The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) announced on March 1 the opening of the Robin's Nest Country Park (RNCP). Established as Hong Kong's 25th country park, RNCP is located at Sha Tau Kok in the northeast of the New Territories, with the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain Scenic Area to its north and Pat Sin Leng Country Park to its south.
Home to a rich biodiversity, there are many species of high conservation value to be discovered, including red azalea, which blooms every spring; incense tree, Chinese grassbird, and one of Hong Kong's most important bat colonies at the Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine. Visit during autumn and winter to find the hills covered with rippling fields of silvergrass!
There are also several heritage sites with historic significance within Robin's Nest Country Park. Two MacIntosh Forts (designated as Grade II historic buildings in 2009) that were built between 1949 and 1953 to strengthen border defense can be found at Kong Shan and Pak Kung Au in RNCP, while war relics such as pillboxes and trenches from World War II still remain at Shan Tsui nearby the park.
Over at the northwest of RNCP, the famous Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine has a history that dates all the way back to the 1860s. Once one of Hong Kong's largest mining systems with approximately 500 workers in the 1930s, the mine was eventually abandoned in the 1960s and has since turned into a home for bats. The AFCD is currently working on the revitalisation of the mine, with plans of turning the site into a museum where folks can learn about its mining history and bat ecology by the end of 2024.
Those with a love for the outdoors can explore two hiking trails in the park – Robin's Nest Country Trail and Lin Ma Hang Country Trail – where there are information boards, waymarks, distance posts, as well as viewing points and interpretation panels dotted along the trails.
To visit Robin's Nest Country Park, it typically takes about 4 to 5 hours of hiking from your starting point. Begin at Tam Shui Hang in Sha Tau Kok and follow Shan Tsui Village Road and the connecting path for approximately 30 minutes to reach the start of Robin's Nest Country Trail. From there, it will take about 2 hours to hike the 3.5km trail until you reach the junction with Lin Ma Hang Country Trail. Continue on the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail for about an hour and a half to reach Lin Ma Hang Village. Finally, you can use the connecting path to walk for 20 minutes to reach Lin Ma Hang Road (located outside the Frontier Closed Area) and access public transportation.
For more information about the country park, visit afcd.gov.hk for details on other attractions, ecological highlights, transport info, and more.
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