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To conserve and, where appropriate, open up the countryside for the greater enjoyment of the population, the Country Parks Ordinance was enacted in 1976 to provide a legal framework for the designation, development and management of Country Parks and Special Areas. It provides for the establishment of a Country and Marine Parks Board to advise the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation who, as Country and Marine Parks Authority, is responsible for all matters on Country Parks and Special Areas.
Country Parks are designated for the purposes of nature conservation, countryside recreation and outdoor education. Special Areas are created mainly for the purpose of nature conservation. Preserve your countryside and observe country codes.
A total of 23 Country Parks and 15 Special Areas (11 of which lie inside Country Parks) have been established. They cover a total area of 41,582 hectares. The Country Parks comprise scenic hills, woodlands, reservoirs and coastline in all parts of Hong Kong.
These include Tai Mo Shan, Pat Sin Leng mountain range, Ma On Shan , Lion Rock , Sai Kung Peninsula, forest plantations at Shing Mun and Tai Lam, Shek Lei Pui Reservoir group and Lantau Island. Several islands such as Ping Chau in Mirs Bay are included, and Hong Kong Island itself has five Country Parks.
The parks are very popular with all sections of the community and a day in the countryside is an accepted part of the recreational opportunities available to the people. About 11.1 million visitors were recorded in 2001 and activities ranged from leisure walking, fitness exercises, hiking, barbecuing, mountain biking to family picnics and camping.
Provision of facilities include recreational sites with tables and benches, barbecue pits, litter bins, children's play apparatus, shelters, campsites and toilets - all carefully designed to blend in with the natural environment.
Footpaths and family walks provide easy access to the hills and the woodlands for visitors to take every opportunity of enjoying the scenic beauty of these areas. Major paths are being improved and waymarked through the hilly terrain.
The four long-distance hiking trails are very popular among hikers:
The parks and the special areas contain a wide variety of vegetation, including native and introduced tree species such as Camphor Tree , Machilus , Schima , Acacia1,300; See List of Acacia species Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees of Gondwanian origin belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the Pea Family Fabaceae, first described from Africa by Linnaeus in 1773. There are roughly 1300 species worldwide: abou, Slash PineSlash Pine Scientific classification : Plantae : Pinophyta : Pinopsida : Pinales : Pinaceae Pinus elliottii Binomial name Pinus elliottii The Slash Pine Pinus elliottii is a pine native to the southeast United States. It is fast-growing, but not very long and Brisbane Box . There are also animals such as Barking Deer, Macaquesee text The macaques form the genus Macaca of Old World monkeys. Aside from humans (genus Homo , the macaques are the most widespread primate genus, ranging from northern Africa to Japan. Nineteen macaque species are currently recognised, and they includ, Wild Boar, Civet Cat, PangolinManis gigantea Manis temmincki Manis tricuspis Manis tetradactyla Manis crassicaudata Manis pentadactyla Manis javanica Pangolins are mammals with large scales on their skins which can be found in parts of Africa and Asia. They are often also called scaly, Chinese Porcupine and Squirrel; birds such as the Greater Coucal, Great Barbet , Chinese Bulbul , Crested Mynah , Spotted Dove and Black-eared Kite ; and a large variety of insects and about 240 species of butterflies. Over 500 bird nest boxes have been introduced into country parks to enhance the breeding of birds.
The Tai Po Kau Special Area is a 'Nature Reserve' and caters for those who wish to study tree, plant, bird and insect life, as well as providing pleasant and interesting walks. There is a total ban on the lighting of fires in this important woodland area.
Increasing emphasis is being given to facilities to help visitors to enjoy and understand the countryside. In this connection, six visitor centres have been established at Aberdeen, Plover Cove , Sai Kung, Clear Water Bay, Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan. The Lions Nature Education Centre at Tsiu Hang Special Area in Sai Kung, consists of a rich collection of fruit-bearing and amenity trees, vegetables, rocks and minerals, and other local vegetation, has been established for the purpose of nature education. The Shing Mun Arboretum has a collection of about 300 plant species. Along nature trails and tree walks, there are on-site interpretative signs for those who wish to study the nature.