Another stream feeding Shing Mun. Significantly smaller, but not a bad one, with a few pretty waterfalls and pools. Good to continue exploring the area.
- Beauty/fun: 5.5/10 medium flow, nice falls at the very beginning and the upper section, relatively open with old human constructions around. Not as spectacular as other bigger streams around.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 4.5/10 the scrambling, even in waterfalls, is relatively easy and mostly not high. There are several fallen trees, but easy to pass next to. Several forks but with a very clear main tributary.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & the Garmin track (on my own check) & with the ladies doing Ha Kung Hang after.
Late September 2023 without much time for a longer outing I decided to check this stream. In the previous weeks, we have had a typhoon, the strongest black storm in history, and long rainy days. So the conditions could be “interesting”.
I have decided to spell its name Chou Shing 草城 stream 右澗. The upper part of the stream comes from Grassy Hill (草 cou² = Grass) and ends at Shing Mun reservoir (城門水塘).
In my case, as usual, to add a bit more training, I started jogging from Tai Wo Hau MTR. But the closest public transportation is the mini bus stop under the dam. From there continue on the main path around the reservoir. In drier months you might be able to do the full stream starting from the very reservoir. Around here
It was not an option for me. As mentioned it had been raining a lot in the previous weeks and the reservoir was at its maximum capacity. Which means flooded in the lower part of the stream. Therefore I headed up the road and down to this connection.
Put all my stream gear on (arm protectors, leg tights, gloves, Five Ten) & I went down the stream to check the biggest of the waterfalls. Video on my own.
This bottom section is tiny but quite pretty. At the bottom of the highest waterfall, I could see the first fallen trees. A few of the many that I’d see the whole route. With the ladies a few weeks later we could not go down either. With Ana, in a short HK visit, without good grip shoes neither I had brought the rope to secure us.
Go back to my starting point. Here, a long time ago, I found a native turtle that according to biologists is close to extinguished in HK (the Sacalia Beali 4 & 5 /10).
I have checked a few times around, but I couldn’t find any more. But at least, it is a good sign of the cleanliness of the stream.
As soon as I started walking up, we could see man-made stone walls. Abandoned old paddies around the stream. There are mini forks with tributaries that might dry out but in the most rainy weeks. A big pipeline which looks new but is completely broken by fallen trees… A man-made mini pool & nice concatenated climbable falls. 2, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2… m high. Not completely perpendicular.
Just after the connection with the hiking path, there is a fork. Right has pools and small falls just after. But it did not look hiked. The first time I had no time to check more. The second, without the pruners nor a rope and Ana’s shoes, we decided to hike down to another stream that I knew well: Ha Kung Hang (next post).
Definitely, Tai Shing & Tso Shing are significantly better than this small Chou Shing. But if you have checked the former two thoroughly already, then this deserves a try.
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