Lin Ma Hang Country Trail
Country Trail

Trail Summary

Length
2.6 km
Duration
1.5 hours
Region
North New Territories
Overall Difficulty (4-Star Difficult)

Length (Rating 1-Star)

Duration (Rating 2-Star)

Gradient (Rating 4-Star)

Surface (Rating 4-Star)

Shading Level
(3 green leaves represent high shading level)

  • (Low)

Overall Rating (5 hearts is the highest)

(Rating 5-Heart)

The Lin Ma Hang Country Trail showcases the rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes of the Robin’s Nest Country Park.

Starting from the Lin Ma Hang Village, a Hakka village with over 300 years of history, the village retains its original charm due to its secluded geographical location. As you ascend along the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail, you can overlook the lush green hills, Fung Shui Woods, and remnants of rice terraces, forming a stark contrast with the bustling city on the other side of the border. At the end of the stairs stands a unique green structure, the MacIntosh Fort (Kong Shan). The MacIntosh Forts are a group of seven observation posts built along the Shenzhen River, playing a crucial role in border defense in the old days. Over time, their historical mission has completed. In 2009, they were designated as Grade II historic buildings which still stand tall amidst the hills. The footpath leading to Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine is not far away from the MacIntosh Fort. The Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine was the largest lead mine in Hong Kong, with mining activities recorded as early as the 19th century. It was most productive from 1936 to 1939. During the World War II, the Japanese forces took over the mine. Lin Ma Hang villagers joined forces with the Anti-Japanese guerrillas to fight against the Japanese forces. They succeeded in the third attempt and drove away the Japanese from the mine. The mine eventually ceased operation in the late 1950s, due to factors such as drop in international lead prices, natural disaster and strike, etc. The abandoned mine has become an important roosting and breeding site for bats in Hong Kong. It was designated as a “Site of Special Scientific Interest” in 1994.

After visiting Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine, go back to the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail and head towards Robin’s Nest. The uphill journey is shaded by trees with birds chirping and flowers blooming. When you reach the end point of this trail, the Robin’s Nest, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of mountains and sea. You can also take a closer look at the unique landscape of Robin’s Nest, with the southern slope covered by upland grassland, and the secondary woodland on the northern slope connected to the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain Scenic Area. The Red Azalea and Chinese Grassbird, which have become the logo of the country park, are among the many plant and animal species of high conservation value in Robin’s Nest Country Park.


The public can participate in the Discovering Robin's Nest Country Park (RNCP) Hiking Challenge activity from today until 28 February 2025. Participants need to register on the Discovering Robin's Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge website www.discoveringrncp.hk, and visit the eight designated checkpoints along the two hiking trails in RNCP, the Robin's Nest Country Trail and Lin Ma Hang Country Trail, scanning QR codes with their smartphones at checkpoints to record their completion. Participants who have completed a designated number of checkpoints during the event will receive themed prizes of RNCP.



To facilitate the public in planning their hikes, the geographical information of the route, including the route map, starting point, endpoint, and elevation chart, has been saved in a "GPX" file. The public can download hiking-related applications on their smartphones or smart watches, then click on the following "GPX" file to import the relevant information, which serves as an aid for hiking. Please note that downloading "GPX" files may increase data usage, and the functions and content display may vary depending on the device and application used.


Transportation Information

Starting Point

Take green minibus at Sheung Shui Station and get off at the green minibus terminal at Lin Ma Hang Village. Walk about 100 m to the starting point of the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail.


Green minibus route – 59K (Take the one towards Lin Ma Hang at Sheung Shui MTR Station)

Please note that starting from 24 January 2025, the Government opened a specified section of road within the Frontier Closed Area (FCA) near Lin Ma Hang Village (Wang Lek to the entrance of the Lin Ma Hang Village), by exempting the requirement to apply for a Closed Area Permit for the public travelling by green minibus passing through that section of road. Visitors can travel to and from Lin Ma Hang Village and Robin’s Nest Country Park directly by green minibus through the abovementioned section of road within the FCA. The exemption is only applicable to persons travelling by green minibus through that section of road within the FCA, but does not apply to those taking private vehicles, taxis or other vehicles, or using other means of travel such as walking or cycling, without a valid Closed Area Permit. Visitors who would like to travel to and from Lin Ma Hang Village on foot may use the connecting path next to the FCA. The connecting path is a hillside footpath outside the FCA. It takes about 20 minutes of uphill and downhill hike. For more information on the opening of the FCA near Lin Ma Hang Village, please refer to the relevant press release.



End Point

Return to starting point to leave (2.6km, 1.5hr), or continue to the Robin’s Nest Country Trail and arrive at Shan Tsui (~5.3km, ~2.5 hours hike), then take public transport at Tam Shui Hang Station.


Green minibus route - 55K
Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) route – 78K, 277A, 78S (Special Timetable)

The transportation information provided in this website is for reference only. Please check the updated transportation information from the websites of Transport Department and relevant transport utilities before setting off.

HKeMobility web page
https://www.hkemobility.gov.hk/

Route Map

The map below shows the route and scenic spots along the hiking trail.
For details, please refer to the transportation information above and photos below.