appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Ng Kang-chung

Hong Kong authorities have warned visitors not to climb a 400 million-year-old rock outcrop at a Unesco-protected country park after pictures showing people standing on it to take selfies circulated on social media.
People were photographed at the Devil’s Fist at Sai Kung Geopark, a popular hiking spot, where they were seen standing on the rock giving a thumbs up, sitting on it or hanging onto it like a koala.
The pictures were widely shared on Xiaohongshu, a social media platform on mainland China dubbed “the travel bible”.
“Officers can step up patrols and public education. The main aim is to arouse visitors’ awareness of the need to protect nature,” Eric Keung Siu-lun, a guide and project manager at Tai Po Geoheritage Centre, said.
“It will be more effective if the government can do it through social media.”
The Devil’s Fist is at the end of Bluff Head in the Plover Cove Country Park.
Rocks in the area were formed by deposits from estuarine deltas 400 million years ago, and assumed their vertical shape through a variety of geological processes.
Weathering and coastal erosion caused the formation of distinctively shaped rocks, most notably the Devil’s Fist.




Bluff Head, with Wong Mau Chau, Jin Island, Wang Chau and Basalt Island, make up the main parts of the Unesco-protected geopark.
The natural landscape is a recommended attraction on Xiaohongshu.
Search results show many selfies of people standing or sitting on the rock, despite a warning on the site appealing to visitors to protect the park’s natural features.
“The misbehaviour of some tourists can cause serious damage to the geological heritage site,” Keung said.
“We should respect and protect the site to avoid accidents caused by weathering. It is enough to appreciate the rock formation from afar.”
The Codes for Visiting Geosites in Hong Kong says visitors “should not climb the rock columns or walk on severely weathered or eroded surfaces”.
The Country Parks and Special Areas Regulations also prohibit anyone without authorisation from “digging, cultivating or disturbing the soil”.
But Keung admitted enforcement was difficult as officers were unlikely to patrol the location throughout the day and catch visitors red-handed.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would bolster its warning messages to resident and overseas visitors through social media platforms.

He said guidelines for visitors were displayed at all Hong Kong geopark visitor centres, as well as near the Devil’s Fist at Wong Chuk Kok Tsui.
“The [department] urges visitors to Hong Kong Geopark and country parks not to engage in any acts which may pose potential risks, including climbing rocks,” the spokesman said.
He said patrols would give warnings to visitors for violation of its guidelines and promised to step up promotion of the rules on social media.
The department took more than 780 enforcement actions under the Country Parks and Special Areas Regulations last year.
These included clamping down on unauthorised vehicles in country parks, illegal cycling, camping and fires, as well as incidents involving damage to plants.
Climbing a rock in country parks is not an offence under the regulations.
Additional reporting by Tom Shuai


Hong Kong police launch search after man, 76, goes missing in Ma On Shan

Baby Danny DNA case sparks calls for Hong Kong to introduce home birth rules

Hong Kong must build bridges for people, not just cars

23 injured after minibus, double-decker and truck collide on Hong Kong highway

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong authorities warn against climbing 400 million-year-old Devil’s Fist in geopark

Visitors stood on Devil’s with their thumbs up, sat on it or hung onto it like a koala. Photo: Xiaohongshu

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would bolster its warning messages to local and overseas visitors. Photo: Xiaohongshu

Hiking in Hong Kong: how to navigate the trails safely amid summer heat

Clear Water Bay Country Park, where a 56-year-old hiker recently died from heat-related injuries. Photo: Getty Images

Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain in Hong Kong at 957 metres above sea level. Photo: Dickson Lee

The police HKSOS mobile app can help emergency personnel accurately locate a person in distress even when a mobile signal is absent. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hikers near Lantau Mountain Camp at Sunset Peak on Lantau Island. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong solo hiker dies in hospital hours after being found following 15-hour search

The hiker was captured by CCTV cameras before he set out on Sunday morning. Photo: Handout  

News

Hong Kong

Society

Conservation department says it will promote guidelines after photos of selfie-seekers climbing rock circulated on social media


Conservation department says it will promote guidelines after photos of selfie-seekers climbing rock circulated on social media.


Hong Kong environmental issues

Hong Kong authorities warn against climbing 400 million-year-old Devil’s Fist in geopark

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Conservation department says it will promote guidelines after photos of selfie-seekers climbing rock circulated on social media

Conservation department says it will promote guidelines after photos of selfie-seekers climbing rock circulated on social media