Ping Shan Heritage Trail
Ping Shan Heritage Trail
4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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The area
Neighbourhood: New Territories
How to get there
- Hang Mei Tsuen • 3 min walk
- Tong Fong Tsuen • 6 min walk
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246 within 5 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
118 reviews
Excellent
31
Very good
51
Average
24
Poor
9
Terrible
3
Joe
Bangkok, Thailand4,955 contributions
Oct 2021 • Solo
Well, it’s basically a trail which has historical buildings and monuments dotted around as you go. Definitely a different bit of character compared to SZ. HK has several of these trails so after a quick search I decided to do the Ping Shan Heritage Trail. It is roughly 3km so not long or hard and it is in Tuen Mun area which is extremely close to the SZBAY border. Here’s my guide if you wanted to check it out.
The trail starts from Tin Shui Wan MTR station exit E. Cross the road and you will soon see the Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda, this is HK’s only ancient pagoda is dates back over 600 years. There was an informative and helpful staff member on duty there, even though the pagoda is quite small. She told me the pagoda was built to improve the Feng Shui of the local area so that flooding disasters were prevented to the village. You can go in and see the shrine and read the information on the wall which gives you its history. You can’t go to the top sadly. There is also a trail map near here which points you in the next direction.
Follow the sign and a short walk later you’ll come across the Shrine of the Earth God. This is an outdoor shrine that’s weathered and aged and has tons of character. If you see this you are going in the right direction. Next on the trail is Sheung Cheung Wai, this is a walled village, made up of a small community of houses or apartments. The alleys are narrow and the building is old and you can smell the history here. I saw everyday people going about their business and not giving me a second look, was a nice change!
Next is the Yeung Hau Temple, small and will be a flying visit but it’s a grade III listed building so worth checking out. The old village well is also in this area, at one point it provided the drinking water for the entire area. As you pass this you’ll enter what is a residential area, with lots of people milling around, doing their daily business. Nothing to see here really, unless you’ve never seen apartment tower blocks before, they are just part of the route. Follow the signs and for the Ancestral Hall and you will soon be through the concrete jungle and back on the historical trail. If you’re feeling peckish, right about now on the trail there is a local little eatery that did fantastic milk tea and local snacks, I really recommend you try this. If you don’t want to satiate your taste buds then keep plodding forward.
Next on the trail are 2 ancestral halls; Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall. These are next to each other and are virtually identical. Except Tang is around 700 years old and Yu Kiu is around 500, they were both members of the same ancestral family. There is also a study hall to see and another small temple, the trail will then lead to the Heritage Trail Visitors Center, which concludes the trail.
The trail starts from Tin Shui Wan MTR station exit E. Cross the road and you will soon see the Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda, this is HK’s only ancient pagoda is dates back over 600 years. There was an informative and helpful staff member on duty there, even though the pagoda is quite small. She told me the pagoda was built to improve the Feng Shui of the local area so that flooding disasters were prevented to the village. You can go in and see the shrine and read the information on the wall which gives you its history. You can’t go to the top sadly. There is also a trail map near here which points you in the next direction.
Follow the sign and a short walk later you’ll come across the Shrine of the Earth God. This is an outdoor shrine that’s weathered and aged and has tons of character. If you see this you are going in the right direction. Next on the trail is Sheung Cheung Wai, this is a walled village, made up of a small community of houses or apartments. The alleys are narrow and the building is old and you can smell the history here. I saw everyday people going about their business and not giving me a second look, was a nice change!
Next is the Yeung Hau Temple, small and will be a flying visit but it’s a grade III listed building so worth checking out. The old village well is also in this area, at one point it provided the drinking water for the entire area. As you pass this you’ll enter what is a residential area, with lots of people milling around, doing their daily business. Nothing to see here really, unless you’ve never seen apartment tower blocks before, they are just part of the route. Follow the signs and for the Ancestral Hall and you will soon be through the concrete jungle and back on the historical trail. If you’re feeling peckish, right about now on the trail there is a local little eatery that did fantastic milk tea and local snacks, I really recommend you try this. If you don’t want to satiate your taste buds then keep plodding forward.
Next on the trail are 2 ancestral halls; Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall. These are next to each other and are virtually identical. Except Tang is around 700 years old and Yu Kiu is around 500, they were both members of the same ancestral family. There is also a study hall to see and another small temple, the trail will then lead to the Heritage Trail Visitors Center, which concludes the trail.
Written September 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
highfever88
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia2,083 contributions
May 2011 • Friends
This is off the beaten track, located in the mainland New Territories district of Yuen Long. You kinda see a different side of the modern Hong Kong, something really refreshing and interesting. We started early morning with the MTR ride all the way to Tin Shui Wai. This was a great start as we enjoyed the view on the journey last few stations towards Tin Shui Wai.
Take the Exit E at Tin Shui Wai, take the lift down and cross the rail track and road to the Tsui Tsing Lau pagoda. When we reached there, there were a few busloads of local tourists, mostly elderly. It was a Sunday morning. You can enter the pagoda on the ground floor, but not allowed to climb up anymore, due to safety reasons.
After that follow the signage which is quite helpful, but if you can, print out the map yourself. A shortwalk of about 20mins will take you to the Shrine of The Earthgod. And 2mins away is the walled village Sheung Cheung Wai. Here you get a feel of the houses of the older days.
Another walk of about 10mins brings you to Yeung Hau temple, a simple and old looking temple which stands in the middle of nowhere. Here you can buy some incense to make offerings to the deities.
The next attraction on this trail, is the Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall. When we were there, the Tangs were having an annual meeting in the Tang Ancestral Hall, hence we couldn't go in. From outside, it was quite an interesting and fiery discussion =) We went over to the Yu Kiu Hall, which is next door, and has the same layout as Tang Hall. Inside you can see a huge altar used to worship the ancestors. There is also an old drawing hanging in the hall.
Another short walk will bring you to Kun Ting Study Hall and Ching Shu Hin. These two historical buildings offer amazing and intricate Oriental architectural designs.
Walking into the main road, and go along it until you see a small garden/park. Take a left turn into the park, and you can see Hung Shing Temple. It's a very small temple, but with interesting architecture. It was under renovation at time of visit in May 2011. Do have a look at the amazing God's painting on the wooden door.
The Heritage Walk may take around 1.5 - 2 hours depending on how long and interested you are at each attraction. I find the walk refreshing as the weather was good (cloudy) in the morning. It's great to see another side of colorful Hong Kong.
Take the Exit E at Tin Shui Wai, take the lift down and cross the rail track and road to the Tsui Tsing Lau pagoda. When we reached there, there were a few busloads of local tourists, mostly elderly. It was a Sunday morning. You can enter the pagoda on the ground floor, but not allowed to climb up anymore, due to safety reasons.
After that follow the signage which is quite helpful, but if you can, print out the map yourself. A shortwalk of about 20mins will take you to the Shrine of The Earthgod. And 2mins away is the walled village Sheung Cheung Wai. Here you get a feel of the houses of the older days.
Another walk of about 10mins brings you to Yeung Hau temple, a simple and old looking temple which stands in the middle of nowhere. Here you can buy some incense to make offerings to the deities.
The next attraction on this trail, is the Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall. When we were there, the Tangs were having an annual meeting in the Tang Ancestral Hall, hence we couldn't go in. From outside, it was quite an interesting and fiery discussion =) We went over to the Yu Kiu Hall, which is next door, and has the same layout as Tang Hall. Inside you can see a huge altar used to worship the ancestors. There is also an old drawing hanging in the hall.
Another short walk will bring you to Kun Ting Study Hall and Ching Shu Hin. These two historical buildings offer amazing and intricate Oriental architectural designs.
Walking into the main road, and go along it until you see a small garden/park. Take a left turn into the park, and you can see Hung Shing Temple. It's a very small temple, but with interesting architecture. It was under renovation at time of visit in May 2011. Do have a look at the amazing God's painting on the wooden door.
The Heritage Walk may take around 1.5 - 2 hours depending on how long and interested you are at each attraction. I find the walk refreshing as the weather was good (cloudy) in the morning. It's great to see another side of colorful Hong Kong.
Written October 9, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter S
Hong Kong, China114 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
A great escape from the rest of Hong Kong. If walking. You can get off at Tin Shui Wai mtr on the west rail line. See the pagoda and eat at the Thai Gather Restaurant opposite to pagoda. Lunchtime food only 40-50 dollars HKD. Fantastic food. Walk round the ping Shan heritage trail. You can also eat at the f1 cafe at the other end of the trail. Fantastic western dishes and the owner has an amazing collection of cars
Love cycling round here too.
Love cycling round here too.
Written January 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kbogler
Greensboro, NC70 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
Of all the things you can do in Hong Kong, this should be near the bottom of your list. The buildings are run down, little to no explanation, and poorly marked. I'm happy I came, so now I can share with others to avoid a wasted 1/2 day.
Written May 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ekin
New York City, NY27 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
I read the reviews here but thought that maybe it's just people being way too critical? Nah, the majority is right. This place isn't really worth the trek to get to. I think if the signage was done better it would have yielded a better experience however. As others have said, get out at exit E3 at Tin Shui Wai station and when you exit across the street will be a set of stairs. That's the first stop with the pagoda and a map of the sights. Make sure to take a photo of the map. You'll need it to orient yourself. Overall, it was a nice walk to take some photos of dilapidated buildings.
Written February 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SafNazli
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia188 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
This is a quiet and relaxing trail.
You can go down at West Rail Line mtr station exit E3 and walk down to the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda before proceeding to walk further.
Friendly staff at the light rail station below who helped to inform that I could either walk there or take the light rail train to the next station and start from there instead. Since it was not too far from the next station, I opted to go walk there by myself.
Great insight on how they lived in the old days as some of the old buildings are well maintained.
You can go down at West Rail Line mtr station exit E3 and walk down to the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda before proceeding to walk further.
Friendly staff at the light rail station below who helped to inform that I could either walk there or take the light rail train to the next station and start from there instead. Since it was not too far from the next station, I opted to go walk there by myself.
Great insight on how they lived in the old days as some of the old buildings are well maintained.
Written May 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gill V
Trowbridge28 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
National Trust this is not! It is a collection of historic buildings scattered in among modern high rise towers and rather down at heel car parks and cafes. However the ancient buildings themselves are often beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the trail. It is quite a challenge to find your way around as there are very few arrows to point the way. The journey on the MTR to get there was only just over half an hour and very easy, and there is an excellent public toilet half way round. All the buildings are free to enter.
If you have half a day or so spare and want to see a combination of how real life used to be in China and how it is now, give the Ping Shan heritage trail a go!
If you have half a day or so spare and want to see a combination of how real life used to be in China and how it is now, give the Ping Shan heritage trail a go!
Written February 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China176,140 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
The Ping Shan Heritage Trail is found in the Yuen Long area of the New Territories and includes a fair number of historic buildings in the old villages of Hang Mei Tsuen, Hang Tau Tsuen as well as Sheung Cheung Wai.
The trail is 1.6 kilometres, starting from the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda just outside the Tin Shui Wai MTR Station and ending at the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitor Centre, upon the hill that overlooks the village. You can visit the dozen historic buildings and monuments that make up this trail, spending 1.5-3 hours, depending on how leisurely you want to visit the various attractions. Attractions are all free entry if they are open to the public.
There are a fair number of different types of attractions on the trial, including the mentioned Pagoda, which is believed to be around 600 years old. There is a Shrine monument, two temples, several historic study halls and ancestral halls, most of which are believed to been originally constructed up to 200 years ago. Lastly, there is a gallery and visitor centre, which occupies the old Ping Shan Police Station, built at the turn of the 20th century.
The Ping Shan Trail Gallery requires a bit of an effort walking up the hill. Here you will find colonial period building architecture as well as interesting villages artefacts, historical information and pictures worth seeing there. Views afforded from this hillside location are also good.
Note: The Sheung Cheung Wai (walled village) and the Entrance Hall to the Shut Hing Study Hall are residential areas which makes them off limits for inside visitations. However, you can still see the outside facades, enjoying the architecture and ornamentation.
The attractions that are available for be seen are mostly open between 9-1pm and 2-5pm. Note that the Gallery and Visitor Centre attraction doesn't close during midday, being open from 10-5pm.
Most attractions have information panels inside providing you with information related to the attractions and the trail. This can be very helpful if you don't have the trail material downloaded from the Antiquities and Monuments website.
Note: It is best to pint out a map showing the trail path and where to find the various attractions. The village isn't huge but it can be tricky to find a few of the attractions without guidance. You might accidentally miss a couple if you are not sure exactly where to go at times.
Overall, The Ping Shan Heritage Trail is a very good opportunity to see a quieter side of Hong Kong and to take a peek around some well restored heritage properties, which are in surprisingly high number in this area of Yuen Long. I'd suggest allowing 3-4 hours for travel time out to Yuen Long and to explore the various buildings which make up this heritage trail.
The trail is 1.6 kilometres, starting from the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda just outside the Tin Shui Wai MTR Station and ending at the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitor Centre, upon the hill that overlooks the village. You can visit the dozen historic buildings and monuments that make up this trail, spending 1.5-3 hours, depending on how leisurely you want to visit the various attractions. Attractions are all free entry if they are open to the public.
There are a fair number of different types of attractions on the trial, including the mentioned Pagoda, which is believed to be around 600 years old. There is a Shrine monument, two temples, several historic study halls and ancestral halls, most of which are believed to been originally constructed up to 200 years ago. Lastly, there is a gallery and visitor centre, which occupies the old Ping Shan Police Station, built at the turn of the 20th century.
The Ping Shan Trail Gallery requires a bit of an effort walking up the hill. Here you will find colonial period building architecture as well as interesting villages artefacts, historical information and pictures worth seeing there. Views afforded from this hillside location are also good.
Note: The Sheung Cheung Wai (walled village) and the Entrance Hall to the Shut Hing Study Hall are residential areas which makes them off limits for inside visitations. However, you can still see the outside facades, enjoying the architecture and ornamentation.
The attractions that are available for be seen are mostly open between 9-1pm and 2-5pm. Note that the Gallery and Visitor Centre attraction doesn't close during midday, being open from 10-5pm.
Most attractions have information panels inside providing you with information related to the attractions and the trail. This can be very helpful if you don't have the trail material downloaded from the Antiquities and Monuments website.
Note: It is best to pint out a map showing the trail path and where to find the various attractions. The village isn't huge but it can be tricky to find a few of the attractions without guidance. You might accidentally miss a couple if you are not sure exactly where to go at times.
Overall, The Ping Shan Heritage Trail is a very good opportunity to see a quieter side of Hong Kong and to take a peek around some well restored heritage properties, which are in surprisingly high number in this area of Yuen Long. I'd suggest allowing 3-4 hours for travel time out to Yuen Long and to explore the various buildings which make up this heritage trail.
Written May 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HKDave
Hong Kong, China339 contributions
Apr 2011
We took this trail on the holiday weekend and we're pleasantly surprised. We took the West Rail line to Tin Shui Wai station and the tour starts immediately outside Station Exit E3 with the three storey Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda. The walk which is about 1km in length is an easy flat walk through the villages and for the most part is well sign-posted with each building having a detailed information board and map. Aside from the pagoda, there are numerous earth god shrines, a walled village, two temples and several study and ancestral halls ranging in age from over 100 years old to over 700 years old. The buildings have for the most part been renovated and the entrance to all of them is free. The Hung Shing temple is 'closed' due to a termite infestation with the roof being supported by scaffolding but you can still see inside. The only difficult building to find is the Shut Hing Study Hall which is really hidden in amongst the village houses. As you cross the road from the Ching Shu Hin, look out for the sign on your left fixed to an apartment balcony. The Study Hall entrance has been totally surrounded by newer village houses - it's a strange site.
There are numerous vendors along the way for drinks and refreshments and a decent cafe near the Kung Tin Study, opposite the public toilets serving good pork chop noodles and egg salad sandwiches. At the end of the walk, we backtracked to the train station. You can easily spend anything from 1 hour to an afternoon walking along the trail and exploring the villages. There are other older buildings which are not on the official trail and which are worth a look. The villagers were helpful and glad to see visitors. All in all, a good place to understand what Hong Kong's hinterland used to be like before urbanisation took hold.
There are numerous vendors along the way for drinks and refreshments and a decent cafe near the Kung Tin Study, opposite the public toilets serving good pork chop noodles and egg salad sandwiches. At the end of the walk, we backtracked to the train station. You can easily spend anything from 1 hour to an afternoon walking along the trail and exploring the villages. There are other older buildings which are not on the official trail and which are worth a look. The villagers were helpful and glad to see visitors. All in all, a good place to understand what Hong Kong's hinterland used to be like before urbanisation took hold.
Written May 2, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter O
Sydney, Australia171 contributions
Jan 2017 • Solo
As a regular visitor to Hong Kong I have been fortunate to see all of the major sights. I was looking for something different and this option was suggested to me.
Its a bit of a train ride all the way to the New Territories on the mainland. Lots of old temples and buildings and an interesting walk through a chinese town. Good for a couple of hours but needs better signposting to help vistors find their way.
Its a bit of a train ride all the way to the New Territories on the mainland. Lots of old temples and buildings and an interesting walk through a chinese town. Good for a couple of hours but needs better signposting to help vistors find their way.
Written January 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi. May I know how long the whole trail experience would take? We are schedule to arrive at 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong. Can we still make insert the activity on the same day of arrival? please advise.
Written February 16, 2017
I think you only need 2-3 hours for the trail. It would be hard to reach the starting point of the trail before it gets dark if you arrive in HK at 2pm. I advise you to explore the streets of Hong Kong and take the tram to the Peak on your day of arrival, then maybe see this trail the following day (also this trail is not one of the main sights in HK, but I still recommend it). Hope this helps!
Written February 21, 2017
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