Hong Kong Rocks

Check out the natural wonders of Hong Kong with a tour of our newly opened Geopark. Pictures courtesy of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

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Published: 4:00pm, 3 Dec 2009Updated: 1:04pm, 19 Oct 2016

When we talk about Hong Kong being, or striving to be, world-class, we almost always do so with respect to its man-made features. Much less attention is paid to the world-class status of some of its natural formations. Hong Kong’s coastline boasts a wide range of fantastically shaped rock structures produced by erosion and weathering, including sea arches, sea stacks, geos, notches, blowholes and many more features that you probably haven’t heard of. The oldest rocks are as old as 400 million years.

To conserve and promote awareness of our unique landforms, the government opened the Hong Kong Geopark at the beginning of this month. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines geoparks as territories that include one or more sites of scientific importance—not just in terms of their geological but also their archeological, ecological and cultural value. Such officially recognized areas are an increasingly popular phenomenon around the world.

Hong Kong’s geopark, which has been recognized by UNESCO but is not an official UNESCO site, covers 50 square kilometers and consists of eight different areas, spread across the northeast New Territories sedimentary rock region and the Sai Kung volcanic rock region. Beijing’s Ministry of Land and Resources has classified it as one of China’s 182 national geoparks.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about Hong Kong’s most impressive rock formations is their unique accessibility. As Jim Chi Yung, chair professor of the Department of Geography and chairman of Hong Kong Friends of the Country Parks, points out, the impressive landforms “are so near to the urban district that you can finish a round trip in a single day. By contrast, many famous geosites in the world are far away from the urban district, so that a trip may take at least two days."

Chi’s favorite rock formations are those at Ma Shi Chau and Tung Ping Chau, whose impressive shapes were formed by erosion about 100 years ago. He says such sedimentary rocks, as opposed to the volcanic variety extensively found here, are rare and precious in Hong Kong. To find out which is your favorite, visit each of the eight areas below. For more detailed information bout each and how to get there, visit the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department’s geopark website, www.geopark.gov.hk.

High Island

Located in the southeast of Sai Kung Peninsula, High Island’s hexagonal rock column is perhaps the most visually impressive land formation in Hong Kong—particularly the twisted column at High Island Reservoir East Dam, which is well worth getting close up to. Tai Long Wan coast nearby also features some eye-catching volcanic rocks, and has come first among the official “Top Ten Hong Kong Natural Attractions” many times.

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Hong Kong Rocks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Check out the natural wonders of Hong Kong with a tour of our newly opened Geopark. Pictures courtesy of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

High Island

Check out the natural wonders of Hong Kong with a tour of our newly opened Geopark. Pictures courtesy of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.