Feeling bored staying in the city, tired of the same scenery, and wanting to escape the concrete jungle to experience the beauty of nature? Then Sai Kung is the perfect destination for you. Not only can you get away from the city, but you can also enter the forest, rivers, see unique animals, and experience the natural scenery that is hard to come by. Therefore, the following will introduce the beauty of the MacLehose Trail in Sai Kung.
As Hong Kong’s urban development progresses, everyone’s daily life is confined to the city, often seeing the same scenery. It is inevitable to want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, enter nature, slow down life, and experience the beauty of life.
As the second largest area in terms of land area in Hong Kong, Sai Kung is known for its beautiful island beaches, simple fishing villages, and unique geological landscapes. It has been praised as the “back garden of Hong Kong” for many years because most of Sai Kung remains in its original natural state. In this “back garden of Hong Kong,” there is a MacLehose Trail, which offers many beautiful natural landscapes for citizens to rest and enjoy, relieving the stress in their hearts.
Hexagonal column group
When it comes to Sai Kung, of course, it is impossible not to mention the hexagonal rock formations that have been selected as one of the top 100 geological heritage sites by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Located on the Wan Yi Geological Trail in the Sai Kung District of Hong Kong Global Geopark, walking along the geological trail, you can see many neatly arranged rock columns, with twisted hexagonal stone columns next to them. This is because about 140 million years ago, the rock columns were still in a semi-plastic state and were affected by factors such as earthquakes and regional subsidence, causing them to twist.
The special feature of Hong Kong’s hexagonal rock columns lies in the fact that, compared to rock columns around the world, the hexagonal rock columns of the Man Yee Geological Trail are made of silica-rich light-colored rhyolite with flow textures, rather than the common low-silica dark gray basalt.
At the same time, the average diameter of the hexagonal column group on the Wan Yi Geological Trail reaches 1.2 meters, compared to the famous “Giant’s Causeway” in Northern Ireland, where the diameter of the hexagonal rock columns is only about 0.5 meters, making it extremely precious.
Furthermore, although there are hexagonal rock formations in Jeju Island, Taiwan’s Penghu, and Japan’s San’in region, their coverage area is limited, while the coverage area of Sai Kung’s hexagonal rock columns reaches 100 square kilometers. Taking all these reasons into consideration, Hong Kong’s hexagonal rock formations are truly a unique natural heritage.
Lung Ha Wan Sea Cave
A normal sea cave is formed by the erosion of seawater over the years. In rocky coastal areas, the strong pressure from waves hitting the shore can create up to tens of thousands of kilograms of pressure per square meter. Coupled with the sand and gravel carried in the water, the erosion is quite remarkable. Over time, the sea currents erode the base of the coast just like the waves, causing rocks on the slope to collapse and form sea caves.
Located at the end of the Man Yee Geological Trail, the Lung Mun Wan can be called the easiest sea cave to visit in Hong Kong, without the need to take a boat or kayak like other sea caves, pay attention to the ebb and flow of the tide. Just walk along the geological trail to the end of the wooden bridge, and you will see a large sea cave surrounded by volcanic tuff, experiencing the breathtaking and wonderful scenery.
