Hiking trails swamped as thousands of Golden Week tourists flock to Hong Kong's country parks

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Hong Kong's scenic country parks, particularly the popular East Dam of High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, are experiencing a massive influx of tourists on the first day of the Labour Day Golden Week, leading to crowd control measures and significant traffic congestion.

As of 10am today, 76,000 mainland visitors had already entered Hong Kong, and many have opted for "in-depth" travel experiences beyond the usual shopping districts. 

Hiking the world-renowned MacLehose Trail has become a popular choice, with crowds descending on the trail's starting point at the East Dam.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) reported that by noon, the number of people in the area had reached 1,000 or more, labeling the crowd level as "very busy." 

As a result, crowd control measures have been implemented at Po Pin Chau, a nearby geological attraction, and the department has urged visitors to plan their trips carefully and allow for extra travel time.

This trend is visible on the ground and on social media. Photos and videos on the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu show long queues of people waiting for buses at Pak Tam Chung to get to the East Dam. 

At the dam itself, a long line of taxis snaked its way into the area, while a continuous stream of hikers could be seen winding its way up the mountain path. 

A video shared by LegCo member Christine Fong Kwok-shan also highlighted the long taxi queue and staff assisting with crowd management.

To manage the situation, police have implemented special traffic arrangements at the East Dam, making the road one-way for taxis, which now require 15 to 20 minutes to enter and return. 

Minibus operators have also reportedly increased their service to cope with the high demand, with sufficient vehicles seen waiting for passengers.

 

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