Silence and rare beauty threatened
I am opposed to proposals put forward by Sha Tin District Council, to build an iron ore theme park in Ma On Shan Country Park.
According to reports in the Chinese press, the park will look at the history of iron ore mining in Ma On Shan, which ended in 1976.
The council has proposed that a cable car system would be built to link Lutheran Grace Youth Camp, Ngong Ping Plateau, Pyramid Hill, Ma On Shan and The Hunch Backs, which are all located in the beautiful Ma On Shan Country Park. Also, a so-called 'wildlife park' would be built at Ngong Ping Plateau.
The point of these theme parks is to attract tourists. I can only assume our councillors do not do much hiking, or they would appreciate that the rare beauty of Ma On Shan, especially the plateau in Ngong Ping, is something that should be preserved.
All my friends who have hiked with me there are impressed by the beautiful scenery. How can we accept the construction of a cable car which would ruin this lovely part of our countryside? Whenever I camp in Ma On Shan, I love the silence, the fresh air and the greenery. A cable car system would inevitably cause a lot of noise. And the construction of such a system would lead to a lot of trees being felled and the destruction of large areas of meadow.
I urge every hiker to protest against this destructive project. And I would appreciate responses, through these columns, from Sha Tin District Council and the relevant government department.
RAYMOND CHAN
Sheung Shui
