Tai Lam Chung Reservoir

Tai Lam Chung was completed in the 1950s in a valley of low hills, and because the ground it flooded was uneven, dropping water levels leave a scatter of wooded knolls standing above the surface as small islands, which is why it is known locally as the thousand island lake. The effect is strongest late in the dry season and vanishes when the reservoir is full. Viewpoints on the surrounding trails look down over the water, reached on walks of an hour or more from several country park entrances, and the wider Tai Lam country park carries a large network of paths including a section of the MacLehose Trail and a long stretch of restored woodland.

History

Construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1957, with a main dam across the Tai Lam Chung valley and three smaller dams across a neighbouring valley. Several villages were flooded, among them Tai Lam Village, Tai Wai, Kan Uk Tei and Wu Uk, and their remains still show when the water is low; from the late 1960s water from the Dongjiang in China was piped into the reservoir (Wikipedia, Tai Lam Chung Reservoir).

What's there

• Islands emerging at low water - drowned hilltops above the surface.
• Viewpoints over the reservoir - trail overlooks on the surrounding ridges.
• Restored woodland - decades of replanting across the country park.
• The MacLehose Trail section - the long-distance route passing through.

When to go

November to March, when levels are lowest and the islands show; after a wet summer the effect disappears entirely. Half a day. Weekend crowds are moderate.

Practical notes

The islands only appear at low water and many visitors arrive to find a plain full reservoir. The walk in from the road takes an hour or more each way with little shade. Swimming and boating are prohibited.

Nearby

Tuen Mun is west; Tsuen Wan lies east.

Key facts