NOTES AND QUERIES
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY - VISIT TO TAI MO SHAN, 3RD APRIL 1976
SCIENTIFIC NOTES
L. B. THROWER & STELLA L. THROWER, Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Tai Mo Shan (A), the highest mountain in Hong Kong, is only 958 metres high, yet it dominates the New Territories to a remarkable degree. This is partly because its total height is attained from sea level in a horizontal distance of only about 4.5 km, so that its full effect is obvious. The mountain itself and the hills around it, which might be called the Tai Mo Shan complex, amply reward either a short visit or exploration of longer duration. These notes are an expansion of a brief field guide that was prepared for the Society's visit in April 1976, and may serve as both an introduction to the area and as a statement of its condition in 1976-77.
A sketch map of the Tai Mo Shan complex is given as Figure 1. In April 1976 the route was from Tsuen Wan to the junction of Route Twisk* and Tai Mo Shan Road (Stop A), and then to the upper car park (Stop B).
Climate and Weather:
Measurements are available for a site near the present Youth Hostels Association premises, close to Stop B. They may be compared with records for the Royal Observatory in Kowloon.
Tai Mo Shan Royal Obs. Annual rainfall: (cm.) 303 215 Mean max. temp. (hottest month): °C 24.1 30.7 Mean min. temp. (coldest month): °C 8.3 12.7In fact, the summit of Tai Mo Shan has probably the highest rainfall of any place in Hong Kong; moreover, both the maximum and
Strictly speaking, TWSK=Tsuen Wan-Shek Kong.