Chi Ma Wan Peninsula (芝麻灣半島) is located on the southeast side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. And the small peninsula is famed for its two peaks: Lo Yan Shan (老人山) and Miu Tsai Tun (廟仔墩).
Both peaks can be reached via Chi Ma Wan Country Trail (芝麻灣郊遊徑), the longest country trail in HK. But you don’t have to hike the entire Chi Ma Wan trail to see the best highlights in the peninsula.
All you have to do is hike part of Chi Ma Wan trail from Pui O (貝澳) to Mui Wo (梅窩). The hiking route will take you to the two peaks to see panoramic views of the city, Lung Mei (龍尾), and Shap Long Irrigation Reservoir (十塱水塘).
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how you can hike Lo Yan Shan and Miu Tsai Tun in Chi Ma Wan Peninsula from Pui O to Mui Wo.
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What you need to know before starting the Chi Ma Wan Country Trail
Before you start hiking in Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, take a look at my Hong Kong solo travel guide and get an overview of HK first.
Here are a few additional tips for the hike to Lo Yan Shan:
- The best time to hike Chi Ma Wan Peninsula is late autumn, winter and early spring. Most of the trail is exposed to the sun so I would not recommend hiking during the height of summer.
- Try to hike during the weekday as the trail to Lo Yan Shan is busy on weekends and holidays.
- Bring enough water for a few hours of hiking. There isn’t any opportunity along the trail to replenish.
- Bring sunscreen and other sun protection.
- Get an Octopus Card, a rechargeable smartcard for taking public transportation and use it for taking the bus to Pui O and taking the bus or ferry home. It costs $100HKD, but you can use $50 stored value and get your $50HKD refundable deposit when you leave HK.
How to hike Lo Yan Shan and Miu Tsai Tun
There are several ways to hike to Lo Yan Shan and Miu Tsai Tun via Chi Ma Wan Country Trail.
Personally, I like point-to-point trails that take me from one part of the city and end in another. So I would recommend taking the following route.
Start from Pui O and hike Chi Ma Wan Country Trail via Miu Tsai Tun and Lo Yan Shan. On the descent, hike towards Lung Mei and pass by Ship Long Irrigation Reservoir. Then finish the hike by meandering the roads along the coast via Shap Long San Tsuen via Lantau Trail Section 12, which ends in Mui Wo.
Click on “more options” on the top left corner of Google Maps, and the map will open in your browser or in the app on your smartphone. And I included the elevation profile for this hike too.
- Difficulty: intermediate
- Duration: 6 hours
- Distance: 13km
- What to bring: hiking shoes, sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen), water, snacks, smartphone (for taking photos and navigation)
How to get to the start of the Chi Ma Wan Country Trail
From anywhere in Hong Kong, take the MTR to Tung Chung Station. Take Exit B, walk to the Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus and find the bus stop for bus 3M. Bus 3M goes to Mui Wo Ferry Pier, but you want to get off at a village called Lo Wai Tsuen in Pui O.
- Bus 3M: from Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus to Lo Wai Tsuen Bus Stop
- Time: 35 minutes (every 10-25 minutes)
- Cost: $11.40HKD for weekdays; $17.80HKD for weekends and holidays (use Octopus Card)
- Check: NLB website for bus 3M for more information
Find the start of the trail in Lo Wai Tsuen
Once you disembark bus 3M, cross the road and walk back a little on South Lantau Road. Look for a set of stairs next to the bus shelter.
Walk down the short flight of stairs and follow the path.
Follow the path to Pui O
First, follow the narrow path through the field. This path takes you directly to Chi Ma Wan Road in Ham Tin Village.
Walk along Chi Ma Wan Road along the river, which will take you to Pui O, an area with a white sand beach and the perfect spot for day-trippers to Lantau Island.
Walk past Pui O Beach
Even though the beginning of the trail isn’t that exciting, the views are spectacular!
When you approach Pui O Beach, you’ll be greeted by the white sand beach. And if you arrive early in the morning, the beach is quiet.
At the far right, you’ll see the mountains of Lantau Island, including (from right to left) Lin Fa Shan, Yi Tung Shan and Fung Wong Shan. You’ll see a better aerial view of the mountains once you are at the first peak at Miu Tsai Tun.
Find the start of Chi Ma Wan Country Trail
Continue walking on Chi Ma Wan Road, and you’ll approach the official entrance to Chi Ma Wan Country Trail.
Follow the trail, leading you to your first flight of stairs toward the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula peaks.
Chi Ma Wan Country Trail starts relatively easily. The path ascends slowly, and the trail is well-marked and fairly even.
Views east of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula
As you hike up the mountain, you can see the scenery east of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, including Shap Long San Tsuen, a small seaside village and the blue waters of Chi Ma Wan.
And you can start to see more islands beyond the inlet The closest one is Hei Ling Chau which is right in front of Chi Ma Wan. And the higher you hike, you can see Peng Chau and Cheung Chau.
Continue hiking up the rocky stairs to the first peak, Miu Tsai Tun.
Reach the top of the first peak, Miu Tsai Tun
At 302m, Miu Tsai Tun is the secondary peak of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula. It is only 1 meter shy of the tallest peak, but to be honest, it has better views than the actual peak at Lo Yan Shan.
Looking north at the top, you can see Pui O Beach and the reddish mountain range stretching across Lantau Island, including (from right to left) Lin Fa Shan, Yi Tung Shan and Fung Wong Shan.
And at the top of Miu Tsai Tun, you can see both sides of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, which is quite a fantastic view!
There is a triangulation station at the top, but I was mesmerized by the views. I totally forgot to take a photo of it.
This is the perfect spot for a bit of rest and photo-taking. Even though the entire peak is exposed, it can be a bit sunny; take your time and take in the gorgeous views.
Descend and ascend the mountain range of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula
When ready to continue, follow the dirt path and descend Miu Tsai Tun.
The narrow path will take you up and down the mountain ranges of Chi Ma Wan Peninsula. You can see the path when you are at the top.
Arrive at the Lo Yan Shan summit
After a bit of up and down the mountain range, you will finally arrive at the summit of Lo Yan Shan, the highest peak in Chi Ma Wan Peninsula.
At the top is a square building used for a fire lookout, and the official sign for Lo Yan Shan.
And at 303m above sea level, you can see similar scenery east of the peninsula, including a few outlying islands in the Island District of HK.
Descend to Lung Mei
The hardest part of the Chi Ma Wan Hiking Trail is over. And now, the descent begins!
Continue down Chi Ma Wan Country Trail, follow the left path at the fork of the road and hike the trail surrounded by tall bamboo.
At the bottom of the hill, a few paths intersect one another. This is where Chi Ma Wan Country Trail intersects itself. If you look on Google Maps, Chi Ma Wan Trail cuts through the middle of the peninsula through a series of winding paths and lines along the peninsula’s eastern coast. And in the center of the peninsula, a series of paths converge.
Anyway, where all the paths intersect is where you can find Lung Mei, a small statue of a dragon’s tail (which is the literal translation of Lung Mei) that looks like a pineapple sticking out of the ground.
The statue itself is not very impressive. But the trek down the mountain is quite enjoyable.
Descend to Shap Long Irrigation Reservoir
Continue on Chi Ma Wan Country Trail by following the signs pointing to Shap Long Irrigation Reservoir. The path continues to descend the hill, and the emerald green reservoir will start to peek through.
Follow Lantau Forest Track to Chi Ma Wan Road
At the reservoir’s end is a sign that says Lantau Forest Track. Follow the dirt path and it will lead you to Chi Ma Wan Road.
Once on the paved road, keep walking north toward your destination.
Along the way, you will pass by Chi Ma Wan Pier. There is a ferry that can take you from this pier to Mui Wo Pier, but there are only two each day (11:10 am and 3:00 pm). Besides, the last bit of the hike isn’t too difficult, so let’s continue.
Shap Long San Tsuen: turn left to Pui O or turn right to Mui Wo
Keep walking on Chi Ma Wan Road along the coast towards Shap Long San Tsuen, a small seaside village. There is a small beach right in front, which is a nice spot for a bit of rest.
If you want to go back to Pui O Beach, continue walking on Chi Ma Wan Road by turning left and walking west. The road will take you back to the start of Chi Ma Wan Country Trail, where you can backtrack the entire way back to Pui O Beach.
However, if you also like point-to-point trails as I do, continue walking along the coast by turning right at Shap Long San Tsuen.
Continue on the hiking path to Mui Wo
There is a clear hiking path lining the coast beyond the seaside village. Keep following the hiking path and it will take you to Mui Wo.
When you look back at the trail, you can see the two peaks: Lo Yan Shan and Miu Tsai Tun. This is probably the last time you can see the mountains from this trail.
Near the end of the path toward Mui Wo
The scenery along the coastal Mui Wo hiking trail is quite nice. You can see the outlying islands again but closer to this part of the trail. The closest island is Hei Ling Chau. The island is not for tourism purposes, but rather it has an addiction treatment centre and a correctional facility.
Beyond Hei Ling Chau, you can see Peng Chau and Cheung Chau; both are excellent islands for day-trippers. And in the far distance, you can see the high-rises of Hong Kong Island.
Merge into Lantau Trail Section 12
Keep following the dirt path and signages to get to Mui Wo. The trail eventually merges into Lantau Trail Section 12. One of the Lantau Trails goes uphill (turn left), but you’ll want to continue hiking along the coast, where it will lead you to Mui Wo.
At the end of Lantau Trail Section 12, there is a flight of stairs that will take you to Mui Wo Ferry Pier Road. Follow Mui Wo Ferry Pier Road and walk towards the bus terminus and the ferry pier.
Return home from Mui Wo Ferry Pier or bus terminus
Mui Wo Ferry Pier and the bus terminus are next to each other. From here, you can go home via the ferry or bus. The ferry can take you to Central, Chi Ma Wan, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau. And the various buses can take you to different parts of Hong Kong.
- Ferry: from Mui Wo Ferry Pier
- Check: Sun Ferry website for more info on different ferries, time tables and fares
- Bus1, 2, 3M, 4, A35, N1, N35: from Mui Wo Ferry Pier
- Check: New Lantao Bus website for more info on different buses, time tables and fares
Are you ready to see Lo Yan Shan in Chi Ma Wan Peninsula?
I hope so because this Mui Wo hike is a gem! It is not a difficult hike; you get to see panoramic views of southern Lantau Island. I’ve hiked several mountains in Hong Kong, and you don’t have to hike the highest mountains to see the best views. And Lo Yan Shan is the perfect example of an excellent intermediate hike with gorgeous scenery.
So I hope this post will inspire you to explore southern Lantau Island and see an off-the-beaten hiking trail that not many people know about. If you want to explore other parts of Lantau, check out Tung O Ancient Trail or Fan Lau.
Thank you for reading my Lo Yan Shan hiking post
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Hong Kong
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- Robin’s Nest Hike and Lin Ma Hang Cave: explore northern HK near the Shenzhen border
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