Lion Rock — Attraction in Hong Kong

Lion Rock is a geological landmark in the Country Park by the same name in an area that is essentially a rural boundary between the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. In this manner, it feels like you are right in the centre of Hong Kong from atop of Lion Rock as you can see the city in pretty much all directions from here. Naturally, this unique landmark and location makes Lion Rock one of the most popular hiking spots in Hong Kong for residents and tourists alike.

What you will find at Lion Rock is a ridged hilltop that from a distance is said to resemble a sitting lion. It is shrubby with numerous stacks of boulders which provide numerous clearings. At a height of 495 metres at the head of the lion, visitors are rewarded with full views of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island to the south and southwest as well as much of the New Territories East and West in the opposite directions.

Views can be remarkable at Lion Rock, particularly when skies are clear and air visibility is favourable. Lion Rock is also a popular place to watch the sunset and take in views of the city at night when Hong Kong is lit up like the night's stars.

There are several hiking routes leading up to Lion Rock. The most convenient and easy to follow is from the Lion Rock Country Park entrance along Sha Tin Pass Road north of the Wong Tai Sin MTR Station. From the Station it is quite an urban uphill climb to the park entrance. From the country park entrance, you hike a rather steep and mostly upward climb along an easy to follow 1.8 km trail until you reach Lion Rock. Note: You may want to take taxi up to the country park entrance from the MTR Station if you prefer to save your energy and strength for hiking within the park.

Further, if you are hiking the MacLehose Trail Section #5 in either direction through Lion Rock Country Park, you will pass by Lion Rock and be able to conveniently and quickly add a stop here to your hike across the country park. There are several other approaches to Lion Rock from the south as well as the north along the Shatin Pass if you were coming from Amah Rock for example.

Overall, Lion Rock is a treasure here in Hong Kong. Even on days with poorer visibility, it is remarkable looking over the city from atop the lion. You can see and identify so many landmark skyscrapers, bodies of water and peaks throughout the territory. Bring a pair of binoculars with you if you want to really scout around the city to see places you are familiar...

Lion Rock Access: Take MTR exit at C2 of Kowloon Tong Station to arrive at minibus 72 or 73 at the Yau Yat chuen Public Transport interchange under the Festival walk Shopping mall. The minibus will pass the Lung Cheung Road and Lion Rock Road junction where the entrance of Lion Rock Park Community Garden is situated. From this starting point I hiked up towards the Lion Rock. From there down Hill to reach junction of distance Post 105. There will be 2 sign posts pointing to the left Beacon Hill and to the right Shatin Pass. From here take the Beacon Hill direction to exit to Tai Wai passing through Amah Rock. This route total distance will be 4.3 Km. On the 26th Dec, I walked this route to the Shatin Pass along the Maclehose Trail section 5 to reach Lion’s Pavilion. The upward trek from Lion Park to the Lion Rock was not very easy on the last stretch. This stretch was from Reunification Pavilion to the top. About 100 meter from here there was a huge rock which gave a good view of the Kowloon Peninsula and HK island. I climbed this rock with great caution. Further up there were several dangerous signs warning to be cautious of danger because cliffs were nearby at the head and tail sections of the Lion Rock. The climb to the tail and head of the Lion Rock was difficult and dangerous , so caution was strictly necessary. The view from the Lion’s Head at 478 M was spectacular because it provided a bird eyes view of the whole Kowoon Peninsula from East to West . When I turned 180 degrees back then on the other side was the whole of Shatin and Taipo areas even all the way to the Pat Sin Leng Country Park and its peaks. The feelings of such views was very satisfying . This whole hiking route is not for the weak or the inexperienced or the undetermined hikers and is definitely dangerous at the Head and Tail sections of the Lion Rock. At the end of the Maclehose Trail section 5 reaching the Lion’s Pavilion it will be easy to walk down to Tsz Lok Estate to take mini bus to any nearby MTR stations, be it Wong Tai Sin or Diamond Hill MTR stations. Have fun and excitement by visiting this Lion Rock and hike with caution. This is a unique rock of HK so near to the city and yet not so easy to climb to the top yet it looks so magnificent .

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Lion Rock mountain might not be as famous as Victoria’s Peak, but it is the spirit of Hong Kongese and the most distinctive mountain along the Kowloon mountain range. With a rocky outcrop that resembles the side profile of a resting lion, Lion Rock is one of the most accessible urban hikes in Hong Kong. It is popular for both day and night hike, and an easier trek than the famed Kowloon Peak with Suicide Cliff. Here is how to hike it

Difficulty: 3/5 with options to skip the ascent to the lion rock itself and continue on

Time taken: 3-4 hours depending on where you end the trek

Pros: fairly close to public transport and easy to reach, great view of Kowloon Peninsula and Victoria Harbour

We saw people of all ages on the trail to Lion Rock, even some with canes and a few people carrying their dogs as well. It’s a pretty easy hike, the trail is very well marked and there are several areas to sit and rest for a while. We would suggest wearing tennis/hiking shoes as the trail isn’t all paved, over half of it is dirt/gravel.

Once you make it to the top of Lion Rock you’ll be rewarded with the best view of Hong Kong. You’ll feel like you are on top of the world up here

The Lion Rock Peak hike in is very popular with people from Hong Kong and can get very busy on the weekends. This hike is best done on a weekday if you want to have the more of the trail to yourself.

Also, make sure to check the weather in Hong Kong and tentatively plan a day to do the hike. The weather in Hong Kong can be unpredictable so be flexible with your Hong Kong plans.

Bring enough WATER there aren’t any vendors selling water along the hike. We each brought 1.5 liters of water and it was finished before we finished our hike. If you typically drink a lot of water when hiking then bring more, it’s better to have extra.

Watch out for MONKEYS. There are monkeys along the trail in the trees if you have never had an encounter with a monkey just realize there is no such thing as a nice monkey. Do NOT feed the monkey or try to touch the...