Have you hiked Tai Shing too many times already or need an alternative due to heavy rain or crowds? This might be perfect for you.
- Beauty/fun: 6.5/10 for the main stream with nice waterfall sections, flat forest areas, mostly clean water with good flow and several tributary exploration options.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 4.5/10 for the main stream. Clear navigation, the service road all the time nearby in case of an emergency early exit need, ribbons guiding you safely around the few high scrambles (she climbed the waterfalls just for fun, not necessary). Some of the alternative tributaries mentioned can be up to 6.5/10 with compulsory in waterfall climbing required.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen and the Garmin track of the easiest option and checking side tributaries.
I have been exploring the area several times. Here all put together. Start at Shing Mun reservoir. Mini buses going there (Pineapple Dam) departing from Tsuen Wan.
Usually we walk on the concrete and get into the reservoir
around the green line on the map. This area can be very beautiful just after the first heavy rains of the year. With super green flats and caws around.
Here the lowest point of Tso Shing stream.
Turn left and start the ascend in stream within the forest. You could start even higher in the connection with the road.
All this initial section is really flat and easy. Some green walls, trees and interesting small fauna (here I discovered what Arboreal Snails are).
Slowly the slope increases
and eventually you find small waterfalls.
There are side paths, but they are easily climbable.
Just after the potential early exit (brown line, explained later) the falls improve. This double
waterfall with the pool under is quite pretty.
And just a little upper the most photogenic.
If you want to do it easy once you arrive at the auxiliary road, get the last bath in the pool below and head down the road to the starting point.
Moving forward pics without Summer from other days on my own. The stream continues up but has nothing special. The slope decreases and the water flow too little by little.
Not specially thorny, but with no waterfalls or else. Eventually you will find a faint ancient trail (green line, not in the Openstreetmap yet). Go up the old rock stairs on the left
and you will get again on the road.
You could just go down back to the starting point or head towards Tai Po on the North side.
Further options. I have marked on the map the first fork that takes you to the purple tributary East direction. Exactly here on the right side in early summer after first short but heavy rain (tons of loose soil washed down making the water brownish).
This tributary is not bad at all. It has a few interesting spots.
This 2m+ waterfall that you need to climb in stream.
And later smaller ones.
In little time (13 minutes in slow exploration mode) I got to a hiking path. The stream continues up, but branching in further tributaries with very little flow and dense vegetation soon. Therefore I turned left onto the brown path that goes next to old remains.
Mid way I found the path blocked, but easily passable scrambling on its right muddy side.
This paths connects back again with Tso Shing stream and can be used as early exit. In very little time you arrive to the road.
The third fork is here. She heading up the main stream and Yin Shing tributary (dark blue in NW direction) on the left.
Shortly you will arrive to other little tunnels to cross through under the auxiliary road.
And then you will pass under the road of Wilson trail section 7, around here.
This section has some
waterfalls,
but nothing very interesting.
Although it is nicer than the next, connecting the hiking path with even higher concrete road/path.
The last section marked on the map above, before connecting with another main hiking path, is way cuter. Without anyone in the pic to have some perspective is difficult to see, but this is a beautiful approx 5 meters fall that you need to cross first to its right and then to its left to climb it. Relatively safe.
Arriving at the aforementioned path
I regularly had stopped in this exact spot when running up to Tai Mo Shan. Perfect place to refill water with the filter. The stream is always very clean. It continues up the hill, but I did not check it yet. Most surely flat and with the water fainting into the rocks. Here how it looks initially.
Tons to explore all around Shing Mun.
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