Discovery Bay is the most westernized part of Hong Kong, in my opinion. I arrived by ferry but I could have arrived by plane since it felt like I had gone to another country. All of the buildings were new and there were tones of westerners with kids. It felt like I was back in Canada.
I managed to find the trail to get out of DB (it’s nickname) and found a nice small paved path away into a small village called Nim Shue Wan (稔樹灣). It is a small, older village where a lot of people park their pleasure boats. The village reminds me of other smaller villages that are found throughout Hong Kong. The path in this area was nice and flat but quickly went up and a bit steep.
Along the path were these markings on trees. I learned they were to represent the stations of the cross. I came to a blue bridge and crossed over to a small chapel. No one was around and the area was surrounded by lush green trees and grass. The bridge was across a small river. The chapel was part of the Trappist Haven Monastery (熙篤會神樂院). The Trappists are Roman Catholic and who follow a strict life in the observance of their faith. It has been said they don’t take a vow of silence but will only speak when spoken too. In the past there was a dairy factory but it has since closed and moved further north. I didn’t go into the actual monastery area because a little sign said do not enter.
I carried on and the hill became more like a mountain. I climbed up and up. There was a couple who were coming down the mountain in a “zig-zag” kind of way. I assume so it is easier on the knees. The climb was good and great for my health. The views were stunning as the South China Sea lay at my feet. The hike continued up until I got to the top. I had a great view of my next destination – Mui Wo.
I took a whole bunch of pictures before beginning to climb down from the mountain. I could feel the burn in the front of my legs. It felt pretty good. The weather wasn’t so hot, so I wasn’t sweating like I usually do. Mui Wo was a small older town. It was very quiet with a pretty nice beach. There were tones of hikers but it wasn’t too busy. I went to a restaurant called the China Beach Club and had a good snack.
I got to the ferry terminal and headed back to Central. A great day for a hike.