XN000022-1978-08-26 — Page 5

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1978

COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION BOOSTED BY FIVE MORE COUNTRY PARKS ******

THE DESIGNATION OF TWO COUNTRY PARKS AND THE GAZETTING OF THREE OTHERS HAS EXTENDED THE PROTECTION OF HONG KONG'S COUNTRYSIDE AND RECREATION RESOURCES TO MORE THAN 140 SQUARE MILES.

THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE GAVE NOTICE OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE PAT SIN LENG AND NORTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARKS AND GAZETTED FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION THE TAI MO SHAN, TAI LAM AND LAM TSUEN COUNTRY PARKS.

ACCORDING TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (CONSERVATION AND COUNTRY PARKS), MR. MARTIN LEWIS, THE 14 COUNTRY PARKS AND ONE SPECIAL AREA SO FAR DESIGNATED OR GAZETTED COVER AN AREA OF 36,488 HECTARES ABOUT 143 SQUARE MILES.

THE PAT SIN LENG COUNTRY PARK OF 3,150 HECTARES IS WEST OF THE PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR AND STRETCHES FROM STARLING INLET TO CLOUDY HILL NEAR TAI PO. THE AREA, IDEAL FOR INTENSIVE HIKING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDES THE RUGGED PAT SIN RANGE (HEIGHT ABOUT 600 METRES) AND TAI MEI TUK, WHICH ADJOINS THE PLOVER COVE COUNTRY PARK. IT WILL BE MANAGED FROM MANAGEMENT CENTRES PRESENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT LUK KENG AND HOK TAU.

THE NORTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARK (2,200 HECTARES) CONSISTS MAINLY OF RUGGED MOUNTAINS AND SCATTERED WOODLANDS. IT IS NORTH OF THE RIDGELINE BETWEEN SUNSET AND LANTAU PEAKS AND EXTENDS FROM NAM SHAN IN THE EAST TO NGA YING KOK (NEAR TAI 0) IN THE WEST.

MR. LEWIS SAID THAT DURING THE NEXT YEAR MORE EMPHASIS WOULD BE PLACED ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CAMPSITES IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARKS.

+

THE TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN WILL BE SURROUNDED BY FOUR COUNTRY PARKS: SHING MUN AND KAM SHAN WHICH WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO EE DESIGNATED, AND TAI LAM AND TAI MO SHAN WHICH APPEARED IN FRIDAY'S GAZETTE.

THE TAI LAM COUNTRY PARK, ONE OF THE LARGEST FOREST AREAS IN HONG KONG, COVERS 5,560 HECTARES AND INCLUDES THE TAI LAM CHUNG RESERVOIR AND SEVERAL CTHER MINOR DAMS OF 220 HECTARES. EMBRACING THE AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS LAND TO THE WEST OF TAI MO SHAN AND LYING SOUTH OF THE YUEN LONG PLAIN, THE PARK STRETCHES FROM LAM TEI (NEAR TUEN MUN) EASTWARDS TC ROUTE TWISK.

HONG KONG'S LARGEST WATERFALL AT NG TUNG CHAI, A BEAUTIFUL AND POPULAR PICNIC SITE, IS WITHIN THE TAI MO SHAN COUNTRY PARK. COVERING AN AREA OF 1.640 HECTARES, THE PARK IS WEST AND NORTH OF SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK, EAST OF ROUTE TWISK AND STRETCHES FROM THE TAI PO KAU SPECIAL AREA TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE LAM TSUEN VALLEY.

/THE THIRD COUNTRY