Wu Kau Tang Country Trail Information

Make a start at Wu Kau Tang Village. Past the village houses, the hill path climbs steadily up dense woodlands. Along the way, sweet songs of birds echo through the forests. The trail runs parallel with a hill stream, so even on hot summer days it feels mellow and cool. At the summit there is a hill fire lookout. Facilities of this kind are watchdog stations to protect our Country Parks from devastating hillfire. There are currently 10 hillfire lookouts in Hong Kong, distributed in vantage points in Kowloon and the New Territories. During the dry season between September and April, all hillfire lookouts are manned by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department staff around the clock. When a fire is detected, the hillfire control centre will be alerted at first instance, so that fire fighting missions can be promptly organized, for example, sending in fire fighters or requesting helicopter assistance.

Looking north from the hillfire lookout, your gaze takes in Sha Tau Kok and surrounding areas like the Yim Tso Ha Egretry and A Chau Egretry, mangrove beds along the Luk Keng coast, fishponds and paddy fields. This part of the New Territories is frequented by field and wetland birds, such as kingfishers, bitterns, egrets and herons. Also within sight is the Sha Tau Kok countryside both within and outside the Hong Kong border. Looking down, the foothills are verdant with thick tree canopies, reflecting decades of hard work by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department afforestation staff.