Situated in Ma On Shan Country Park, the meandering stone-built Mau Ping Ancient Trail in the valley is a simple and easy trail surrounded by verdant environs and beautiful water flowing along its route. It is an ideal hiking trail for all seasons. The ancient trail was the main route that connected villagers in Shatin, Ma On Shan and Sai Kung.The route begins from the vicinity of Mui Tsz Lam Village. The ancestors of the village were the Wu’s who migrated south from Wuhua County of Guangdong Province. They settled in the village about 300 years ago. In its heyday, the village was the home of some 300 villagers, most of whom were rice farmers and sold firewood for a living.
From the large rocks traversing Mau Ping Ancient Trail, it could be inferred that the path was built with locally sourced and unprocessed rocks to improve accessibility. Before it was built, villagers endured the hardship of carrying bamboo baskets over shoulder poles between the village and the farmers’ markets. Although the ancient trail goes uphill, the gradient is quite manageable and makes a comfortable walk.
The trail includes not only a century-old rock-built path, but also abandoned terraced fields, Lau’s Ancestral Hall and a few small villages, including Mau Ping Lo Uk, Mau Ping San Uk and Wong Chuk Shan, as well as the relics of other desolated ancient village huts. Take a break on your long hike in the sitting out area near Mau Ping. This was formerly the site of Ng Luen Tat Village School (“Ng Luen Tat” is another name for Mau Ping). In the old days, the school was built for children residing in Mau Ping and nearby villages. It could be seen that that ancient trail did much more than connecting the villages – it also brought learning opportunities to the children of the villages. The infertile soil on the high altitude of Mau Ping, however, had resulted in low crop yields, making it very hard for villagers to make a living. Therefore, residents gradually moved out after World War II, and Mau Ping became abandoned.
To exit, walk along Pak Kong Ancient Trail and proceed downhill to Pak Kong. You will be greeted with the magnificent views of Port Shelter of Sai Kung. Go pass a bamboo tunnel towards the end of this walk to conclude the visit to the villages.
The routes on this website are listed to be conveniently accessible by public transport, which may differ from the actual alignment of the ancient trail.
Hiking Etiquette
Keep the noise down in the countryside
Respect villagers and their properties
Do not enter private places or architectures that might pose hazards of collapsing
Do not pick any farm produce
Do not climb on or take away any item in the village
Take your litter home
