OK, so we might not actually be assisting the Immigration or Customs and Excise Departments in their fight against IIs and smugglers but, most of the morning, this “stepless” hike along paved surfaces from Ping Che to Sheung Shui in the northern New Territories does allow us to look across the border into China.
We start the outing, however, in a much more spiritual way by visiting the elaborate Wun Chuen Sin Koon, a Taoist temple worshipping Master Lu Chun-Yang. The temple’s design resembles that of ancient palaces and its beautifully landscaped gardens are interspersed with lotus ponds, traditional bridges and exquisite carvings.
Leaving the temple, our route takes us around vegetable plots and through a couple of rural villages. While the typical NT scrap-yards with their corrugated iron fences are never far away, these pockets of green quietness show that old houses and new villas can actually supplement each other well.
It is then time to head for the hills as we follow the narrow track that runs along the ridges of Tsung Shan and Wa Shan. Plodding along, we are able to enjoy uninterrupted panoramic vistas over the Ta Kwu Ling and Hung Lung Hang valleys and of Shenzhen to our right and the Ng Tung River valley to our left.
While there might not be any stairs to climb, the walk along these ridges isn’t exactly flat either. We have a fair number of ups and downs to overcome, but the highest point en route is a mere 152 metres above sea level…
As we approach Sheung Shui, we have to battle container and dump trucks for a few hundred metres along the approach road to the Man Kam To border crossing, before we escape into the relative peacefulness of Sheung Shui Heung village where we conclude our excursion by checking out impressive ancestral halls, interesting structures and – time permitting – the walled village established in 1646 by the Liu clan.
Reaching Sheung Shui at about 1:30pm, it is your choice whether to take lunch there or head straight home.