As one of Hong Kong’s most well-known mountains, Lion Rock is regarded as a symbol of Hong Kong’s working-class resilience as it developed into a prosperous financial hub in the latter half of the 20th-century. This idea originated from a local 1970s TV show called “Below the Lion Rock” about working-class families living in communities below Lion Rock.

At 495m, Lion Rock is not very high but it commands the best views of urban Hong Kong, letting you take in Kowloon, Hong Kong island and even smaller islets in the west. To have so much of Hong Kong spread out before you is a fantastic feeling, though one which you will likely have to share with dozens of people around you on the peak. Lion Rock also has a special role in recent politics as a physical platform to express ideas. Since the Occupy Central protests in 2014, pro-Hong Kong democracy activists have scaled its cliffs to hang political banners on numerous occasions. Each time, they were then promptly taken down by the police.

I climbed Lion Rock from east to west, going from Wong Tai Sin MTR station to the Shatin Pass Road, going up the trail head there, and coming down by a small garden to Chuk Yuen Road. I followed the directions here, which is an excellent site for Hong Kong hikes. The walk to the trailhead on Shatin Pass Road was probably the most gruelling part. It is a funny trait of several Hong Kong hikes that the walk to the trail head is much tougher than the actual hike itself. The Peak hike on Lugard Road is the same in that the walk to the trailhead from Sai Ying Pun station is the most arduous part.

Once you get on the mostly forested trail, it’s relatively straightforward to get to Lion Rock (watch out for some side trails along the way), where there are actually three short peaks to go up and down. On these peaks, there are parts you can stand by the edge of the rock and literally have Hong Kong at your feet.

How to get there: Go to Wong Tai Sin MTR station on the green line and take Exit A or E, then walk along Shatin Pass Road until you reach the trail head past Fat Jong Temple.

Walk through this area to get to Shatin Pass Road after you exit Wong Tai Sin station

Besides the views to the south of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, you can also see Sha Tin to the north of Kowloon

Trail head on Shatin Pass Road