Which Section of Hong Kong’s Phoenix Path is the Most Beautiful? Best Hiking Route Map for Hong Kong’s Phoenix Path

Hong Kong’s Lantau Island Phoenix Path makes many hiking tourists wary. There are many difficult routes here, as well as many beautiful landscapes. You will be forced to move forward under the urging of the scorching sun and fierce wind, tempering your mind and perseverance. Here’s a share of which sections of Hong Kong’s Phoenix Path are the most beautiful.

Departing from Nanshan Campsite at 8:15, you will soon reach the starting point of the second section, Nanshan Archway.

Entering this gate marks the beginning of the second section of the Phoenix Path. There’s a bit of excitement, but you realize that once you enter, it’s like entering a vast sea…

Turn left at the entrance and begin today’s hike. The trees provide shade along the way, although it’s somewhat muggy, it’s not unbearably hot. Happiness is always fleeting; soon the shade disappears, and the scorching sun mode begins…

My heart is breaking at this moment. Why didn’t I stay home and eat watermelon? What’s wrong with me, running out here to dry fish? However, I dug my own pit, and I have to fill it in with tears, so I have to keep going. Occasionally, one or two lightly-loaded hikers pass by, disappearing in a flash, leaving our two heavily-loaded newbies far behind.

Fortunately, there are a few small streams along the way, where we can wash our faces and cool down a little.

The Phoenix Path is located on a hiking trail on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. This area was officially opened on December 4, 1984, spanning a total of 70 kilometers and divided into 12 sections, covering the entire Lantau Island.

Section 1: Mui Wo to Nanshan (approx. 2.5 km, approx. 0.75 hours, difficulty: *)

Section 2: Nanshan to Pak Kung Au (approx. 6.5 km, approx. 2.75 hours, difficulty: ***)

Section 3: Pak Kung Au to Ngong Ping (approx. 4.5 km, approx. 2.25 hours, difficulty: ***)

Section 4: Ngong Ping to Sham Wat Road (approx. 4 km, approx. 1.25 hours, difficulty: **)

Section 5: Sham Wat Road to Man Cheung Po (approx. 7.5 km, approx. 2.75 hours, difficulty: **)

Section 6: Man Cheung Po to Tai O (approx. 2.5 km, approx. 1 hour, difficulty: **)

Section 7: Tai O to Kau Ling Yung (approx. 10.5 km, approx. 3 hours, difficulty: ***)

Section 8: Kau Ling Yung to Shek Pik Reservoir (approx. 5.5 km, approx. 1.5 hours, difficulty: **)

Section 9: Shek Pik Reservoir to Shui Kou (approx. 6.5 km, approx. 2 hours, difficulty: *)

Section 10: Shui Kou to Tung Chung Road (approx. 6.5 km, approx. 2 hours, difficulty: *)

Section 11: Tung Chung Road to Pui O (approx. 4.5 km, approx. 1.25 hours, difficulty: *)

Section 12: Pui O to Mui Wo (approx. 9 km, approx. 3 hours, difficulty: **)

Difficulty Level: *Easiest, **Moderate, ***Most Difficult

The water is incredibly refreshing and crystal clear.

Yi Tung Shan (747 m, 9th highest in Hong Kong).

Heading towards the horizon, at the pass between Yi Tung Shan and Lantau Peak (766 m, 6th highest in Hong Kong).

A little green obstacle blocking the way.

Continue forward, and you’ll see the Sunset Peak (896 m, 3rd highest in Hong Kong) camp:

Sunset Peak, also known as Sunset Peak, is a holy site for sunsets and autumn pampas grass, becoming famous due to Eason Chan’s album cover. Some even call it Eason Chan Mountain:

Upon reaching the Sunset Peak camp, there is a water source nearby for camping.

After Sunset Peak, the path gradually descends, leading all the way down to Pak Kung Au at the foot of the mountain.

The distant view is Cheung Sha Beach.

Gazing at Phoenix Hill (934 m, 2nd highest in Hong Kong). We will be climbing from Pak Kung Au to the top of Phoenix Hill in the afternoon. Cruel and inhumane!

11:45
Reaching Pak Kung Au, we take a lunch break and continue onward. The weather gets even hotter in the afternoon, and the path becomes more difficult, with steeper inclines.

This time, I truly experience what it means to “sweat like blood under the sun.” I feel like I can hear the sound of sweat hitting the ground. Water and Pocari Sweat are consumed at an alarming rate.

As we reach about halfway up Phoenix Hill, my left thigh suddenly cramps. I think to myself, “Oh no!” and immediately stop to stretch.

Fortunately, after stretching for a while, it returns to normal. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to continue. It seems like it was caused by excessive sweating leading to electrolyte imbalance. I replenish with more electrolytes.

I don’t dare walk too fast afterward, making Mu Mu wait for me the entire way. This is the first time I’ve experienced leg cramps while hiking…

Finally, we arrive at the top of Phoenix Hill. We force a smile.

The descent is also incredibly steep, and we can only focus on moving forward. We encounter the old man we saw at Sunset Peak again, but he is already heading back. I guess he is doing a round trip. Seeing him stroll casually makes us feel even more pathetic.

It’s almost 4:00 PM when we reach Ngong Ping Campsite. We’ve only covered half of our planned route, and there’s still 13 km to our target, Man Cheung Po Campsite. The journey is long and we are exhausted. We have no choice but to set up camp at Ngong Ping. After setting up the tent, we boil two pots of tea to recover.

We start cooking early, planning to get up early tomorrow and continue the journey. But unexpectedly, a group of foreigners emerges from somewhere in the middle of the night, starting a party-like commotion, making it impossible for us to sleep. We don’t fall asleep until sometime later, in a daze.