REPORTING BY Raphael Blet
PHOTOS BY Sarin Ale
Located beneath Ngong Ping 360’s Airport Island Angle Station and a 10-minute walk from Tung Chung town centre, Scenic Hill is a hidden gem; a picture-perfect spot for a leisurely hike, right on the southern tip of Chek Lap Kok. At 77 metres, it’s now the tallest point in the area, since other nearby mountains were bulldozed in the 1990s to make reclaimed land for the airport. The views from the top are outstanding – it’s a superb place to watch aircraft take-off and land – and the trail leading up to the summit is a favourite among Tung Chung residents training for trail races or walking their dogs.
The trail path starts on Chek Lap Kok South Road, and the hike, though steep, is do-able for most – allow 30 to 45 minutes depending on your pace. The stairs leading up are well-maintained, and you can even enjoy this walk by night thanks to solar-powered lighting. Bring your own water since there are no stores at the top.
As you climb, you get very close to the cable car, so close that you can wave at passengers and have them wave back at you. Midway through your walk (where the stairs give way to concrete trail), you can pause to look out across Tung Chung Bay, with its gleaming housing estates backed by Sunset Peak. From here, you may even spot hikers on the 14-kilometre Tung O Ancient Trail, on the southwest side of the bay, once the easiest way for villagers to commute between Tung Chung and Tai O.
On reaching the summit, you are welcomed by a mesmerising, panoramic view over Tung Chung, the airport and South China Sea. You get a glimpse of the HK$141.5 billion third runway and the 55-kilometre Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. Choose a sunny day, when the pollution index is low, and you can see all the way to Macau. There’s a charming Chinese pavilion from which to take in the view, though it’s often standing room only at the weekend.
Before heading back to Tung Chung, take a detour and walk the 3.5-kilometre Airport Trail, part of which L wraps around the bottom of Scenic Hill, and takes you past the airport’s back end (cargo area, Cathay Pacific City, Air Mail Centre). Managed by the Airport Authority, the HK$6 million project was designed to connect the airport with its neighbouring community, giving Tung Chung residents, visitors and airport workers an outdoor space for exercise. More than 10,000 trees, including 20 indigenous species, have been planted along the trail, making it a surprisingly scenic spot to do some laps.
