Yuen Long Park, Hong Kong

Yuen Long Park, Hong Kong

Yuen Long Park (Yuen Long Park) is a large park in Hong Kong, located on a natural woodland on Buffalo Hill southwest of Yuen Long town centre in the Yuen Long District of the New Territories. It is adjacent to Yuen Long Stadium and Yuen Long Swimming Pool. Covering an area of 7.5 hectares, the construction project took two years, and the park was opened in the spring of 1991. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong and has been awarded the Merit Award by the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects.

Originally named Yuen Long Town Park (English: Yuen Long Town Park), Yuen Long Park served as the main park of the Yuen Long New Town and was built by the now-defunct Regional Council. Before the construction of Yuen Long Town Park, the site was a village called “Buffalo Hill Cottage Area”; even earlier, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–45), it was a mass grave and execution ground for the Japanese military. As a result, many ghost stories are still told about the area around Yuen Long Park today. Local lore also suggests that the design of the Pagoda of a Hundred Birds was intended to ward off evil spirits.

The park is built along the hillside, with the design aiming to preserve the original terrain and trees while featuring an abundance of flowers and greenery for a pleasant and scenic environment. Over 800 lush trees are spread throughout the park. On the hilltop stands the Pagoda of a Hundred Birds, with the lower level serving as an aviary and the upper level functioning as an observation tower offering panoramic views of Yuen Long and the Tin Shui Wai new town. The Waterfall Garden enchants visitors with its small bridges, flowing streams, artificial lake, and waterfall. Below the Pagoda of a Hundred Birds lies a magnificent water feature: a 13-meter-high waterfall cascades down, meandering through a stream into an artificial lake teeming with fish and blooming lotuses, offering a serene escape from worldly worries. Behind the waterfall, a tranquil path leads visitors behind the falls, where they can explore an artificial “water curtain cave” to admire the small bridge, flowing water, and a traditional Chinese lakeside pavilion, creating a uniquely picturesque scene. In addition, Yuen Long Park houses several burial sites of ancestors from the local Tang clan.

Yuen Long Park features a grass court designed for gateball, covering an area of 400 square meters. Gateball is an easy-to-learn ball sport with moderate physical exertion, suitable for people of all ages, especially seniors. In addition to the gateball court, the park also offers a seven-a-side football pitch and a five-a-side football pitch, a children’s playground, a fitness trail, a uniquely designed fountain plaza, and a pebble path walking trail.