Tsing Shan monastery (青山单院) is located on the slope of Castle Peak just west of Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. It is one of the older monasteries in Hong Kong, and for Bruce Lee fans, famous for a fight scene from Enter The Dragon. The court yard in the picture was the site of the fight scene.
Getting there is a bit of a fight as well. Thhe monastery is at the top of a kilometer or so of steep blacktop road. When it's hot (a fairly common situation in Hong Kong) it takes some effort.
But the real climb starts at the monastery where the trail to Castle Peak (青山) begins.
Getting there is a bit of a fight as well. Thhe monastery is at the top of a kilometer or so of steep blacktop road. When it's hot (a fairly common situation in Hong Kong) it takes some effort.
But the real climb starts at the monastery where the trail to Castle Peak (青山) begins.
The trail to Castle Peak begins with well-constructed stairs and quickly deteriorates to a rocky trail winding to the top of Castle peak where there are some communication and weather towers.
Suprisingly the trail has quite a bit of traffic, and most everyone you see on the trail is in good shape (when you pass an out of shape hiker, heading up as you are descending, you expect to see their picture in the morning news on a gurney, being rolled into an ambulance). I hiked it two days in a row and saw many of the same people; older Chinese getting daily exercise, and younger athletes using it for training. I Also saw one guy walking a very small white toy dog. I have no idea how the dog got up some of the steeper sections with such short legs. I guess four legs ARE an advantage.
Suprisingly the trail has quite a bit of traffic, and most everyone you see on the trail is in good shape (when you pass an out of shape hiker, heading up as you are descending, you expect to see their picture in the morning news on a gurney, being rolled into an ambulance). I hiked it two days in a row and saw many of the same people; older Chinese getting daily exercise, and younger athletes using it for training. I Also saw one guy walking a very small white toy dog. I have no idea how the dog got up some of the steeper sections with such short legs. I guess four legs ARE an advantage.
On the way up the views looking east toward the Gold Coast Hotel and apartments is phenomenal on a clear day.
At the top there are views looking west toward the mainland and Lau Fau Shan and east toward Tsuen Wan. If you have not had enough exercise there is also an exercise area with pull-up bars and weights constructed from rebar and concrete molded in paint cans. All in all a pretty fair workout.
Exercise area at the top of Castle Peak. One of the better views in the New Territories.
A small "teaser" temple on the road up to the Tsing Shan monastery.
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