There are plenty of rocks in Hong Kong that bear an uncanny resemblance to people, animals or objects. There’s Rhino Rock, Lion Rock, and even a Face Mask Rock. But my favourite among them is Amah Rock.

This naturally shaped rock, overlooking Shatin, is shaped like a woman carrying a baby on her back or holding a baby in her arms. The legend behind Amah Rock is as captivating as the shape of the rock itself.

The resemblance of the rock to a mother holding a child is uncanny

How to get to Amah Rock?

Amah Rock stands above the entrance to the Lion Rock Tunnel and can easily be reached via a 15-minute hike from Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area.

However, many hikers like to combine Amah Rock with the Lion Rock Hike because the Lion Rock trail from Shatin passes Amah Rock.

Follow the signs for Lion Rock and Amah Rock

So, in a way, this post also serves as a guide to the Lion Rock Hike from Shatin.

Amah Rock & Lion Rock from Shatin

The Lion Rock and Amah Rock Hike from Shatin starts from Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area, near Tai Wai, and ends at the entrance of Lion Rock Park, near Wang Tau Hom.

However, as I’d hiked to Lion Rock on previous occasions, I decided to skip the detour to Hong Kong’s iconic peak. This is reflected in the stats and map below.

Amah Rock hike and elevation map

The detour to Lion Rock Head, from and back to Kowloon Pass, is approximately 1 km.

So, in essence, this guide will show you how to get to Amah Rock from Shatin, hike through Lion Rock Country Park and finish at Wang Tau Hom. I would consider this hike, without the Lion Rock detour, to be relatively easy.

Starting Point

The starting point for the Amah Rock Hike is the Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area. Depending on your location, there are two ways to get here using public transport.

By MTR:

1. You can take the East Rail Line or Tuen Ma Line to Tai Wai MTR Station.
2. At Tai Wai MTR Station, take Exit F and walk along Hung Mui Kuk Road for 1.5 km to the Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area.

By Bus:

1. Alternatively, you can take any bus to the Worldwide Gardens bus stop on Hung Mui Kuk Road.
2. From the bus stop, it should take a couple of minutes to walk to Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area.

Amah Rock is easily visible from Hung Mui Kuk Road. Towards the end of Hung Mui Kuk Road, take the pedestrian sidewalk under the Lion Rock Tunnel Road overpass.

The steps to Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area are immediately on the right after the overpass.

Walk up the steps on the right just after the bridge

Above the steps is the entrance to the Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area. There’s also a toilet and vending machine at the entrance. So, do what you need to do before starting the hike.

Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area, the starting point for the Amah Rock Hike

To Wilson Trail Section 5

Enter Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area

Hung Mui Kuk Barbecue Area is one of the nicer-looking barbecue areas I’ve seen in Hong Kong. The whole area is engulfed by beautiful tall trees.

As you enter the barbecue area, walk along the path between the barbecue pits. There is only one path at the start but it splits on a couple of occasions as it progresses. To head to Wilson Trail Section 5, follow the trail on the left.

After crossing the barbecue area, the trail begins its incline. Fortunately, the steps in this section of the hike aren’t too steep and are relatively easy.

There are a few steps along the initial path

The steps emerge at a paved path along the Beacon Hill Catchwater drain. This paved path is part of Section 5 of the Wilson Trail.

Once you reach Wilson Trail Section 5, cross the bridge over the catchwater

Once you reach the paved path, turn left and walk towards the small footbridge over the catchwater drain.

To Amah Rock

The next section is the toughest section of the hike, not including the detour to Lion Rock. But when I say toughest, it’s relative to how easy the rest of the hike is.

Just after the footbridge, the trail splits into two, with a sign pointing towards the left for Lion Rock, and to the right for Amah Rock. The sign also mentions that the trail on the left is the “Easy Path” and that the trail on the right is the “Steep Path”.

The path right goes to Amah Rock. Both paths merge ahead.

Go right. Not because it’s the steeper option, but because that’s the trail to Amah Rock. What’s worth noting is that both trails merge further ahead.

As you walk towards the “steep path”, you’ll first arrive at a stream flowing through boulders.

We stopped along the stream for a quick photo

Across the stream is where the climb begins. The steps become steeper as they twist and turn multiple times making their way to Amah Rock. As this is the toughest section of the hike, go slow if needed.

When you finally arrive at Amah Rock, there are two ways to get closer to it. From the trail, there is a path between the bushes that requires you to climb up the rocks. Or, simply walk a couple of metres ahead, and enter through the gate.

The entrance to Amah Rock

Amah Rock

Amah Rock or Mong Fu Shek (望夫石), literally “the stone gazing out for her husband” is a 15-metre tall rock formation that resembles a mother carrying her child.

But unfortunately, you cannot make out this resemblance standing right underneath the rock. For the best views of Amah Rock (without a drone), there is a viewpoint ahead that this guide will lead you to.

However, while next to the rock, walk around it to admire the views of the Shatin district below.

Views of Hin Keng below from Amah Rock

The story behind Amah Rock

As mentioned earlier, there is a beautiful legend behind Amah Rock.

Mother and child – Amah Rock

It goes – a fisherman’s wife climbed a hill every day carrying her son, to wait for her husband’s return. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to her, her husband had drowned at sea. To reward her for her loyalty, the Sea Goddess turned the woman into a stone so that her soul could reunite with her husband’s soul.

Quite beautiful.

To the Amah Rock Viewpoint

After you’re done admiring the rock and the views, walk out of the gate and turn right.

Walk down this path as it initially descends, turns flat, and then ascends. At the end of the steps, the paved surface gives way to a dirt trail.

Continue walking for a couple of minutes till you see a clearing on the left. From this spot, you can now finally see Amah Rock, in all its glorious resemblance!

Amah Rock – best seen from a distance

And what’s more, you can see Shatin in the background. This is a great viewpoint to see Amah Rock and Shatin together!

From this viewing point, you can see Amah Rock and Shatin

To where the trails merge

Remember the fork in the trail before the rocky stream? Well, the two trails finally meet a short walk ahead of the viewpoint.

The walk ahead is again mostly flat, with a few easy steps.

Once the two trails meet, they continue onto Lion Rock Pavilion as a single trail.

At this point, you can turn left, walk down the steps and return to Shatin. Or turn right to head towards Lion Rock or Lion Rock Park (which is where we are headed).

Follow the signs for Lion Rock where the two trails merge

To Kowloon Pass

As you turn right, the next section of the hike is relatively straightforward. This section of the trail is a repetition of a flat path followed by steps. And it’s good to know that the steps are easy, and the path is shaded.

Continue along this path for 700-800 metres till you arrive at the pavilion at Kowloon Pass. On Google Maps, it’s marked as the Reunification Pavilion, Lion Rock Country Park.

Just before the pavilion, there’s a Marker Stone, and a sign explaining that the Marker Stone indicates the location of several military installations in the area. Hong Kong has many hidden relics all over the city from World War II.

Be warned, the Kowloon Pass area is usually crowded and full of monkeys.

Please keep your distance and treat the monkeys with respect

Please be respectful of the monkeys. Do not go close to them, agitate them, or try to feed them. And watch out for your belongings (especially food items), and keep a respectful distance.

To Lion Rock

Kowloon Pass is a meeting point for several trails, coming from different directions. The one we approached it from is the one to Shatin. The trail to the right heads to Beacon Hill. There are two trails opposite the Shatin trail heading down Wong Tai Sin. The trail on the left heads to Lion Rock and Shatin Pass.

Follow the signs for Lion Rock, which is under 1 km from Kowloon Pass

If you’re headed to Lion Rock, follow the signs from the pavilion. The trail is about 500 metres from Lion Rock Head.

To Wang Tau Hom

However, as we’d hiked up Lion Rock on numerous occasions in the past, we decided to skip the detour and head down to Wong Tai Sin.

The quickest way down is to follow the sign for Wang Tau Hom.

Follow the sign to Wang Tau Hom

Once again, the trail is straightforward, albeit a little steep in the beginning. Also, there are a lot of monkeys on this trail, so be careful.

There are a couple of viewpoints on this section of the trail where you can stop to admire and take pictures of the spectacular views of the city below.

At the halfway point, the trail’s terrain transforms from an uneven rocky surface to a smooth, paved path.

Continue along the paved path till you reach the steps that exit onto Lion Rock Road, next to the entrance to Lion Rock Park.

If you’re lucky, you can catch a taxi from outside the entrance to Lion Rock Park. Or you could walk down the road and take the steps to Chuk Yuen Road. You should be able to catch a bus or taxi from here. The closest MTR stations are Lo Fu or Wong Tai Sin, about 1.2 km from the steps.

Shatin to Wong Tai Sin via Amah Rock & Lion Rock

We hope you enjoyed this hike that straddles Lion Rock Country Park, from Shatin and Wong Tai Sin via Amah Rock and Lion Rock.

Panoramic view of Shatin with Amah Rock in the centre

If you enjoy hiking to such rock formations in Hong Kong, we recommend checking out Rhino Rock in Stanley, a rock that resembles the head of a rhino. And feel free to refer to our Lion Rock Hike Guide for the most scenic route.

As always, please feel free to leave us a comment below or share this post on the social media channel of your choice.

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