Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail turns 40: hiking it is the perfect way to celebrate it
One of the best trails in the world, according to National Geographic magazine, the MacLehose was named after a former Hong Kong governor who was an avid hiker
Lace up your hiking boots, stash your water bottle and leave the city behind this month to take on the 100km MacLehose Trail in celebration of its 40th anniversary. Stretching east to west, from Sai Kung to Tuen Mun, the trail, split into 10 stages, forms the route for events such as the annual Oxfam Trailwalker.
While few of us could dream of blazing the trail in the current record of 10 hours, 58 minutes – set by a team of Gurkhas in 2013 – the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has launched its rather uninspiringly titled “Complete Walk” to “encourage members of the public […] to enjoy the breathtaking scenery in the countryside”.
To participate in the hiking challenge, which is open until November 30, members of the public can scan QR codes placed in each section. Those who tick off all 10 will be awarded a commemorative umbrella. The AFCD is also running a series of family-friendly talks, workshops, guided hikes and overnight camping trips themed around the MacLehose.
Opened on October 26, 1979, the trail – named after then-governor Murray MacLehose, himself an avid hiker – connects Sai Kung with Kowloon and the New Territories. After the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, in 2003, the great outdoors exploded in popularity with more families turning to hiking as a weekend pastime. Fast forward to 2016 and the MacLehose Trail was named one of the best hikes in the world by National Geographic magazine.
Shum Si-ki, founder of Hong Kong Hiking Meetup, says the trail is incorporated in about a third of the group’s 1,700 annual hikes.
