Aberdeen Reservoir

Hong Kong people have been forced to wear masks for the past six months. A breath of fresh air has become more precious than ever before, and many people have chosen to find a breathing space in the countryside. The editor of "TiLu" has specially collected easy hiking routes and information so that everyone can get close to nature. This time we recommend a friendly route suitable for beginners: Aberdeen Reservoir in the southern district of Hong Kong Island, where you can get a close look at the magnificent dam listed as a statutory monument! Aberdeen Reservoir is located in Aberdeen Country Park and can be divided into Upper Reservoir and Lower Reservoir. The Lower Reservoir was formerly a private reservoir of the Tai Shing Paper Mill. It was built in 1890 to provide limited drinking water to the residents of Ap Lei Chau. It was later purchased by the Hong Kong Government and converted into a public reservoir to solve the drinking water supply problem in the Western District of Hong Kong Island. In 1931, the Hong Kong Government built the Aberdeen Upper Reservoir upstream of the reservoir, increasing the total capacity of the Aberdeen Reservoir from 480,000 cubic metres to approximately 1.26 million cubic metres. Currently, the dam, stone bridge, water switch house and lower reservoir dam of the upper reservoir are listed as declared monuments. The dam is located in the Southern District, but you don’t have to start from Aberdeen. You can also walk there from the urban area of ​​Wan Chai. This time we chose to start from Aberdeen Market, walk along the Aberdeen Reservoir and then head to Wan Chai Gap. Of course, this is just our suggested route. The length of the journey is up to you. Newbies can choose to visit only the Upper and Lower Reservoirs and then return along the way. They can also choose to start from the Hoi Ou House bus stop in Yue Kwong Village to avoid the uphill walk from the market to Aberdeen Reservoir Road. The roads along Aberdeen Country Park are flat and most of the roads are shaded by trees, making it absolutely suitable for beginners or families to visit. When the editor visited, he also saw parents bringing their children for an outing. Turn right at Aberdeen Market into Aberdeen Main Road and walk towards Canossa School. After passing Tin Hau Temple, turn left into Aberdeen Reservoir Road. Walk uphill for about 12 minutes to reach the entrance of Aberdeen Country Park, which is the Aberdeen Water Treatment Works. The first fork in the road appears here, with a sign saying that the left road leads to the Upper Pond and the right road leads to the Lower Pond. In fact, the two roads are different: the left road will lead you directly to the Upper Pond after passing the barbecue area (with toilets and a snack bar); the right road will first pass the Lower Pond and then continue forward to reach the Upper Pond. If you are here just to visit the two reservoirs, you can choose to go to the right and return after passing the two dams (recommended route 3), or go around the Aberdeen Fitness Trail and finally return to the left. #LocalTours #GreatSummerDestination #GreatSuburbanDestination