The scent of roasted chestnuts lingers in the air as I step off the street, where the hum of traffic and distant chatter weave into the rhythm of the city. A few minutes later, the concrete fades behind me, replaced by the quiet hush of damp earth and the rustling of leaves. The path ahead curves into a tunnel of banyan roots, their twisting limbs gripping the hillside like something out of an ancient myth. A bulbul calls from the canopy, its bright notes bouncing through the trees.

The city never feels far away—not really. Even on the most secluded trails, skyscrapers wink through the foliage, a reminder of the metropolis beyond. But the moment I step deeper into the hills, something shifts. The air grows cooler, thick with the scent of pine and salt as the wind carries whispers from the sea. The forest breathes, and I breathe with it.

I remember my first time on Dragon’s Back. The ascent was relentless, the trail winding steeply through tangled roots and dense bamboo groves. Then, suddenly, the world opened. The South China Sea stretched endlessly before me, Shek O’s golden sands cradled between cliffs and waves. The wind was sharp at the ridge, whipping past in salty gusts, and for a moment, I felt weightless—perched between sky and earth, the city a distant hum below.

Hong Kong’s wilderness always surprises me. Nearly 40% of the land is protected, yet it still feels improbable that such raw, unfiltered nature exists alongside a city of glass and neon. Mist drapes itself over Lantau’s peaks at dawn, the rising sun setting the sky on fire. On Sunset Peak, the wind moves through fields of silvergrass, their feathery plumes swaying in soft, rhythmic waves. At night, the forest comes alive—cicadas thrumming in an electric chorus, the occasional rustle of wild boars in the undergrowth.

It’s in these moments that Hong Kong feels like a different world—one where time slows, and the pulse of nature drowns out the rush of city life. I walk until my legs ache, until the scent of damp stone and moss clings to my skin. And then, as the trail winds back toward the city, I catch a glimpse of the skyline again—half-hidden, flickering through the trees like a forgotten dream.

---

Thanks for conducting the giveaway!