Lui Ta Shek 雷打石

"I never go barefoot in the city because I am afraid of dirt and insects, but when I set foot on nature, I couldn't wait to take my shoes off to feel the grass even if there is dried cow dung or ants all over the ground. At that moment I feel liberated and free.”

Hong Kong has many mountains and little flat land. It is extremely rare to find a plain on a mountain. Besides the well-known Ngong Ping Grassland located in Ma On Shan, I wanted to introduce Lui Ta Shek today. Located in Sai Kung, it is surrounded by mountains with its own charm. The Lui Ta Shek Mountain is near the High Island Reservoir, which is part of the Global Geopark waiting quietly to be seen. The Chinese meaning of Lui Ta Shek means “thunder rock”. According to hikers, the same stone on the top of the mountain has been struck by lightning many times and hence its name.

To go to Lui Ta Shek Mountain, you must first take a minibus or bus in Sai Kung to reach the Pak Tam Chung gate. People with good physical fitness will choose to climb to Tai Tun first and then go to Lui Ta Shek Mountain along the road. However, we were too eager to lie on the grass, so we chose a simple and direct route. Pass through the Pak Tam Chung coach parking lot, and you will see the entrance of Pak Tam Chung Country Park. After passing through several barbecue sites along the road, you will be connected to the mountain trail. It is surrounded by dense forests for about an hour. It is a comfortable walk. I saw a green bamboo snake when I crossed a bridge. When it heard human footsteps, it was scared and hid in the jungle. Hansley said "It's okay, we're just passing by."

People often say: "Animals in certain countries are not afraid of people." Although we have not visited places with wild animals such as tropical rain forests, Antarctica, and Africa yet. As mountaineering enthusiasts, we believe that the wild is where animals belong. It is their homeland, and they are all friendly and are there purely for existence. If you treat them well, they will not harm you intentionally. Mutual respect is the principle of survival in all walks of life.

Continuing on, we came to an intersection. On the left is where hikers come from Tai Tun while in front is back to the road, and the trail to Lui Ta Shek is on the right. The road ahead is not an official mountain trail, but it is not easy to get lost. At the same time, it is recommended to download the hiking route map of "Hong Kong Hiking Route" to ensure your own safety. After slowly climbing 100 meters, we began to leave the dense forest. In less than 15 minutes, we finally reached level ground.

"What? How come it is bare? Where's the grass?" I was shocked and looked at the map immediately. Oh! It turned out that we hadn't arrived yet, and we had to cross the hill ahead. The moment of sadness first and then joy makes me look forward to the moment when I see the grassland. Just a few steps later, oh my God, it is beautiful! Here is a natural grassland that is not artificially built on a mountain on the top of over 300 meters, and there is a row of big trees next to it offering us shade. You can also see Sharp Peak and High Land Reservoir. It is rare to be able to take long-distance photos of Sharp Peak which is one of the difficult mountains to climb in Hong Kong. After having lunch, we lay on the big grass and really didn't want to leave. The breeze was so comfortable… But there is no way we will stay longer because I heard that there is a bigger grassland ahead, so let’s stand up and go!

"We are really naive. Just now we thought we were holding on to a treasure, but it turns out that the good show is ahead." This is the first reaction when I saw the grassland under the Lui Ta Shek Mountain. The green land has a magical power. That is, no matter how young or how old you are, you will turn into a child when you set foot on this place, start running mode or just walking around, and there is no undulating high ground here. There was a feeling like “I'm flying” for a few seconds!” We ran back and forth several times and laughed out loud every time. When I watched the replay of the video, I was shocked to see myself laughing innocently in front of the camera. In fact, what was there to be so happy about? I don't know, it's just a happy feeling. I finally understand why the eyes of people in the mountains exude a kind of unpolluted simplicity, because.... happiness can be so simple!

Time flies. After playing on the big grassland for more than an hour, the sun was blocked by Ma On Shan, which is more than 700 meters high. However, Hansley insisted on going to the top of the mountain to have a look because there were two huge boulders called "Lui Gong" and "Lui Po", unique and similar in shape named as a couple. The road to the top of Lui Ta Shek Mountain is very short. It takes only ten minutes to arrive. I do not recommend you stand on the Thunder Rock to take pictures; it is too dangerous. I thought the way down the mountain was not difficult. However, it is getting dark, and the road seems as if no one has walked through it for a long time. The slope is steep at 40 degrees. I had to sit down before moving on. If you are not an experienced hiker, I suggest that it is better to return to the big grassland as it is safer to go down the mountain road on the left. Fortunately, it took us about an hour to reach the village before connecting back to the official MacLehose Trail, and we left by taxi.

Maybe you think it’s just a piece of grass, is my reaction too exaggerated? In the past, I loved looking at mountains, rivers, and nature. I simply think it is beautiful and want to take photos of them. But since I tried trekking which required me to live in nature for a few days, I slowed down and focused on taking every step. I watched the same sunrise and sunset every day and found out I am just a small person in nature. Although nature didn't say anything, it seems to have taught me that any troubles will pass, and tomorrow will come again because “now is a gift and that is why it is called the present."

Photography: @hansleytravel