Plover Cove Country Park Hike

The Plover Cove Country Park in the northeast New Territories is one of the most under populated and pristine areas in Hong Kong. The hike starts in the tiny hamlet of Wu Kau Tang. First, walk upwards to see exciting views across the boundary into Mainland China and of the Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. You then descend to the deserted village of Lai Chi Wo.

Lai Chi Wo, dates back to 400 years ago, was one of the most affluent villages in the northeastern New Territories where a population of mainly Hakka origin lived. It is said to be one of the oldest surviving fung shui woodlands in Hong Kong.

After leaving the village you will walk through an area of intertidal mudflats formed by sedimentation where you can find the largest bed of Coastal Heritiera (Heritiera littoralis) in Hong Kong. Along the way you will walk past abandoned rice fields and terraces once cultivated by the villagers. The abandoned rice paddies remain home to the Chinese pond heron, little egrets, great egrets, night herons and the extremely rare Swinhoe’s egret. Also, you will pass by the abandoned fishponds that previously bred both fresh water and sea water fish. Following the coastline, you can admire some of the oldest geological formations in the area, dating back 400 million years.