Lantau to get new hiking trail

Hikers will soon have a new route to test their stamina with a 100-kilometer hiking trail planned for Lantau Island, according to Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun.

Writing on his blog yesterday, Wong said the Sustainable Lantau Office will launch a research study on improving the network of hiking trails and bike trails on Lantau to connect different attractions and locations for various activities with different themes.

Engineer Henry Lam Kwun-wang from the Sustainable Lantau Office, which is under the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said the office hopes to develop the Round-the-Lantau Route - a 100-kilometer hiking trail looping around Lantau - by connecting existing hiking trails and building new ones.

A map of the trail shows that the proposed route will connect 10 spots, including Sunny Bay, Tung Chung, Ngong Ping, Tai O, Shek Pik, Shui Hau, Cheung Sha, Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, Pui O and Mui Wo.

"The office hopes Lantau can gather various ecological recreation programs and become a great go-to vacation spot for the public," Lam said.

To achieve this purpose, construction to expand mountain bike trail networks in Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan have almost been completed and a practice ground for mountain bikes in Mui Wo is also almost done, he added.

The hiking trail is part of the Lantau Conservation and Recreation Masterplan - a framework that adopts the principle of "development in the north; conservation for the south" under the Sustainable Lantau Blueprint.

Another conservation project under the Blueprint, Wong added, would be a 4.9km waterfront promenade with an ecoshoreline for which the government has already reserved land.

Another engineer from the office, Kristy Wong Tsz-wai, said the waterfront promenade will be built in the Tung Chung East extension area, with a riverside park to be built nearby later on.

"The ecoshoreline will provide a suitable habitat for marine creatures and increase biodiversity, while a riverside park will also be built in the future, which will improve the environment in Tung Chung, as well as education regarding the habitat," Kristy Wong said.

The development secretary said the government is actively promoting conservation work on Lantau, while rolling out development projects at the same time.

"The implementation of the HK$1 billion Lantau Conservation Fund will definitely help improve Lantau's conservation culture and rural characteristics and thereby achieve sustainable development on the island," Michael Wong said.

"The masterplan will also provide a framework and guidance for conservation and leisure measures in Lantau that will be rolled out in the future," he added.