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Dragon's Back Trail Hong Kong **April 5, 2022** Another weekend has come, and finally, our postponed plan to go for a hike was completed last Sunday. The weather was just so perfect to hike on a trail as the sun shone so brightly giving a better view atop the mountain. It was windy at the same time and the cold breeze helped us not to perspire a lot. The natural feature on our list was **Dragon's Back** and it was my second time hiking this mountain. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular mountains in Hong Kong with the best sceneries atop the ridges and summit. The undulating ridges that run through To Tei Wan trail, Shek O trail, and Tai Tam Gap trails resemble the back of a dragon. And that's where its name came from.

From the train station, we rode a bus for 12 minutes, hopped out at the Shek O road, and walked to the entranceway to the trail which was just by the roadside. It was easy to spot the starting trail as wooden signage was posted on the entranceway.

The concrete footpaths made our trail easier to the dragon's back trail.

We followed concrete staircases and shaded paths, and passed through small bamboos, trees, tall grasses, and shrubs.

You wouldn't be lost in the mountain as wooden signages are posted just so you could track the right trails.

We continued climbing and following the shaded paths and concrete staircases. This is what I like about Hong Kong trails, there are concrete staircases and shaded footpaths that make the climb easier and faster.

After more or less 20 minutes of walking, we came across a resting area where a group of Filipino hikers was resting and having photoshoots.

On the left side was another resting shed where a group of old hikers was chatting while resting. We waited until they leave the place so we could take photos as well, lol.

It was also the intersection of To Tei Wan and Tai Tam Gap Trails. We opted to follow the To Tei Wan trail where the Shek O summit can be found. Just a few minutes from this spot, was the Shek O Peninsula viewing point where a group of hikers was enjoying the view of the Shek O beach and spectacular shoreline on the foothill.

We climbed higher until we reached rock formations that were a perfect backdrop as well. A risk-taker, of course, didn't waste the chance to climb on top of the enormous rock to see the ridges forming the dragon's back.

We moved farther until we reached the rocky platform of **To Tei Wan trail**, another perfect viewing point of Shek O Peninsula. Shek O means "*Rocky Bay*" and as you can see in the photo, rocky bay and islets are visible on the shoreline and the platform where I am standing is also a rocky platform.

The clear blue sky met the blue sea, it was a stunning tranquil backdrop. Some people say beauty is subjective, but on top of the mountain, it is objective and inarguable. All hikers would definitely say that real beauty comes after an arduous climb.

It's not because of the own definition of beauty or experience, it's just really naturally beautiful, and no ugly words could be used to define it.

More groups of hikers were coming in the afternoon, young, adults, and old, foreigners and locals. There were even kids hiking with their families. We left the rocky platforms and continued hiking as we didn't reach the summit yet. We followed shaded paths and had a closer shot of the Shek O country park and golf course below the foothill.

A few distances before reaching the summit was another viewing point of Shek O Peninsula and the stunning shoreline where hikers were resting for a while.

We climbed a steep staircase up to Shek O summit.

At the end of the staircase was a scenic view of the To Tei Wan trail and rocky ridges visibly shown through the shaded parts of the mountains.

At noon, we finally reached the **Shek O peak**, the tallest among the hills along the dragon's back trail.

After more than 2 hours of climbing, hikers could rest on the bench on the peak and enjoy the scenic view for a while. The strong chilly wind and calming view washed away the pain we got from climbing, but it was all worth it.

From the Shek O pea, we opted to go down to Tai Tam Gap trail to see what lies down its trail. Dragon's Back trail is not just a perfect place trail for hiking, but also a perfect spot for **paragliding**. As we went down from the peak, we came across the paragliding viewing point where different groups of hikers and families were resting while waiting for the paragliders to take set off.

A couple of paragliders was preparing to set off. We actually wanted to wait and see how it goes, but the time was running and they seemed to have photoshoots first before jumping and gliding in the air. The spot is not just a starting place to paraglide, but also a perfect viewing point of Big Wave Bay beach and the Southern shoreline.

We left the place and went down to **Tai Tam Gap trail.**

The Tai Tam Gap trail seemed to be an unending path with trees.

After more or less than 40 minutes of walking in the woods, we came across the intersection of Big Wave Bay and Tai Tam Gap bus stop.

Since we still have enough time, we opted to follow the path of going to Big Wave Bay. And another journey commenced... See you at the surfing capital of Hong Kong!! Thanks for stopping by.

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