In Hong Kong, there are 23 country parks and 4 marine parks which provide charming views for citizens and visitors to appreciate Hong Kong’s natural landscapes.

There is no doubt that Hong Kong is a highly developed metropolis, but three quarters land is still the countryside with an area of over 1,000 square kilometers. In order to well protect and preserve the outskirts, Hong Kong government opens several country parks which on the other hand provide some recreational and educational facilities. Marine parks are divided away from the offshore islands. Country parks on the top of mountains have grass slopes and lush forests while marine parks on the seashore have beautiful riffles and rock banks. Overlook from the country parks or marine parks, and you can get a splendid picturesque view of Hong Kong.

Both country parks and marine parks are free in charge. Among all country parks, Pat Sin Leng Country Park is the most famous one. Pat Sin Leng was named after eight mountains, and this park is considered to be the most challenging hiking path in Hong Kong. The best hiking route is from the reservoir to Sha Lo Tung where aged villages and beautiful fields are companying all the way. In this country park there is a moving story once happened. In 1996, a group of middle-school students and teachers went outing here. Unfortunately, a mountain fire rose due to the impropriety dealing with the barbecue fire. Two teachers and the students were trapped by the fire on the cliff. In order to help all students withdraw from the mountain, these two teachers sacrificed their lives. Later, the government built a Spring Wind Pavilion on the mountain to memorize these two teachers. In Chinese literature, spring wind is considered to be the selfless thing that always give and never ask back. In the pavilion, this is an introduction about this matter accompanied by a pair of moving couplets.

Tung Ping Chau Marine Park is the most famous marine park of Hong Kong which features in various marine ecology and large scale coral communities. There are over 60 kinds of stony corals and over 130 kinds of fishes living in this area. Besides, about 40 kinds of seaweeds form the brown, red and green seaweed beds along the shore. The water is clean and bright, and people could observe the underwater world clearly.

When you visit Hong Kong, choosing some featured country parks and marine parks to visit is a smart way to enrich your China Hong Kong trip http://www.chinatouronline.com/china-tours/index.html.