Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail: How to Hike Hong Kong's Qing Dynasty Trade Route

Kamal Mirwani

Published

June 08, 2025

Type: Mountain Views

Type: Historical/Cultural

Type: City Views

Difficulty: Medium

District: New Territories

Essential Information
Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail Highlights
Google Route Map
How to Get There
Quick Route Summary
Follow the Yuen Tsuen Trail for 20 Mins
The 10-min Climb to Ha Fa Shan's Summit
Ha Fa Shan Summit Views
Ha Fa Shan to the Shek Lung Kung Detour
Shek Lung Kung Detour
30 Minutes of Forest Trails
40 Minutes of Concrete Road
1 Hour of Forest Trails to the Red Temple
35 Minutes of Forest to the End of the Trail
Getting Back - Weekend Minibus
Getting Back - Weekday Minibus

Essential Red Incense Burner Hill Hike Details

District: New Territories
Duration: 4 hours with detours (add 20ish mins if you need to get to the minibus stop on a weekday. There's a bus close to the end point on weekends)
Distance: 15km with detours (add an extra 1.5km if you need to get to the minibus stop on a weekday)
Highest Elevation: 448 meters
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Facilities: None. Stock up on water and use the toilet beforehand

Why Hike the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail

Beautiful, shaded forested sections

Stunning, open city views

Follow the old to-lo paved road that's been in use since the Qing Dynasty

Pass by little temples

Learn about Hong Kong's ancient history throughout the trail

Spot beautiful wildlife

And plenty of planes as this is a common flight route

Ha Fa Shan detour views

Shek Lung Kung detour views

The Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail has been in use since the Qing Dynasty, at the very least. It was created by villagers from Shap Pat Heung in Yuen Long so that they could transport goods to Tsuen Wan, where the market was.

Only the fittest villagers could make the grueling journey in a single day while carrying produce on their backs.

Today, this hike retains part of the to-lo, which is a stone road connecting villages to markets.

You'll hike through rolling grass hills with epic city views over Tsuen Wan, shaded forest trails through Tai Lam Chung Country Park, and even have the option to reach a few mountain peaks if you opt to complete the detours on this hike.

Both Ha Fa Shan and Shek Lung Kung are short detours that offer beautiful vistas. I highly recommend both.

Google Route Map

Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail GPX

*Click the box icon in the top right of the map below to load the blue route directly into your own Google Maps. You can then see your location relative to the trail in real time!

How to Get to the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail Start Point

Take Exit A at Tsuen Wan MTR Station

Head right, towards Exit A4

Exit A4 is only a few steps away

Go down the red stairs

You'll want to take the 39M bus towards Allway Gardens

You can also take Green Minibus number 84 to Allway Gardens

Don't take Green Minibus number 84. It's going in the opposite direction to Allway Gardens from where the 39M is

Take the bus to the Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital stop. It's the second-last stop

Both buses will stop right here. The start of the trail is a few meters ahead of the bus stop

Walk forward a few meters from the bus stop and you'll see a green railing and stairs. There will be a Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign as well

Take the MTR to Tsuen Wan Station and leave through Exit A. Make your way to Exit A4, specifically, and head down to the bus stop.

Just a few steps forward from the bottom of the stairs is the 39M bus stop. You can take this bus towards Allway Gardens. Don't take the green number 84 minibus from this stop as the bus is going in the opposite direction away from Allway Gardens.

You'll want to get off at the Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital (荃灣港安醫院) stop.

*If you end up at Allway Gardens, it's barely a 5-min walk to the start of the trail. So no big deal if you get off at the last stop. Just head back the way you came until you see the green railings, stairs, and Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign.

Quick Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail Route Summary

Take the 39M or the 84 Green Minibus to Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital from Exit A4 of Tsuen Wan MTR Station
Walk forward from the bus stop to the green railing, stairs and Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign. Begin climbing
About 15 mins later, there will be a fork in the trail. Follow the brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign to the right so that you keep climbing. Ignore the flat path
Keep following the trail until you see a small brown pavilion on your left
The detour to Ha Fa Shan is an unmarked trail on your right just past the pavilion. If you don't want to climb Ha Fa Shan, keep following the trail and it will merge later.
After reaching the top of Ha Fa Shan, explore and return to the dirt trail in front of it. You will see that it continues into the mountains beyond.
Follow this dirt trail for 10 mins and you'll pass a pavilion and a brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign. Follow it.
15 mins later, you'll come across the Shek Lung Kung Detour sign. If you follow it, you will need to return back to this same point.
Follow the trail for 30 minutes, looking out for the brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail signs along the way. You will then arrive at a concrete road.
After 45 mins of following the concrete road, there will be a brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign pointing to some stairs heading down. DO NOT MISS IT.
Follow the forest trail and subsequent brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail signs for 35 minutes until you arrive at another concrete road.
Follow the concrete road and Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail signs for 30 more minutes as the road turns into a dirt trail. You will go past a red temple.
From the red temple, follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail signs for 35 mins until you arrive at the open picnic site.
From here, if it's a weekend, go left up the concrete road to the carpark just beyond. You can get a minibus to Yuen Long from there.
If it's a weekday, you should follow the concrete road (Tai Tong Shan Road) all the way down to the intersection of Kiu Hing Road (20 mins), where you'll find loads of buses to Yuen Long.

Follow the Yuen Tsuen Trail for 20 Mins

Walk forward a few meters from the bus stop and you'll see a green railing and stairs. There will be a Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign as well

It's a pretty steep climb almost immediately. The stairs will show you no mercy!

There's an INCREDIBLE tree that you can stop to admire. Not because you're out of breath from the stairs or anything...

Follow the stairs as they take you around the epic tree

Just past the tree, keep climbing. Don't go right

At this little detour, go right (follow the green railings)

Keep climbing as the trail opens up

You'll get your first city views at this point

And then the stairs keep going

Cross the concrete road (you'll know it when you see it) and head up even more stairs

You'll see a Ha Fa Shan sign just past the stairs you climbed

The stairs end here and are replaced with a sloping, concrete road

There's another little teaser of what awaits at the top of Ha Fa Shan

Just past the viewpoint is a brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign. Follow it to the right

The trail really is quite gorgeous here

When you see this pavilion on your left, pay attention. The Ha Fa Shan fork is just ahead

This bloke was applying 2025 tech to the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail!

The fork to Ha Fa Shan is right by this jutting-out bit of concrete

Here's a better view

It takes about 20 minutes at a decent pace to get to the Ha Fa Shan fork.

There are not many places to get lost on this uphill section. Just be sure not to miss the unmarked path on your right after the pavilion if you plan on taking the Ha Fa Shan detour. If you miss it, you'll skip Ha Fa Shan entirely, and continue along the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail, instead.

The 10-min Climb to Ha Fa Shan's Summit

The climb up to Ha Fa Shan's summit begins along a shaded, rugged, uphill path

Only a minute into your climb, you'll see a small detour on your right

This is a better view of the detour. It's worth checking out in my opinion becaise of the view

This is a better view of the detour. I'm my opinion, it's worth checking out because of the view

You'll have a really stellar unobstructed view out over Tsuen Wan

Continue heading upward along the main trail when you're done admiring the view

There are ribbons to guide you

That rocky area is your final destination

If you can see ribbons, you're going the right way

Sometimes, there are multiple paths. Just take the one that looks the safest. They all go to roughly the same place

I went left, but again, pick whichever path suits you

Near the summit, you'll walk around the edge of some trees

And you'll see the summit with its signature flagpost right in front of you

This section of climbing feels more like a fun hiking adventure than all the stairs and concrete of the previous section. You'll essentially follow dirt paths all the way to the summit.

There isn't really a "correct" path as long as you keep going upwards. You'll know you've arrived at the summit of Ha Fa Shan when you see the large flagpost in front of you.

Ha Fa Shan Summit Views

There's a nice grassy area at the summit which is perfect for camping

Climb up here for a great view

The view from Ha Fa Shan is really gorgeous!

You can see Tai Mo Shan on the left

And Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and even Lantau on the right

The Tsing Ma Bridge and Lantau Peak are visible in the distance

Lower down from the flagpost are a different set of rocks that offer another wonderful viewpoint

You get to see the city from a little closer

It's incredible to see all the way out to Hong Kong Island from the New Territories from this vantage point

You can also see the Tsing Ma Bridge leading to Lantau Island

Return back through the trees near the flagpole

And look for the flat trail heading towards the mountains

If you hike on a clear day, you'll be able to see Tai Mo Shan (Hong Kong's tallest mountain), Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and even Lantau to the right!

When you're done exploring, head back through the trees near the flagpole and look for the flat trail heading towards the mountains.

Ha Fa Shan to the Shek Lung Kung Detour

The flat trail will take you toward some villages

It leads into some trees eventually

The shade in this small section was quite welcome

Head through the pavilion

And follow the brown Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign to the left

Continue along the concrete path

I happened across this cool nest of weaver ants along the trail

The trail opens up after a while

You'll be treated to some wonderful views all the way to Hong Kong Island from here

This part of the trail is quite spectacular

If you look back, the view stretches from Ma On Shan to the left all the way to Hong Kong Island

The brick path here is in the style of old to-lo roads, which were used by old villagers to traverse this route

Some dramatic views over Tsing Yi and all the container terminals to the left

This is also right along the flight route for planes heading toward the airport

30 minutes after Ha Fa Shan, you'll arrive at the Shek Lung Kung viewpoint

This portion of the hike takes about 30 minutes. You'll go from a little dirt trail to a concrete trail and then to a traditional-style to-lo road.

The portion that opens up and offers grand views of Tai Mo Shan, Tsing Yi, Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon is truly spectacular. The blend of traditional to-lo roads and Hong Kong's modern skyline is truly unique.

Shek Lung Kung Detour

Follow this grassy path by the Shek Lung Kung Viewing Point marker

The path is really easy to follow the whole way

Climb up a few stairs

The viewpoint offers a really cool view of the Tsing Ma Bridge

The viewpoint offers a really cool angle over the Tsing Ma Bridge

There are a few different viewpoints in the area. Take some time to explore and find them all!

This is also a wonderful area to spot planes. The engine roar does shatter the peace a little

I loved seeing the undulating mountains framing the skyscrapers in the city

It takes just around 5 mins to get to the Shek Lung Kung viewpoint. I'd highly recommend detouring to this viewpoint because of how unique the angle over Hong Kong is.

You'll be able to drink in some seriously impressive panoramas over the Tsing Ma Bridge, Lantau Island, Kowloon, and even Hong Kong Island.

30 Minutes of Forest Trails

Return back to the to-lo and continue following the trail

It's time to leave the open vistas behind and enter the forest

The trail is super easy to follow and the dappled light from the forest canopy was super soothing

Go right towards Tin Fu Tsai

The to-lo road passes by some open areas again

Perfect spot for a shaded break

The trail heads back into the forest again

There are some stairs here and there

Keep following the Tin Fu Tsai signs

It's quite a beautiful section of trail

At this Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign, you'll be at the end of this section of hiking

This section of the trail takes just over 30 minutes to complete. Much of it is in shaded forest areas, which offers wonderful respite on hot days.

One thing to note is that you'll be following signs pointing to Tin Fu Tsai. It's only at the very end of this section that you'll see another Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign.

40 Minutes of Concrete Road

Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign from the end of the forest section

This was my least favorite section of the trail

A lot of the road is open as well, making this section extra roasty on a summer day

Plenty of planes still flying close overhead

I think you're supposed to head up these stairs for the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail. I misread the sign and continued along the road

Just a plain old road

Finally! A view!

To be fair, there are a lot of cool trees by the road

Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign

When you see this black and yellow marked brick thingy, you're almost at the end of this section

Just after the bricks, you'll see this Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign pointing down to some stairs. DO NOT MISS IT

This section took 40 minutes and was honestly a bit mind-numbing. You're following a concrete road the entire way and there aren't too many views to distract or entertain you.

I think I was so zoned out that I missed part of the actual Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail. Anyway, if you stay on the road, you'll reconnect with the trail. So no biggie either way.

Just don't miss the final sign by the black and yellow brick thingy. It's super easy to miss that turn if you aren't paying attention!

1 Hour of Forest Trails to the Red Temple

Take the stairs down into the forest

This stretch of forest was quite magical

This magnificent butterfly let me photograph it!

Most of the trail here is quite flat

The roots and leaves on the ground felt super nice after the concrete road prior

After a while, you'll see a Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign. Follow it

Take the stairs down into a bamboo grove

Keep heading through the bamboo

Heed the next sign

The trail is pretty flat after the sign

When you come across stone steps, follow them down

You'll arrive at a concrete road. Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign to the right

You'll then arrive at a concrete road. Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign to the right

You'll be following this concrete road for a while

The road takes you past a little green-railing bridge

The view from the bridge was rather pretty

Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign after the bridge

Head through the bicycle blockade

Get ready for some stairs!

The path flattens out again after the stairs

Head past the warning sign

Time to climb for a bit again

Keep a lookout for cool wildlife along the forest trail

Like these epic damselflies that were floating about

Head through the next set of bike blockades

It's then time for a big climb

You will then arrive at the red temple

This entire section took about an hour and was a mix of forest paths and concrete roads. It's pretty hard to get lost during this section, so just heed the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail signs when you see them.

Oh, keep a lookout for cool wildlife when hiking this section!

The red temple you arrive at is called the White Lion Col Temple. I couldn't find much information on it, but will update this section if new info comes to light.

35 Minutes of Forest to the End of the Trail

This is called the White Lion Col Temple

Follow the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail sign from beside the temple

A metal sign outlines the history of the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail

Continue through the forest

Follow the sign forward (not in the direction you just came from)

Walk past the GIANT ferns

The trail is flat and open for a while

I thoroughly enjoyed how natural it was

When you come to the next set of signs, follow them up the stone steps (left)

There's a short, steep climb to navigate

It's quite brutal, but doesn't last too long

At the top of the stairs, follow the sign to the left

Keep walking along the concrete road

You will enter the forest once more

The fale wood railings mean you're close to the end

The false wood railings mean you're close to the end

Final set of stairs up to the barbecie area and campsite (end point)

Well done! You've completed the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail!

Saw this cute cat hunting skinks

You'll want to get out of the campsite to reach transport options

The final stretch took 35 minutes to complete. After the temple, there weren't many landmarks of note before the end. Instead, the trail meandered through the forest a little more before going slightly upward and finishing off at Tai Tong Barbecue Site.

Getting Back - Weekend Minibus

If it's a weekend, head upward (left) from the Tai Tong Barbecue area

If it's a weekend, head upward (left) along Tai Tong Shan Road from the Tai Tong Barbecue area

2 minutes later, you'll reach this guard hut. The red minibus stop is on the right in the carpark

Red minibus to Yuen Long from Tai Tong Shan Rd Car Park (cash only)

Take a left at the Tai Tong Barbecue Area. Follow Tai Tong Shan Road upward until you reach the guard hut. To the right of the hut is the Tai Tong Shan Rd Car Park, where you can find red minibuses going directly to Yuen Long MTR Station. These only operate reliably on weekends.

It's 15HKD per person and they take cash only!

Getting Back - Weekday Minibus

The walk to the minibus on weekdays is further. Take a right from Tai Tong Barbecue Area and walk downward

You'll be on Tai Tong Shan Road for about 20 minutes

Continue past the pavilion

You'll eventually walk through Tai Tong Village

You'll find plenty of red minibuses here at the Kiu Hing Road intersection

The buses go to Yuen Long (but not directly to the MTR)

To get to Yuen Long MTR, follow Tai Tong Road from the final stop of the minibus

Take a right on Castle Peak Road - Yuen Long

There are plenty of buses here as well

Head up to the pedestrian footbridge

Follow the footbridge to Yoho Mix, which connects to the MTR (there are signs in the mall)

If it's a weekday, the minibus from the carpark operates VERY infrequently. You'll need to walk down Tai Tong Shan Road all the way into Tai Tong Village.

At the intersection of Kiu Hing Road, you'll see loads of red minibuses going to Yuen Long.

To get to the MTR, alight at the last stop and continue following Tai Tong Shan Road once you're in Yuen Long.

When you reach Castle Peak Road - Yuen Long, take a right on it and walk to the pedestrian footbridge. Follow it to YOHO MIX mall, where you can find signs to the MTR within.