Out of the total 1,092 km² of Hong Kong land, three-quarters is countryside, with various landscapes including beaches, woodlands, and mountain ranges being found within the small territory. Most of Hong Kong's parks have abundant natural diversity, usually containing over 1,000 species of plants.

Country parks

To conserve and, where appropriate, open up the countryside for the greater enjoyment of the population, the Country Parks Ordinance was enacted in 1976 to provide a legal framework for the designation, development, and management of Country Parks and Special Areas. It provides for establishing a Country and Marine Parks Board to advise the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation, who, like the Country and Marine Parks Authority, is responsible for all matters on Country Parks and Special Areas. A total of 24 country parks have been designated. The country parks and special areas cover a total area of 440 km². Country Parks are designated for the purposes of nature conservation, countryside recreation, and outdoor education. The country parks comprise scenic hills, woodlands, reservoirs, and coastlines in all parts of Hong Kong. The parks include

Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the n ...

, Pat Sin Leng mountain range, Ma On Shan, Lion Rock, Sai Kung Peninsula, forest plantations at Shing Mun and Tai Lam,

Shek Lei Pui Reservoir Shek Lei Pui Reservoir is a reservoir in Kam Shan Country Park, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is part of the Kowloon Group of Reservoirs. The total water storage capacity is 116 million gallons. Formerly the site of Shek Lei Pui V ...

group, and

Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...

. Several islands, such as Ping Chau in Mirs Bay, are included, and

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km2, . The island had a population of a ...

has six Country Parks. The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) manages the parks and is responsible for tree planting, litter collection, fire fighting, development control, and recreation and education facilities. The country parks are very popular with all community sectors, with about 13.5 million visitors recorded in 2011. ''citation_needed''.html" ;"title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''">Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''

Facilities

Park facilities provided in recreational sites include tables and benches, barbecue pits, litter bins, children's play apparatus, shelters, campsites, and toilets. Footpaths and family walk provide easy access to the hills and the woodlands for visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of these areas. Major paths are being improved and waymarked through the hilly terrain. The four long-distance hiking trails are very popular among hikers: * The MacLehose Trail (100 km) traverses the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

from Sai Kung in the east to Tuen Mun in the west. * The

Lantau Trail The Lantau Trail (), opened on 4 December 1984, is a long-distance footpath on Lantau Island in the New Territories of Hong Kong. The trail is a loop starting and finishing in Mui Wo. It is the third longest trail in Hong Kong, after MacLehose ...

(70 km) is a circular trail on Lantau Island. * The Hong Kong Trail (50 km) traverses all the five Country Parks on Hong Kong Island. * The Wilson Trail (78 km) opened in January 1996 stretches from Stanley in the south of Hong Kong Island to Nam Chung in the north of the New Territories.

Education and visitor service

Visitor centers have been established at Aberdeen, Plover Cove, Sai Kung, Clear Water Bay, Shing Mun, and Tai Mo Shan. The Lions Nature Education Centre at Tsiu Hang Special Area in Sai Kung is a special attraction to visitors. It consists of a rich collection of fruit-bearing and amenity trees, vegetables, rocks and minerals, and other local vegetation. The Shing Mun Arboretum has a collection of about 300 plant species. Along with nature trails and tree walks, there are on-site interpretative signs for those who wish to study nature. AFCD has also set up a website and several fax-on-demand lines to provide the public with information about country parks. Furthermore, community-involved conservation programs such as the Corporate Afforestation Scheme, School Visit Programme, Guided Walks, and many other voluntary services have been organized. In 2004, more than 200,000 people participated in these conservation programs. The parks and the special areas contain various vegetation, including native and introduced tree species such as camphor laurel ''(

Cinnamomum camphora ''Camphora officinarum'' is a species of evergreen tree that is commonly known under the names camphor tree, camphorwood or camphor laurel. Description ''Camphora officinarum'' is native to China south of the Yangtze River, Taiwan, southern ...

)'', '' Machilus'', '' Schima'', ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...

'', slash pine, and Brisbane box. There are also animals such as

barking deer Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking ** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...

, rhesus macaques, long-tailed macaques,

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

civet A civet () is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species diversit ...

pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', ''Phataginus'', and '' Smuts ...

, Chinese porcupine, and

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. ...

; birds such as the greater coucal,

great barbet The great barbet (''Psilopogon virens'') is an Asian barbet native to the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia, where it inhabits foremost forests up to altitude. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004 because of ...

, Chinese bulbul, crested mynah,

spotted dove The spotted dove (''Spilopelia chinensis'') is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many part ...

and black-eared kite; and a large variety of insects and about 240 species of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

. Over 500 bird nest boxes have been introduced into country parks to enhance the breeding of birds. The Tai Po Kau Special Area is a nature reserve and caters to those who wish to study tree, plant, bird, and insect life and provide pleasant and interesting walks. There is a total ban on the lighting of fires in the woodland area. This is Hong Kong's best site for forest birding, with species including

chestnut bulbul The chestnut bulbul or chestnut-backed bulbul (''Hemixos castanonotus'') is a songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870. It is found in southern China and northern Vietnam. Its natural ...

, scarlet and grey-throated minivets, orange-bellied leafbird, fork-tailed sunbird, and

scarlet-backed flowerpecker The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (''Dicaeum cruentatum'') is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. Sexually dimorphic, the male has navy blue upperparts with a bright red streak down its back from its crown to its tail ...

. Several species that were certainly or probably escapees from captivity have become established here – for instance,

velvet-fronted nuthatch The velvet-fronted nuthatch (''Sitta frontalis'') is a small passerine bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae found in southern Asia from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka ‍and Bangladesh east to south China and Indonesia. Like other nuthatches, it feeds o ...

, blue-winged manila, and

silver-eared mesia The silver-eared mesia (''Leiothrix argentauris'') is a species of bird from South East Asia. Taxonomy and distribution The species was once placed in the large Old World babbler family Timaliidae, but that family has recently been split with t ...

. Migrants occur here, especially during spring and autumn, and winter; the globally near-threatened Japanese paradise flycatcher occurs annually in small numbers. Increasing emphasis is being given to facilities to help visitors enjoy and understand the countryside.

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

Plover Cove Plovers ( , ) are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. Description There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing su ...

, Sai Kung, Clear Water Bay, Shing Mun, and Tai Mo Shan have established six visitor centers. The Lions Nature Education Centre at Tsiu Hang Special Area in Sai Kung has a collection of fruit-bearing and amenity trees, vegetables, rocks and minerals, and other local vegetation, established for nature education. The Shing Mun Arboretum has a collection of about 300 plant species. Along with nature trails and tree walks, there are on-site interpretative signs for those who wish to study nature.

Management

Fire is the major hazard and it bedevils park management for about six months every year. This is the time of the cool, dry winter when many people like to spend a day out in the hills-especially at weekends and public holidays. In a normal fire season there can be as many as 300 hill fires in the parks with five to seven fires a day when conditions are particularly bad. In 1986, a 34-hour blaze destroyed 282,500 trees at Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan and ravaged 7.4 km² of countryside. Fire is the greatest threat to the country parks. Litter is another problem. One of the major tasks of park management is to collect litter left by the visitors which in 2001 totalled some 3,850 tonnes. With such problems in mind, the Country and Marine Parks Authority has provided barbecue pits and litter bins located strategically throughout the park areas for the visitors. The Authority also prosecutes anyone found littering, damaging facilities or lighting fires outside the approved barbecue sites in the Country Parks. A number of management centres have been established in strategic locations within the Country Parks from which construction, maintenance and protection services are provided.

Housing

In May 2021,

CY Leung Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Mar ...

revived an earlier plan to build housing on less than 100 hectares of land on the fringes of country parks to in an attempt solve issues of housing in Hong Kong. Earlier in 2018, when the proposal was discussed, the Liber Research Community found almost 730 hectares of available land on

brownfield In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land pre ...

sites, which would negate the need to build housing on country parks.

Special Areas

Special Areas are created mainly for the purpose of nature conservation, inside or outside Country Parks. List of Special Areas outside Country Parks:

Marine parks

The Marine Parks Ordinance protects and conserves the marine environment and a rich collection of aquatic animals and plants, such as corals, seagrasses, and dolphins. The ordinance also provides the legal framework for the designation, control, and management of marine parks and reserves. The Marine Parks and Marine Reserve Regulation allows the prohibition and control of certain activities in marine parks and marine reserves.

Conservation

A wide variety of animal and plant life can be found in large areas of Hong Kong, especially in the New Territories. The Government's increasing concern with the protection of the natural environment has been demonstrated both by legislation and by the activities of its conservation staff. Game hunting is prohibited.

Habitat protection

About 38 percent of land in Hong Kong has been designated as country parks and special areas which provide statutory protection for the habitats of our diverse flora and fauna. In addition, 67 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) have been listed to recognize these sites' scientific importance and ensure that due consideration to conservation is given when developments in or near these sites are proposed. For example, San Chau and Ngong Ping at Lantau have been listed as SSSIs in recognition of the largest population of Rhododendron champion and Romer's Tree Frog (Philautus Romero) in Hong Kong, respectively. Tree Frogs normally appear in Hong Kong.

Flora

The flora of Hong Kong is diverse in character and surprisingly numerous in species. Many typical species of the Southeast Asian tropical flora are seen here at the limit of their northern distribution range. More than 3,100 species and varieties of vascular plants have been recorded in Hong Kong, approximately 2,100 of which are native, and the rest are of exotic origin. Many species of plants in Hong Kong are noteworthy for the beauty or fragrance of their blossoms. Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree) was discovered in 1908 at Pok Fu Lam. It is among the finest of the Bauhinia genus anywhere in the world. The bauhinia flower is prominently featured on the

flag of Hong Kong The flag of Hong Kong, officially the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, depicts a white stylised five-petal Hong Kong orchid tree (''Bauhinia blakeana'') flower in the centre of a ...

. It is widely planted – being propagated by cuttings since its seeds are usually sterile.

Hong Kong Herbarium

AFCD's Hong Kong Herbarium is responsible for the systematic collection, identification, and curation of Hong Kong flora plant specimens. It plays a significant role in supporting the studies on taxonomy, ecology, and conservation of Hong Kong flora. Established in 1878, it houses approximately 37,000 plant specimens and is equipped with a specialized library to support its function.

Conservation of flora

Efforts have been made to conserve rare and endangered plant species. In addition to habitat protection, they are also conserved through the following approaches. * Species protection: Under the Forests and Countryside Ordinance, damaging a plant in any forest or plantation on government land is prohibited. Some rare and attractive species are specifically listed in the Forestry Regulations to control the sale and possession of such listed species as Camellia species, Enkianthus quinqueflorus, Iris speculatrix, and Impatiens hongkongensis. * Active propagation: Various methods such as seed collection, cutting, air layering, etc., have been attempted to propagate rare and endangered plants. Transplantation may also be carried out if their habitats are under threat. Successful examples of active propagation include Keteleeria fortunei, Camellia crapnelliana, and Camellia granthamiana. * Ex-situ conservation: A base for flora conservation has been set up at the Shing Mun Arboretum. About 300 species, including some rare species, have been propagated and established for conservation purposes.

Terrestrial mammals

Larger wild mammals are declining in Hong Kong, mainly because of the increased urbanization.

Civets A civet () is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species diversity ...

, leopard cats, and Chinese porcupines are seen occasionally at night in the New Territories. Indian muntjac (also called barking deer) are uncommon but are heard and seen in wooded areas. There are wild

boars The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

in some remote areas, occasionally causing damage to crops. Unlike others, rhesus macaques are easily seen in Kam Shan Country Park. Visitors are reminded not to feed these wild animals as uncontrolled feeding has led to unnatural growth of the monkey population and caused nuisances. A feeding ban has been implemented and enforced in the area since July 1999 to help the monkeys revert to foraging natural food in the natural environment. Smaller mammals such as squirrels, the woodland shrew, house shrew, and bats are common in rural areas. As of 2005, some 54 species of terrestrial mammals have been recorded in Hong Kong.

Birds

Hong Kong is a major stopover point for Asia's bird migration routes. The wide varieties of local habitats, including

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur nat ...

, woodlands, seashores, and

farmlands Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with ...

, contribute to the diversity of the birds. There are over 490 species of wild birds, including residents, winter visitors, passage migrants, and summer visitors recorded in Hong Kong. Some of these are globally endangered species, such as Black-faced Spoonbill. About 120 species have been recorded breeding in the territory. The Mai Po Marshes are listed as a restricted area, and access is restricted to permit holders. This mudflat,

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

, and shrimp ponds area is the richest habitat for migratory birds. More than 320 species of birds have been recorded in the area, and about 120 of these are rarely seen elsewhere in the territory. The Marshes form part of the 15 km² Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, listed in 1995 as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. This area is also one of the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Reserve Network participants.

Amphibians and reptiles

See also: List of Hong Kong amphibians. Hong Kong has over 100 species of

amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

and reptiles. Among them, over 40 species are snakes. Most snakes in Hong Kong are harmless, and there have been very few cases of known bites by highly venomous snakes. There are nine species of chelonians found in Hong Kong, of which the Green Turtle is of particular interest in that it is the only known species of sea turtle breeding locally. The nesting site of Green Turtles at Sham Wan of

Lamma Island Lamma Island, also known as Y Island or Pok Liu Chau or simply Pok Liu, is the third largest island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District. Name Lamma Island was named Lamma only because of a chart reading error by ...

was designated a restricted area in 1999 to protect the species during the breeding season. Hong Kong has a total of 23 species of amphibians. The Hong Kong Cascade Frog, Hong Kong Newt, and the endemic Romer's Tree Frog have been listed under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance due to their rarity. A site that supports the largest population of the Romer's Tree Frog – part of Ngong Ping on Lantau Island was also designated as SSSI in May 1999.

Insects

Hong Kong has rich insect fauna. At least 6,784 species have been recorded so far, and 700 additional species are expected to be found. About 240

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

species, including the beautiful swallowtails and birdwings (''Troides Helena'' and ''Troides Aeacus''). Of over 2,000

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

species recorded, the Atlas moth (''Attacus atlas'') is outstanding for its large size with a wingspan up to 30 centimeters. In contrast, the Chinese moon moth (''Actias ningpoana'') is eye-catching for its long hindwing tails.

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

moth species include ''Athletes hongkongensis'', ''Agia purpurea'', ''Athletes bispurca'', and ''Egira ambigua''. The

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat thre ...

fauna is diverse, with over 110 species recorded, some of which are endemic to Hong Kong. Hong Kong also has 235 species of ants, 17 species of praying mantids, 31 species of cockroaches, six species of flea, 78 species of mosquitoes, and 124 species of grasshoppers. 4,583 species are plant-eating (phytophagous), and over 1,000 species are beneficial insects either preying on or existing as parasites over other pests.

Aquatic animals

The marine fauna of Hong Kong is exceptionally diverse. Though primarily tropical, it is an admixture of the tropical South China Sea and temperate Chinese forms because of the seasonal fluctuations of warm and cold water and monsoon weather conditions. Of an estimated 1,800 species of fish on the South China continental shelf, clupeoids, croakers, and sea breams are the dominant groups in Hong Kong waters. Farther offshore, golden thread, big-eyes, and others are also highly valued to fishermen. Marine invertebrates are also abundant – ranging from corals and mollusks to crustaceans. There are 84 species of stony corals in Hong Kong. The richest coral communities prevail to the east of Hong Kong, where the waters are both sheltered and free from the influence of the Pearl River. Marine mammals, the Chinese White Dolphin, and Finless Porpoise are resident species and can be found year-round. All cetaceans are protected in Hong Kong under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance. More than 120 species of native freshwater fish were recorded, of which about 30 primary freshwater species spend their entire lives in freshwaters. Of the primary freshwater fish, cyprinids are dominant. ''citation_needed''.html" ;"title="Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html" ;"title="nowiki/> ''citation_needed''">Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Wikipedia:Citation_needed">''citation_needed''There_are_four_ ''citation_needed''">Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Wikipedia:Citation_needed">''citation_needed''There_are_four_freshwater_crab">Wikipedia:Citation_needed">''citation_needed''">Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Wikipedia:Citation_needed">''citation_needed''There_are_four_freshwater_crab_species_described_and_recorded_from_Hong_Kong,_and_so_far_considered_endemics:_Three_Potamidae.html" ;"title="freshwater_crab.html" ;"title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''">Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''There are four freshwater crab">Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''">Wikipedia:Citation_needed.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Wikipedia:Citation needed">''citation needed''There are four freshwater crab species described and recorded from Hong Kong, and so far considered endemics: Three Potamidae">potamids, of which two belong to the genus ''Nanhaipotamon'' ''(Nanhaipotamon hongkongense, N. hongkongense'' and Nanhaipotamon aculatum, ''N.aculatum'') and one to the genus Cryptopotamon anacoluthon, ''Cryptopotamon'' (Cryptopotamon anacoluthon, ''C. anacoluthon''), and one Gecarcinucidae, gecarcinuid, '' Somanniathelphusa zanklon''.

References

* Initial text based on information provided by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), under the provision that the re-dissemination or reproduction is for non-commercial use

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

Country parks Country parks