Shing Mun Country Park

Hong Kong Shing Mun Country Park

Shing Mun Country Park (English: Shing Mun Country Park), designated on June 24, 1977, is a country park in Hong Kong, covering an area of 1,400 hectares. The park is located from Lead Mine Pass in the north to Shing Mun Reservoir Road in the south; from Tai Mo Shan in the west to Grass Hill and Needle Hill in the east. Shing Mun Reservoir, situated at the southern foothills of Tai Mo Shan, lies within the country park. Surrounded by mountains and boasting beautiful scenery, it has long been a popular destination for outings. The Shing Mun Arboretum Special Area and the Tai Mo Shan Montane Scrub Special Area are also located within Shing Mun Country Park.

History

To meet the sharply increased demand for drinking water due to the rapid population growth in Kowloon, the authorities began constructing Shing Mun Reservoir in 1933 and relocated the residents in the area to the New Territories. The project was completed in 1936, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom, hence it was also named “Jubilee Reservoir”. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, a large number of trees in the Shing Mun area were felled. After the war, reforestation was carried out, including species such as Monterey pine, red ironwood, melaleuca, and Taiwan acacia, making this one of Hong Kong’s major afforestation areas.

In 1971, the Hong Kong Government allocated funds from the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation to set up a series of experimental recreational facilities for hiking and leisure, which were very popular with the public. Established in 1977, Shing Mun Country Park was one of the first batch of country parks in Hong Kong, alongside the establishment of Kam Shan Country Park and Lion Rock Country Park during the same period.

In addition, to address traffic between Mei Foo, Lei Muk Shue, and Kwai Chung to the eastern part of the New Territories and to alleviate congestion in the Lion Rock Tunnel, the government specifically constructed the Shing Mun Tunnel in February 1987, which was completed in April 1990.