The lion's head
All of Kowloon below.
Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan — CC BY 2.0 · Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan — CC BY 2.0 · Qwer132477 — CC BY 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Lion Rock is a 495 m mountain between Kowloon Tong in Kowloon and Tai Wai in the New Territories. From afar it looks like a crouching lion, most clearly from Choi Hung and San Po Kong, and it is one of the most distinctive features of the Kowloon skyline. The peak is granite with sparse shrubs, and Kowloon's granite is estimated at around 140 million years old. The whole mountain lies within Lion Rock Country Park, and the Lion Rock Tunnel runs beneath it from Kowloon Tong to Tai Wai. In local culture its name is tied to a television series about the lives of ordinary people in the city. A trail winds up through the forest to the «lion's head», where all of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island in the distance come into view. The rocks at the top jut out and can be slippery. You can follow the trail along the lion's profile until it links up with the long MacLehose Trail, among the best known long walks in the area. It is 2.3 km in a straight line from Chi Lin Nunnery, so you can visit the nunnery and garden after coming down. Wear sturdy shoes, bring plenty of water and keep back from the edges, some of which drop steeply. Start early, since shade thins near the top, and avoid wet or misty days. Sunset pictures are lovely, but descending at night needs experience and a torch.
All of Kowloon below.
Jutting out at the top.
Climbing among the trees.
Lion Rock Country Park, between Kowloon Tong and Tai Wai
From Choi Hung and San Po Kong in East Kowloon.
Moderate, harder near the top, so wear sturdy shoes and keep from the edges.