“After climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb.” Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa, once mentioned in his book.
What did you find when you hike on the trails all the way up to the hill?
Urban areas and countryside are closely connected in Hong Kong. Reservoirs, hilltop and trails with beautiful scenery are all accessible for everyone to escape from urban areas, which is why hiking is a popular weekend activity in Hong Kong. Unlike other places in the world where it could take hours to reach the hiking spots and several days to finish the trail, in Hong Kong, we can decide to go hiking in the morning and be home before sunset.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, hiking became even more popular in Hong Kong as everyone hopes to put down the mask and have a breath of fresh air in the countryside. From experienced to new hikers, they are posting their hiking photos everywhere on social media. This June, TrailWatch is launching a new campaign called “Footprints on the Hill”, which will serve as a platform for all hikers to share their unique stories from the hill with us. Let’s explore what they saw, felt and got inspired by through their photos and words from the trails in Hong Kong.
Hike all the way up for a shot
One evening, a group of photographers challenged the steep Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail before the sun went down. Carrying their gear on their backs, they walked what seemed like endless steps up the hill, just to capture a special moment in Hong Kong under COVID-19.
Due to the pandemic, the frequency of air traffic has dropped significantly. Plenty of planes are grounded and parked at the Hong Kong International Airport. In contrast to the normal busy days, the airport is now quiet and peaceful. It looks just like a brand new toy model airport from the Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail.
“I am not very keen on hiking, but since most of the jobs were cancelled, a friend suggested going hiking to photograph this special scene. Honestly, I cannot recall when was the last time I traveled and took photos just for fun.” Cheong, the first person who submitted his photos, shared with us, “photographers like me are mostly shooting for work nowadays. Sometimes I forgot my original passion in photography when it became a career. Hiking up wasn’t easy, but being able to pick up my interest, and spend time with the folks here made me feel young again.” As a father to three children, Cheong also shared that this hiking experience inspired him that he should go hiking with his family more, and create more memories with them in nature.
COVID-19 has no doubt changed us in many ways, we cannot even breathe freely in public areas, but there is a silver lining: some people found their passion and interest when spending time on the hill.
Cheong’s photo and story has been posted on TrailWatch Facebook on 17 June, 2020
Different Emotions in the Same Scenery
For decades, Shing Mun Reservoir has been one of the most loved country parks in Hong Kong, especially during Autumn, when many schools go there for school picnics because of the Reservoir’s lyrical scenery and sufficient facilities. Apart from frequent hikers, it is common to find families and people who are longing for an urban escape — even couples love shooting pre-wedding photos at Shing Mun Reservoir. However, if we look closely, we might find that this place does not only contain smiles and happy stories.
“I was very depressed during the days after mom passed away. One day, my friend invited me to go for a hike to get some fresh air. At first, I wanted to refuse, but once I got there, I felt at peace, as if there’s a healing power in nature. That’s how I fell in love with the countryside in Hong Kong.” TrailWatch user, Christina said. “I only used TrailWatch for sharing photos during my hiking trips before, I’m glad to be able to share my story this time.”
Christina’s story will be published on TrailWatch Facebook in July. For more “Footprint on the Hill” stories, please stay tuned to our page.
“Footprints on the Hill” is calling for your submission! Please send a few photos with a 50 word or less caption to the TrailWatch inbox, we will select the most interesting stories to share on our Facebook. Whether you are a TrailWatch user or not, we look forward to learning your story.