpoint of Gin Drinkers Line. Today the redoubt's ghostly tunnel entrances protrude from the gravelly hills, looking over Shing Mun valley towards Lead Mine Pass and Tai Mo Shan.

Transport Access:
To get to the starting point of Tai Po Road, from MTR Prince Edward or Shum Shui Po Stations take Bus 81.

A public toilet is at Tai Po Road just beneath the footbridge.