The path to nature's destruction
A couple of weeks ago, hikers on a remote trail spotted a discrete sign on a post along the lonely track between Tai She Wan and Pak A. It carried an announcement sufficient to send a shiver of horror up the spine of anyone who loves the countryside; government plans to 'upgrade' the path.
When officials say they intend to 'improve' a beauty spot or 'upgrade' something which is in a pristine natural condition, it is time to be afraid. It usually means that a work gang will appear with concrete mixers, and defoliate the landscape. It is usually an even-money bet that the contract to cement broad paths through country parklands goes, miraculously, to a cousin or acquaintance of someone who has suggested the idea.
The narrow, winding track that links Pak A with Tai She Wan is a natural path of beaten earth and exposed rock. The Hakka villagers of this lonely stretch of coast, south of the High Island reservoir, have tramped it for generations. The path is perfectly useable, says Markus Shaw, chairman of World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong.
When he heard about the notice, he was immediately concerned. Past projects to 'upgrade' paths have been exercises in destruction, with unwanted and unnecessary layers of thick concrete laid over natural paths.
Contractors who built other paths in the district devastated the landscape not only with the monumental size of the work but also by casually dumping building waste and unwanted equipment in the woodlands. The way that hikers found out about the latest proposal was typical; there was a small notice in an obscure spot. By the time Mr Shaw was alerted, the deadline for lodging comments with the Sai Kung District Council had passed.
So what is going on and why is an upgrade necessary for a track which has been perfectly adequate for 200 years? This is a Rural Public Works project, planned by the Sai Kung district office. It claims that the aim is to 'improve the condition of the footpath to enhance public safety, particularly at certain rugged sections of the footpath on difficult terrain'. Officials assure me there is no intention to concrete the path.