There’s going to be a lot of people visiting China and Hong Kong this year.  Some will be avid hikers and those that want to get away from the Olympic sized crowds for a while.  I love a big party and event as much as the next person, but I need my solitude as well.  For those of you that are going to visit Hong Kong and need a break check out this interesting article about Hiking in Hong Kong.

Hiking trails lead to Hong Kong’s hidden treasures

Urban sprawl bordered by lush country parks and scenic coastline

Jim Byers

Toronto Star

HONG KONG–It’s known for its inexpensive tailors, wild markets and all-night restaurants. But take a 10-minute trip from Central, Hong Kong’s financial district, and you enter a different world.

As the bus comes through a tunnel in Victoria Peak, you’re suddenly confronted not with towers of glass and steel but a deep, blue-green bay dotted with boats and surrounded by jungle-like hills.

According to guide Fred Cheng, Deepwater Bay is the most popular beach on Hong Kong island, which has more open stretches of sand than you might think.

“We call it ‘Excuse Me’ beach, because when you jump in the water you always bump into someone and have to say ‘Excuse me,’ ” Cheng says with a laugh.

A few minutes down the road is Stanley Bay, which is getting a facelift reminiscent of Toronto’s Harbourfront. The old squatter shacks that dotted the beachfront have been moved out of the way, replaced with sidewalk cafés, palm trees and a lovely promenade that’s made for a warm night under the stars.

Stanley Bay is famous for its market, but it’s mostly trashy shirts, knick-knacks and knapsacks. Save your money for something more authentic and wander over to the Tin Hau temple to pay your respects to the Chinese god of fishermen.

Locals take a large can filled with thin sticks with different numbers and slowly shake the can until one of the sticks falls out. They then take the stick to the back of the temple and pick up a sheet of paper that corresponds to the number on the stick, and the paper reveals their fortune. The air is heavy with the smell of incense and there are offerings of fruit and other goodies.

Only a few steps away, tiny Pak Tau temple is carved out of a rock. You reach it after a lovely one-minute walk past a shady grove of trees along the water.

You can try the beach at Hac Sa or at Cheoc Van in Coloane, but the water is often murky from the Pearl River delta silt. If you want a dip, you’re much better off at Deepwater Bay or perhaps at Shek O beach, which can be reached by one of the most famous hikes in Hong Kong – the Dragon Back trail.

Hong Kong and its myriad of islands also is a haven for hikers, with endless kilometres of trails that slash through the mountainous terrain. Packed as it can be, more than 70 per cent of Hong Kong is countryside and there are 23 so-called country parks, many of which cross through wooded valleys and along gorgeous coastline.

Probably the most famous is the MacLehose Trail in the New Territories.

“It’s more than 100 kilometres long so it takes a couple of days,” Cheng explained. “Some families like to do part of the trail, then go home and have a big dinner with family or friends.”

The MacLehose snakes its way up and down over some two dozen mountains – and we’re not talking southern Ontario hills here. The highest peak in Hong Kong is 1,000 metres, and the hills are home to monkeys, deer, wild boars and the odd python.

Check out the Tai Long Wan coastline; one of the most scenic spots in Hong Kong. Or trek over to Lantau Island for the hiking and the coastline.

If you don’t have time for a major Hong Kong hike, simply take an early tram up Victoria Peak and do the hour-long peak circuit trail.

You’ll walk along a couple of small, paved roads, past gardens with palms and banyans and India rubber trees that drop roots to the ground from high over your head. You also get glimpses of small bamboo forests and black kites that ride the thermal drafts that rise up past some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Or you can stop and listen to blue magpies or thrushes as you look down on the madness of Hong Kong island below.

• For more on Hong Kong, go to www.discoverhongkong.com.

Jim Byers is a City Hall reporter with the Star.