The Cheung Ngau Shan Hike (sometimes also referred to as the Cheung Ngau Shan and Tseng Hang Shan Hike) is a scenic hike across the rolling hills in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. With three hills to climb and descend one after another, this moderately challenging hike is sure to test your endurance.

With its grassy texture, and undulating landscape, this is one of the more scenic terrains in the New Territories. In fact, Cheung Ngau Shan was once frequented by cows who came to graze its grassy hills.

The scenic beauty of the rolling hills aside, the hike also rewards you with stunning views of Kai Kung Leng (Rooster Ridge), Tai Mo Shan, Tai To Yan, and the Shenzhen skyline.

So, if you’re looking for a scenic and moderately challenging hike in Yuen Long, read on.

About the Cheung Ngau Shan Hike

The area surrounding Cheung Ngau Shan is one of the more scenic regions in the New Territories in my opinion. From a distance, the lush, soft hills look quite photogenic and inviting. But once you’re hiking across them, they feel deceptively difficult.

For starters, the 5 km hike crosses three hills — Ho Hok Shan (149 m), Cheung Ngau Shan (220 m), and Tseng Hang Shan (237 m). And as you can see in the elevation profile above, each hill is separated by a gap that’s roughly half its height. Which means, you’re constantly ascending and descending throughout the hike.

And right at the end, the hike connects with the picturesque Lam Chung Country Trail which runs on top of Tseng Hang Shan. But descending Tseng Hang Shan is another challenge altogether.

So, with that out of the way, let’s start the Cheung Ngau Shan Hike!

Starting point

Although you could attempt to do this hike in reverse, tallest to shortest hill, we’re going to start from the shortest and make our way to the tallest hill.

To start the Cheung Ngau Shan Hike, make your way to Castle Peak Road — Yuen Long, between TWGHs C Y Ma Memorial College and the SARDA Au Tau Youth Centre.

The most convenient way to arrive here is by bus at the Tung Shing Lei bus stop. There are plenty of KMB and LWB, and GMB routes that ply along this road.

After getting off the bus, walk towards the Au Tau Youth Centre. Before reaching the centre, look for an unmarked trail leading into the wilderness from the pedestrian path.

This is the starting point for the Cheung Ngau Shan Hike.

To The Fence

Upon entering the unmarked trail, you’ll leave the main road behind and find yourself in an area of wild vegetation. Continue through a shaded section until the path splits; then, take the flight of steps on the right to start climbing uphill.

At the top of the steps, you’ll find a makeshift bridge. Cross it to reach another makeshift bridge.

These bridges seem fragile, and I hope someone replaces the wooden planks if they ever break or collapse.

Anyway, after the second bridge, the trail curves to the left as it continues to gently climb before arriving at a fence.

To Ho Hok Shan

The fence divides the trail again, with one path to the right and another to the left. Continue the hike by taking the path on the left side of the fence.

This path along the fence is narrow, and the trees and shrubs create a tunnel-like effect. Further ahead, the trail reaches another set of narrow steps as it continues alongside the fence.

As you climb, the trail emerges above the tree line, leaving the fence behind and offering your first view of Kai Kung Leng and the Shenzhen skyline. (Sadly, the day we hiked, there was a wildfire that had broken out on Kai Kung Leng).

Continue following the trail as it winds uphill. With fewer trees, the path and the hill ahead remain clearly visible.

The trail is relatively easy, aside from a short, steep climb just before Ho Hok Shan.

The summit of Ho Hok Shan (149 m) is marked by a small shrine. Take a moment to admire the views of Yuen Long, Shenzhen, and Kai Kung Leng before continuing.

The Gap Between Ho Hok Shan and Cheung Ngau Shan

The initial descent from Ho Hok Shan can be slightly tricky thanks to the dry trail with the loose rocks. But once you get past that, the trail becomes easier to walk on.

There are hardly trees on this section of the hike, which makes it possible to admire the undulating landscape all around.

As you continue, you’ll notice a large patch of trees ahead, situated in the gap between Ho Hok Shan and Cheung Ngau Shan.

Enter the shaded area and follow the trail as it leads you out the other side.

To Cheung Ngau Shan

As the trail exits the trees, it begins a gradual ascent towards Cheung Ngau Shan.

The trail initially passes a cemetery before reaching the lush, grassy area that gives these hills their rolling texture.

Depending on the season in which you hike Cheung Ngau Shan, the grass can be lush and green, or sprouting silvergrass, which is what we encountered.

Walking through the silvergrass with Cheung Ngau Shan directly ahead, bathed in the afternoon sun, felt idyllic.

The trail is easy to follow, even with the tall surrounding grass. If you’re unsure of the path, look for ribbon markers.

As you reach the base of Cheung Ngau Shan, the climb begins. The ascent to Cheung Ngau Shan never feels too intense. After all, it’s only 220 m, and you’re starting from approximately 85 m after the patch of trees.

Continue climbing until you reach the Cheung Ngau Shan triangulation station. Take a moment to enjoy the views from here, particularly of Tseng Hang Shan, the hill directly ahead.

To Ng Kwu (Lookout Point)

The lack of trees on these hills once again makes it easy to follow the trail.

From the top of Cheung Ngau Shan, follow the trail towards the transmission tower. Walk under the tower and continue as a small mound (Ng Kwu) appears ahead.

Walk to the base of mound, where you have a decision to make — climb up the mound to the viewpoint, or walk around it.

I decided to scramble up the mound and wasn’t disappointed by the views.

From here, you can enjoy clear panoramic views of Kai Kung Leng, Tai Mo Shan, and even the Shenzhen skyline.

To The Gap Between Cheung Ngau Shan and Tseng Hang Shan

Whether you climbed the mound or skipped it, the two trails reconnect as you descend the mound. From here, you’ll head down a scenic descent, with Tseng Hang Shan directly ahead.

But the scenic descent comes with its own challenge. It starts off gently but soon becomes challenging as approaches a dry, rocky terrain that offers little to no traction.

Unfortunately, there are no trees or shrubs to provide support or balance. Needless to say, we fell a couple of times, picking up a few minor cuts. But once we sat down and descended, we were fine.

After this challenging section, the trail flattens and becomes manageable. Continue downhill until you reach the lowest point between the two hills.

The lowest point is marked by a fence with an opening. The path through the fence leads to the Au Tau fresh water reservoir and water treatment works.

To continue hiking, walk straight ahead on the trail until you reach another wooded area.

To Lam Chung Country Trail

As you exit the wooded area, you’ll face the most challenging section of the hike.

You’ve descended from 220 m (Cheung Ngau Shan) to 92 m and now need to climb back up to 237 m (Tseng Hang Shan). This climb begins here.

The ascent starts gradually but becomes increasingly steep. Some sections require scrambling and using your hands for balance.

As you climb, you might notice a few other trails running parallel to yours. I wasn’t sure which one to take, but spotting other hikers on the top led me to realize that I needed to follow the shortest trail to the patch of trees at the summit.

Keep climbing until you reach the Lam Chung Country Trail, which runs along the top of the hill.

There is a lookout point, just before the Lam Chung Country Trail heads downhill. This lookout point offers stunning views of Kai Kung Leng and Cheung Ngau Shan. Take a moment to appreciate the views from here, and to catch your breath.

To Tseng Hang Shan

The next section of the Lam Chung Country Trail was my favourite part of the hike.

Perhaps it was the cool breeze against the backdrop of the setting sun, combined with the trail’s position along the hilltop ridge. And that no one else was on this trail but us, made this part of the hike extremely picturesque and memorable.

From the lookout point, turn around and follow Lam Chung Country Trail, and it moves along the ridgeline. The trail levels out from here, remaining relatively flat.

Keep walking till you reach a bench along the trail, from where you can admire views of Cheung Ngau Shan.

Further ahead is another bench, with similar views. Somewhere between these two benches is the summit of Tseng Hang Shan.

Follow this scenic trail until you arrive at a covered seating area. Here, you’ll need to decide how to conclude your hike.

You can either follow the directions that follow, or return to the lookout point and continue downhill on the Lam Chung Country Trail to the bus interchange.

If you prefer a maintained route, we recommend backtracking to the lookout point and following the Lam Chung Country Trail.

However, if you’re feeling adventurous, continue following our directions. Both exit options are roughly the same distance.

To The Start of the Unmarked Descent

Rejoin Lam Chung Country Trail Below

If you hadn’t figured it out by now, this unmarked trail is a shortcut that reconnects with Lam Chung Country Trail below.

Squeeze through the shrubs and follow the unmarked trail beside the bench. This section of the hike offers spectacular views of the valley between Kai Kung Lung, Tai Mo Shan, and Tai To Yan.

The trail is relatively easy to follow thanks to the cleared pathway and the colourful ribbons. But there might be some sections where the overgrowth covers the path. Make sure you keep an eye on the ground to stay on the clearing.

As the trail approaches the cliff edge, it turns right and descends a very steep slope. Tall grass thickets make the descent particularly challenging, so proceed with caution.

Once you reach the bottom of the slope, a grassy section leads to another sharp descent – this time through trees. Continue following the trail and ribbons, using the trees for support.

As you approach the end of the shortcut, the descent becomes even steeper. Fortunately, we found a rope attached to the trees, making the final section a little less daunting.

At the end of this steep section, this shortcut reconnects with Lam Chung Country Trail.

Exit at Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange

We’re now on the final section of the hike, back on the Lam Chung Country Trail.

As you exit the shortcut, turn left, and almost immediately turn right at the signpost for the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange.

The final 700 metres of the hike is a gentle descent through the trees. The trail winds through steps and slopes, as you begin hear the roar of the vehicles on the Tsing Long Highway below.

As the Lam Chung Country Trail exits the forested area, it levels out onto flat terrain.

Continue on this path until it ends at a rest area behind the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Interchange and car park, marking the end of this spectacular hike.

The Rolling Hills of Yuen Long

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the Cheung Ngau Shan Hike. If you’ve completed this hike and found it equally beautiful or challenging, we’d love to hear your comments below.

I’ve mentioned plenty of hills in the surrounding area, which are fantastic hikes on their own. We highly recommend Kai Kung Leng, which is a challenging but very scenic hike. Of course, there is Tai Mo Shan, the tallest hill in Hong Kong. But if you’re looking for an easy hike with epic views of Shenzhen, we recommend Kai Shan in Yuen Long.

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