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The Mini Great Wall or Little Great Wall is a hiking trail on
The route provides some stunning precedence points for people to admire the
The Loaf Rock is a stack, which is a coastal erosional landform. It was originally the headland of Chi Ma Hang, where cracks formed after rapid hydraulic erosion. The cracks enlarged and formed a cave. When it was further eroded, an arch was formed. Once the overhanging part of the sea arch collapsed, a free-standing stack was left over, which was the loaf-like Loaf Rock.
The Rock of the Ringing Bell (叮噹石) is a tor which looks like a ringing bell. It is located near the Fa Peng Rock.
Honeycomb weathering takes place on Rock of the Ringing Bell. Salt sprays from
The Eagle Rock is located near Fa Peng Rock. It looks like an eagle standing on the coast facing the South China Sea.
Fa Peng (花瓶, literally "Vase") Rock is one of the most famous tors in Hong Kong. The rocks were originally below the ground surface. As the main rock type in Cheung Chau is granite, chemical weathering can easily take place. Due to the presence of deep weathering profiles, granite layer on the top turned into fine-sized soil by spheroidal weathering, and granite on the bottom turned into big, rounded corestones. When the overlying soil was removed by external medium such as wind and rain, the corestone piled up and formed this vase-looking tor. Honeycomb weathering has also been taking place on Fa Peng Rock ongoingly.
Human Head Rock is the most famous rock along the path. From the side view, the rock bears the outline of a human face. Honeycomb weathering takes place on Human Head Rock. Deep pits like honeycombs are found on the surface of the rock due to solution of chemical materials by water. In addition, granular disintegration takes place. It is a kind of physical weathering. As different minerals expand and contract at variable rates during daytime and nighttime, different minerals may lose grains by repeated expansion and contraction. Grains are then finally scattered at the base of rocks.
Rock of the Skull is located near Human Head Rock. It resembles the skull with hollows at the positions of the eyes formed by honeycomb weathering and granular disintegration.
Yuk Saai Shek (玉璽石, literally "Imperial Jade Seal Rock,") is located at the end of the Mini Great Wall. Honeycomb weathering and granular disintegration took place to shape it.
Tortoise Rock is located beneath Zombie Rock. Block disintegration took place in which the rock broke apart like slices of bread by physical weathering. It occurred in well-jointed rocks and an environment which large diurnal range of temperature. After repeated expansion and contraction, joints enlarged causing large masses to split away from the main rock.
File:Lamma.jpeg, The view of Lamma Island
File:ViewOfCheungChau.jpeg, The view of Cheung Chau
File:The view of Cyber Port and Pok Fu Lam.jpeg, The view of Cyber Port and Pok Fu Lam
File:Direction signage.jpeg, The direction signage
File:Cheng Chau North Lookout Pavilion.jpg, The lookout pavilion
File:Fire beater.jpeg, Fire beater
File:Poem on rock2.jpeg, Poem written by travellers
File:Fa Peng Rock2.jpeg, Fa Peng Rock
File:Human head rock2.png, Human head rock
File:Mini Great Wall was constructed in 1997.jpeg, Mini Great Wall was constructed in 1997.
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau (; ) is an outlying island of Hong Kong, located southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is also called Dumbbell Island () due to its dumbbell-like shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in Hong Kong, and had ...
, an island of Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
.
Constructed in 1997 by the Home Affairs Department
The Home Affairs Department is an executive agency in the government of Hong Kong responsible for internal affairs of the territory. It reports to the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs.
Purpose
The d ...
, it is a part of the Cheung Chau Family Trail. The whole trail is about 850 metres long, located at the back of Kwun Yam Beach and on the headland of Chi Ma Hang, southeast of Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau (; ) is an outlying island of Hong Kong, located southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is also called Dumbbell Island () due to its dumbbell-like shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in Hong Kong, and had ...
. The name “Mini Great Wall” is given from the line of granite railings which looks similar to the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against vario ...
. The trail passes by a variety of specially-shaped rocks including the Loaf Rock, the Rock of the Ringing Bell, the Eagle Rock, Fa Peng Rock, Rock of the Serpent, Goat Rock, Human Head Rock, Rock of the Sleeping Crane, Rock of the Skull, Elephant Rock, Rodent Rock, Rock of the Sleeping Cat, Yuk Saai Shek, Camel Rock, Zombie Rock, and Tortoise Rock.
Trail
The route provides some stunning precedence points for people to admire the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
as well as up close and personal views of strangely shaped rocks peppering the trail. The locals have given some of the rock formations descriptive names.
Rocks
There are 16 famous special-shaped rocks along the path. All of these rocks are granite and are weathered into different shapes. The rocks got their names with regard to their appearances. Most of the rocks went through honeycomb weathering, block disintegration and granular disintegration.Loaf Rock
The Loaf Rock is a stack, which is a coastal erosional landform. It was originally the headland of Chi Ma Hang, where cracks formed after rapid hydraulic erosion. The cracks enlarged and formed a cave. When it was further eroded, an arch was formed. Once the overhanging part of the sea arch collapsed, a free-standing stack was left over, which was the loaf-like Loaf Rock.
Rock of the Ringing Bell
The Rock of the Ringing Bell (叮噹石) is a tor which looks like a ringing bell. It is located near the Fa Peng Rock.
Honeycomb weathering takes place on Rock of the Ringing Bell. Salt sprays from seawater
Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...
dissolved chemical materials in the rock and so produced a honeycomb look.
Eagle Rock
The Eagle Rock is located near Fa Peng Rock. It looks like an eagle standing on the coast facing the South China Sea.
Fa Peng Rock
Fa Peng (花瓶, literally "Vase") Rock is one of the most famous tors in Hong Kong. The rocks were originally below the ground surface. As the main rock type in Cheung Chau is granite, chemical weathering can easily take place. Due to the presence of deep weathering profiles, granite layer on the top turned into fine-sized soil by spheroidal weathering, and granite on the bottom turned into big, rounded corestones. When the overlying soil was removed by external medium such as wind and rain, the corestone piled up and formed this vase-looking tor. Honeycomb weathering has also been taking place on Fa Peng Rock ongoingly.
Human Head Rock
Human Head Rock is the most famous rock along the path. From the side view, the rock bears the outline of a human face. Honeycomb weathering takes place on Human Head Rock. Deep pits like honeycombs are found on the surface of the rock due to solution of chemical materials by water. In addition, granular disintegration takes place. It is a kind of physical weathering. As different minerals expand and contract at variable rates during daytime and nighttime, different minerals may lose grains by repeated expansion and contraction. Grains are then finally scattered at the base of rocks.
Rock of the Skull
Rock of the Skull is located near Human Head Rock. It resembles the skull with hollows at the positions of the eyes formed by honeycomb weathering and granular disintegration.
Yuk Saai Shek
Yuk Saai Shek (玉璽石, literally "Imperial Jade Seal Rock,") is located at the end of the Mini Great Wall. Honeycomb weathering and granular disintegration took place to shape it.
Tortoise Rock
Tortoise Rock is located beneath Zombie Rock. Block disintegration took place in which the rock broke apart like slices of bread by physical weathering. It occurred in well-jointed rocks and an environment which large diurnal range of temperature. After repeated expansion and contraction, joints enlarged causing large masses to split away from the main rock.
Scenery
Facilities
The whole trail has a line railings of approximately 30 metres long in total, 10-metre-long chain link balusters, 12 tours and 7 direction signages established by the Home Affairs Department in 2011. There are also two lookout pavilions on the trail for travellers to take a rest. Fire beaters are also provided by the H.A.D. for putting out hill fire.Access
Go to Central Pier 5 and take a ferry to Cheung Chau (for around 55–60 minutes or 35–40 minutes respectively depending on if you are boarding the ordinary ferry or the fast ferry). Reach the Tung Wan Beach by walking along Tung Wan Road for around 10 minutes from the Cheung Chau ferry pier . Then, walk along Cheung Chau Beach Road for approximately 15 minutes and walk towards Kwun Yam Temple until arriving at the entrance of the Mini Great Wall.Gallery
References
{{reflist Cheung Chau