Hong Kong Photo Gallery - Old Stanley Road

The Old Stanley Road was only recently rediscovered after being forgotten for over a century. An 1845 map had already indicated a road from Stanley to Repulse Bay, and by 1881, the road even reached all the way to Central. Built to accommodate both people and horse carts, it was abandoned after more modern roads reached the area, and nature has since re-conquered it.

Stanley was previously Hong Kong's government centre, although the British colonial government later decided to build their capital in Victoria, or today's Central, instead.

This short hike in the forest is difficult because it is a minimally-marked trail, and is buried in the forest. Otherwise, the walk is relatively flat although it is a bit off-the-beaten track to access it.

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I got off the bus at 11 Chung Hom Kok Road. Behind the bus stop is a sign about the district and then a staircase down. Take it and at the bottom of the stairs should be a dirt trail that marks the start of today's journey.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of construction waste lying around and there was no visible trail amidst the bushes, so in the end I gave up and headed back up the stairs to Stanley Gap Road to look for an opening down.

I followed the drainage maintenance staircase downhill, with the last part a bit of a drop down to the dried riverbed below. I have arrived at the largest bridge that is over 3 stories tall, the grandest part of this trail section.

Behind me is a modern drainage staircase, the way I came from.

Head up to the bridge itself and cross it. Despite its age, it is still sturdy and passable. Continue east along the dirt trail for the next 2 attractions on this short hike.

Look to your right and down to see this drainage channel just beneath the trail. Slide down the side to see its odd shape that can fit a person inside.

Further down, there is another tall bridge over a dried riverbed.

Continuing east, you will descend along Ma Hang Prison's walls and end up on Carmel Road, just steps from Stanley Plaza.

This short hike of a few hundred metres is packed with interesting historic sites. However, these have not yet been classified by the heritage department for preservation. If you are interested in colonial transport history, there was also another road from Stanley to the northern side of Hong Kong Island dating from the 1840s. Remnants of Shaukiwan Road are a bit harder to find than this one.