The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will hold the MacLehose Trail 40th Anniversary Celebration Day at Shing Mun Country Park (Sections 6 and 7 of the MacLehose Trail) this Saturday (October 26). Members of the public are welcome to join the wide range of fun-filled activities to get in touch with nature while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the MacLehose Trail.
Opened on October 26, 1979, the MacLehose Trail was the first long-distance hiking trail in Hong Kong, traversing from east to west through eight country parks, namely Sai Kung East, Sai Kung West, Ma On Shan, Lion Rock, Kam Shan, Shing Mun, Tai Mo Shan and Tai Lam. As the most representative hiking trail in Hong Kong and having been named as one of the world's 20 dream trails by National Geographic magazine, the 100-kilometre MacLehose Trail is divided into 10 sections which embrace magnificent natural scenery, interesting historical relics and a wide range of wild fauna and flora while winding past the coastline, rugged mountains, valleys and reservoirs to provide a diverse outdoor experience for hikers.
A spokesman for the AFCD said, "To commemorate the special occasion of the opening of the trail 40 years ago, the MacLehose Trail 40th Anniversary Celebration Day will offer a variety of activities, including treetop adventures, a hiking challenge to Needle Hill, sightseeing at Grassy Hill, DIY workshops and game booths, guided tours to war relics and performances, as well as various free play activities for children. Members of the public can experience the diverse vitality of nature by taking part in the activities based on their own interests."
The spokesman encouraged participants to prepare before joining the event by bringing their own water bottles and towels to avoid using one-off disposables, and to take away their litter to help maintain the naturalness of the country parks.
Moreover, the AFCD organises many interesting celebration events suitable for different walks of life. Events including "Public Talk: The Legendary MacLehose Trail", MacLehose Trail Maintenance Workshop, MacLehose Trail Campers and Excursion with Experts at MacLehose Trail are going to be held. While celebrating the 40th anniversary of the MacLehose Trail, these events will also allow members of the public to learn more about the trail. The public are welcome to join suitable events according to their own physical ability, experience and preference.
For details of the events, please visit the dedicated website of the Country Parks Education Programmes: natureintouch.gov.hk.
Furthermore, the AFCD has exclusively produced a series of short videos to showcase the beauty of different sections of the MacLehose Trail, in addition to showing guests sharing their personal stories related to the trail. Some videos have already been uploaded to the Facebook page of the Country Parks Education Programmes (www.facebook.com/pg/countryparkseducationprogammes), which will be updated with new ones from time to time.
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