Silver Grass Season Returns to Hong Kong's Sunset Peak
Photo: Travis So / CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Silver Grass Season Returns to Hong Kong's Sunset Peak
An autumn sea of grass above Lantau
Sunset Peak on Lantau Island is turning pale gold again. From late October into early December, the upper slopes of Tai Tung Shan are covered with flowering silvergrass, and low afternoon light turns the plumes silver and gold. The South China Morning Post recorded the scene in pictures, showing hikers crossing the grassy ridge at the height of autumn.
A bare ridge at 869 metres, third-highest in the city
Sunset Peak, or Tai Tung Shan, rises to 869 metres, the third-highest summit in Hong Kong, inside the Lantau South and Lantau North country parks. Below the treeline the valleys are forested; above it the mountain opens into wind-scoured grassland. On clear days the ridge looks both ways to the South China Sea, which is why sunset watchers and photographers gather here rather than on the higher but steeper neighbour, 934-metre Lantau Peak.
Stage 2 of the Lantau Trail crosses the grassland
Most visitors climb the mountain on Section 2 of the Lantau Trail, a 6.5-kilometre stage from Nam Shan to Pak Kung Au that traverses the broad shoulder of the peak. Much of the climbing, around 750 to 790 metres, is packed into the first two kilometres of stone steps. Near the top, a scatter of old stone huts known as Lantau Camp lines the ridge, built in the 1920s and now nearly a century old, and made widely known as the cover location for an Eason Chan album.
The finest display comes in the first three weeks of November
Local hiking guides put the silvergrass season from late October to early December, with the finest display usually in the first three weeks of November. That is when Miscanthus plumes turn fully silver and gold across the upper slopes and photograph best in low afternoon light. From autumn into winter the colour shifts with the sun, which is what draws the seasonal crowds.
A demanding half-day walk with no water on the way
The route is not a casual stroll. Guides advise about 3.5 hours in winter to 4 hours in summer for the full Nam Shan to Pak Kung Au crossing, or roughly 4 to 5 hours if continuing down to Mui Wo. The stairs above the Nam Shan helipad alone take 45 minutes to an hour, part of close to an hour of near-continuous stone steps, and there is nowhere to buy water once the climb starts. The ridge is exposed, with no shade, so water, sun protection and grippy shoes are essential.
Weekend crowds swell around the stone huts
Silvergrass season is the busiest time on the mountain, and the Lantau Camp huts and the grass sea form the classic photo pairing. Hiking platforms advise weekday visits during the peak foliage to avoid the weekend queues. Anyone staying for sunset should bring a headlamp, allow time to descend rocky paths in fading light, and check the weather before setting out.
Stay on the path to protect the grass
More feet bring more pressure on the grass and the trail. Guides ask visitors to keep to established paths, avoid trampling the grass for photos, carry out all litter, and use only designated campsites. The summit and upper slopes themselves are not designated campsites; the designated site at the foot of the mountain is Nam Shan Campsite.