XN000022-1977-07-17 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1977

TAI TAM COUNTRY PARK

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TAI TAM COUNTRY PARK, ONE OF THE TWO SUCH PARKS PROPOSED FOR HONG KONG ISLAND, HAS BEEN GAZETTED FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.

THE PARK IS SITUATED ON THE URBAN FRINGE IN THE EASTERN HALF OF HONG KONG ISLAND, EXTENDING FROM WONG NEI CHUNG GAP IN THE WEST TO TAI TAM ROAD IN THE EAST, AND FROM THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF MOUNT PARKER IN THE NORTH TO THE STRETCH OF HILLS INCLUDING STANLEY MOUND IN THE SOUTH.

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IT HAS A LARGE EXPANSE OF LUSH TREES AND SHRUBS ENCLOSING AN AREA OF ABOUT 1,315 HECTARES (3,250 ACRES) ROUGHLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE ISLAND ITSELF.

IT ALSO INCLUDES PLACES WHICH ARE PART OF HONG KONG'S HISTORY.

THANKS TO RIGOROUS CONTROL OVER THE WATER CATCHMENT AREAS EXERCISED FOR MANY YEARS BY BOTH THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES AND WATERWORKS DEPARTMENTS, THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH ALL ITS FLORA AND FAUNA HAS BEEN WELL PRESERVED. WITHOUT THIS CONTROL MUCH OF THE NATURAL GROWTH OF HONG KONG ISLAND WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST FOR EVER.

THE PARK DERIVES ITS NAME FROM THREE RESERVOIRS FORMING THE TAI TAM GROUP - WHICH IN THE EARLY DAYS OF HONG KONG FORMED THE MAIN STORAGE AREAS FOR THE ISLAND'S WATER SUPPLY.

THE GROUP COMPRISES THE TAI TAM UPPER AND BYEWASH RESERVOIRS, TAI TAM INTERMEDIATE AND TAI TAM TUK RESERVOIRS, WHICH WERE BUILT IN 1889, 1904, 1907 AND 1917 RESPECTIVELY, AND HAVE A TOTAL CAPACITY OF NINE MILLION CUBIC METRES (1,900 MILLION GALLONS) OR ABOUT SEVEN DAYS SUPPLY AT THE PRESENT RATE OF WATER DEMAND.

ALL THE RESERVOIRS ARE SURROUNDED BY THE EMERALD GREEN HILLS OF JARDINE'S LOOKOUT, MOUNT BUTLER, MOUNT PARKER AND VIOLET HILL. IT IS THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF THESE WHICH PROVIDE THE SCENIC BACKGROUND FOR THIS ATTRACTIVE COUNTRY PARK.

EXCEPT FOR ITS HILLY PARTS WHERE RICH GRASSLAND FLOURISHES TAI TAM COUNTRY PARK IS ABUNDANT IN SHRUBS. IN EARLY WINTER THE GORDONIA BLOSSOMS IN WHITE SPLENDOUR. IVY TREE, CHINESE NEW YEAR FLOWER, WILD AZALEA, HONG KONG CAMELLIA AND A LARGE VARIETY OF NATIVE ORCHIDS JOIN TOGETHER TO ADD SHADES OF COLOUR TO THE PICTURESQUE SCENERY.

SOIL EROSION AT THE WONG NEI CHUNG END OF THE PARK HOWEVER LIMITS THE NATURAL VEGETATION TO TALL GRASS.

A STROLL ALONG THE WALKS AND PATHS WHICH MEANDER UP AND DOWN FOR SEVERAL KILOMETRES THROUGH THE PARK QUICKLY REVEALS THAT THE UNDERGROWTH HARBOURS A THRIVING NATURAL HABITAT FOR INDIGENOUS FAUNA. FURRY ANIMALS LIKE THE ELUSIVE BARKING DEER AND THE CHINESE LEOPARD CAT ARE BOTH OFTEN HEARD BUT SELDOM SEEN. BIRDS TO BE SPOTTED ARE THE HWA MEI, MAGPIE-ROBIN, CHINESE FRANCOL IN, JAPANESE QUAIL, COMMON KINGFISHER, MAGPIE AND CRESTED MYNAK.

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