Section 8 Chuen Lung to Allway Gardens
An urban stream hike
Difficulty ** | Time 2.5 hrs | Distance 2.7 km | Transport to start Bus to Chuen Lung | Hammocks On stream | Food Allway Gardens | Water feature Stream, major waterfall
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Section 8 information
Section 8 of the Argyle Ross Trail takes you from the village of Chuen Lung, down the slopes of Tai Mo Shan through the streams of Pak Shek Kiu and Tso Kung Tam before finishing at a wonderful waterfall in the north-western edge of urban Tsuen Wan. As one of the shortest sections on the trail, it can be combined easily with Sections 9 or 11 to make a full day’s hiking.
Before beginning the hike, why not not start the day with a peaceful dim sum breakfast on the terrace at Choi Lung (see Section 7). To start the section, find the path behind the restaurant that leads to a car park and descend a flight of stairs on the left. Walk past some terraced fields and through the forest on a paved path until you turn right onto Shing Mun Catchwater. Cross Route Twist to the Tai Lam Chung Catchwater and after about 15 minutes look out for a small slope maintenance gate and a water runoff channel down to the river valley. Here the river bank is quite steep and you will find a rope which you can use to swiftly abseil down the slope to Pak Shek Kiu Stream.
Pak Shek Kiu is a tributary of Tso Kung Tam and you will spend about 45 mins descending through the water until you meet their confluence. Pak Shek Kiu doesn’t feel as wild as other streams on the Argyle Ross Trail but its interesting scenery includes a few rustic shacks, farmland and smallholdings bordering the water. When you arrive at Tso Kung Tam you will immediately notice it being distinctly more urban with a large government drainage channel and views of the apartment blocks of Tsuen Wan above the valley.
Further down, you will arrive at the top of a tall waterfall and the main attraction of Section 8. To descend, cross over to the upper waterfall before climbing down the left hand side of the cliff (looking down) which is considerably less steep, and has many obvious footholds. Looking up from the bottom, this beautiful waterfall and plunge pool could be straight out of a geography textbook. To finish the section follow the stream for a few more minutes and exit up the path leading to Tsuen King Garden housing estate. A short walk through the town will lead you towards Allway Gardens, the end of Section 8, with plenty of shops and restaurants to resupply on the way.
Before beginning the hike, why not not start the day with a peaceful dim sum breakfast on the terrace at Choi Lung (see Section 7). To start the section, find the path behind the restaurant that leads to a car park and descend a flight of stairs on the left. Walk past some terraced fields and through the forest on a paved path until you turn right onto Shing Mun Catchwater. Cross Route Twist to the Tai Lam Chung Catchwater and after about 15 minutes look out for a small slope maintenance gate and a water runoff channel down to the river valley. Here the river bank is quite steep and you will find a rope which you can use to swiftly abseil down the slope to Pak Shek Kiu Stream.
Pak Shek Kiu is a tributary of Tso Kung Tam and you will spend about 45 mins descending through the water until you meet their confluence. Pak Shek Kiu doesn’t feel as wild as other streams on the Argyle Ross Trail but its interesting scenery includes a few rustic shacks, farmland and smallholdings bordering the water. When you arrive at Tso Kung Tam you will immediately notice it being distinctly more urban with a large government drainage channel and views of the apartment blocks of Tsuen Wan above the valley.
Further down, you will arrive at the top of a tall waterfall and the main attraction of Section 8. To descend, cross over to the upper waterfall before climbing down the left hand side of the cliff (looking down) which is considerably less steep, and has many obvious footholds. Looking up from the bottom, this beautiful waterfall and plunge pool could be straight out of a geography textbook. To finish the section follow the stream for a few more minutes and exit up the path leading to Tsuen King Garden housing estate. A short walk through the town will lead you towards Allway Gardens, the end of Section 8, with plenty of shops and restaurants to resupply on the way.