There are tons of tunnels all around Hong Kong. I was trying to set a short hiking route visiting as many interesting ones as possible in one go.
- Beauty/fun: 5.5/10. One of the most interesting WW2 Japanese tunnels visited so far + a few more around. We spent more time hiking, a bit off path, but mostly on main paths than in the tunnels.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 5/10. Outdoors the tunnels difficulty would be a 1/10, without almost any scrambling nor wet sections in dry season. But you are doing it underground! I’m not trying to sound like Mr. Obvious, but without proper gear and care you might get into serious trouble here. Navigation in these tunnels is very simple, with only number 5 having any kind of complexity. Go always right or else to remember your way.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen and the Garmin track.
First of all, for all of you interested in tunnel exploration, head to gwulo.com. They have mapped tons of them. Here for example the map of the Japanese tunnels, or the huge general map. In this post, I will be linking for your reference to the specific page of each tunnel there. I would encourage you to continue helping to add more if you find any new, to build an even better database.
This time, we started in Sai Wan Ho MTR station. Head SW direction up quite some stairs
until we arrived at the main hiking path above the area, connecting Chai Wan with Mount Parker road. Continue heading West and in no time we arrived at the lookout.
There is another one just a bit higher. Nothing special. Continue on the path and after you get to these rocks section.
Find a path going slightly downhill where she is.
30 meters, slight turn to the left, and Tunnel 1 entry.
Quite wide and high.
But short.
So out again after testing the torches.
The path after going up the hill is not especially clear. With several tiny ones crossing on the plateau. If you are heading too much North (as we did), retrace and find the path heading West. Soon you should start the descend
and find one of the entrances to Tunnel 2. It has three total.
There are three separated chambers/rooms.
Two of them kinda small.
But after this high tunnel segment
there is another one that is significantly bigger.
Deep enough and in a dead-end, so that we could clearly feel the temperature difference vs outside.
Continue till the last
exit. A bit smaller.
Path with ribbons coming out.
Passing next to the second entry too. With way more ribbons.
The path going down was a bit sandy, but with well-lugged shoes and holding to the trees and even some ropes around we were able to hike fast.
Cross Siu Ma stream and arrive at the WW2 stoves.
Up again a sandy path.
A bit less steep than the previous one. There was only a confusing point. The path can take you to the stream if you go too much South, just continue going up until the connection with Hong Pak Country Trail again. She on the trail and Tunnel 3 just under, for reference. Easy connection on the left of the pic, out of frame.
This entry is quite big, but soon
we were squatting.
With strange grasshoppers.
Two
rooms.
One where someone had been living/staying (?). And the second entrance.
We decided not to crawl out and instead trace back to the initial one.
Continue on the path above. Connect with Mount Parker Road. Uphill until this resting area.
Go up the stairs on the left and for a little while on the concrete
before turning right and up another sandy steep path.
Up to Hong Kong trail section 5.
We did this just as a shortcut. If you prefer more open paths you can continue on the road until you cross the Hong Kong trail. Continue West direction and Tunnel 4 is the easiest to spot.
Just next to the hiking path itself. It used to be boarded up. Reopened quite some time ago.
The second entrance is smaller. Approx 10 meters apart.
The tunnel is L shaped and one of the sides gets tight really soon. We could see clearly the hand marks of people that had been crawling there before.
The third entry on the other side of the L is bigger.
After coming out,
on the left side of the pic, you have a short steep path taking you out back atop the hill.
Back to the Hong Kong trail. Steep downhill next to the quarry. Start going up again and into Tunnel 5. The biggest visited that day. Just next to the main path. Look for ribbons on your left side. If you pass them, no worries, you will clearly see an open area on your left and the second entrance. The first one requires you crawling or squat/sliding if you are as flexible as her.
But opens up immediately. You have the first small room on your right side
and the tunnel that goes ahead and branches.
There are some tighter sections.
But it opens again.
And close
and open…
Narrow passageway
before arriving at the chamber that we decided not to cross. I could feel air coming from the opposite side. But there was a big
bat colony and we decided not to disturb them. We had been quiet enough so that they were mostly “sleeping”. I guess that if you are too noisy you can create a big mess here with the bats flying all around. Please, take care of them. They are very fragile. If they are hibernating in the winter time and you wake them, they (and/or their babies) could die.
So back again the same way we came from.
And take the smaller exit out not far from the initial entrance,
that brings you here.
Long and fun tunnel. The best checked in Hong Kong Island. A few meters apart, the aforementioned opening and the Hong Kong trail.
Tunnel 6 took me a bit longer to find. As the location was a bit off in gwulo. The best entry to the path connecting there is here.
The path branches in two different ones. If you end up here with what looks like a really steep entry hole,
you are in the wrong place 😅 I tried to go in, using the rope that we were carrying, for security. But it is not even 4 meters deep. Completely filled up. Go back up the path you came from and find the path that goes further East. A bit bushier. And you will find the entrance here.
Not a big one
and sloped down for approx 10 meters.
Just a little further we found another entrance (observation hole).
This with an even steeper
initial section. There used to be stairs, but partly covered now.
And a third exit
connecting with a path going downhill. We decided to finish the day and just go back the same way we had come through.
BTW, in the tunnels, we found quite some other fauna
and
“flora”
(actually fungi) inside. If you are not fond of them… This kind of tunnels might not be for you.
October 12, 2022 at 9:13 pm
Amaziiinnnggg!! Any in Lantau ?
October 13, 2022 at 11:02 am
Not that I am aware of. Lantau was little developed in WW2 and I think the Japanese did not get there. The main tunnels are in Hong Kong island, Lamma and New Territories. In Lantau I only know of mine prospecting. Silver mine, Sha Lo Wan, or the small one in Chi Ma Wan. You can check all written about in the map section.
Best.