Po Pin Piu Reservation Pilot Sparks Eco-Tourism Debate as Golden Week Nears
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago6 MIN
Summary
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is piloting a reservation system for the Po Pin Piu section of the High Island Reservoir geological trail starting this Saturday (September 5), aiming to manage the surge of visitors during the upcoming autumn hiking season and National Day Golden Week. The free, real-name registration scheme covers 16 designated days including weekends, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day holiday period, with a daily cap of 2,000 visitors divided into four time slots of 500 people each .
Key Points
- The AFCD's pilot reservation scheme runs from September 5 to October 7, covering 16 designated days including weekends and National Day Golden Week holidays
- Daily visitor quota of 2,000 people is split into four time slots of 500 visitors each, with free first-come-first-served registration on a dedicated platform
- Last year during the May Day Golden Week, the High Island Reservoir East Dam experienced severe overcrowding with long queues, and a tourist died after falling off a cliff while taking photos near the viewing platform
- Green Peace project officer Summer Ha (夏淳權) reported severe soil erosion and significant vegetation loss on trails leading to Po Pin Piu due to years of heavy visitor traffic
- Minibus route 9A from Pak Tam Chung to East Dam recorded 5,000 passengers in a single day during last year's National Day Golden Week, compared to just 500-600 on typical summer weekends
- Eco-guide Danny expressed concern that visitors now see barren slopes instead of lush greenery, undermining Hong Kong's natural image and the essence of eco-tourism
- Transport industry insiders warn that many taxi drivers from urban areas are unfamiliar with the narrow, winding Sai Kung Man Yee Road, with multiple head-on collisions causing major traffic jams
Why It Matters
This pilot scheme represents the government's first attempt to manage visitor flows in Hong Kong's country parks through reservation-based crowd control, but environmental groups argue it falls short of addressing the root causes of over-tourism. With autumn being peak hiking season and National Day Golden Week approaching, the risk of tourists diverting to the East Dam and Lang Cove beach—where past incidents of tree-cutting, bonfires, and littering have occurred—underscores the urgent need for a coordinated cross-departmental eco-tourism policy that integrates transportation management, visitor limits, and conservation funding .
This pilot scheme represents the government's first attempt to manage visitor flows in Hong Kong's country parks through reservation-based crowd control, but environmental groups argue it falls short of addressing the root causes of over-tourism. With autumn being peak hiking season and National Day Golden Week approaching, the risk of tourists diverting to the East Dam and Lang Cove beach—where past incidents of tree-cutting, bonfires, and littering have occurred—underscores the urgent need for a coordinated cross-departmental eco-tourism policy that integrates transportation management, visitor limits, and conservation funding .