20220329 Shing Mun Reservoir 城門水塘 (Cantonese / 廣東話)

Silver Jubilee Reservoir Or “銀禧水塘” named after the silver jubilee of King George V in 1935, a.k.a. Shing Mun Reservoir, is a reservoir in Hong Kong. It is located in Shing Mun, the area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, in the New Territories.

Several hundreds years ago, the area around the reservoir was a dense forest with very few inhabitants. At least from 1646 to 1659, Southern Ming loyalist Li Wanrong (李萬榮), leading a cohort numbering in thousands, controlled Kowloon and much of today's New Territories, collecting taxes and fortifying villages, including erecting a fortress in the lower part of the Shing Mun River valley. Hence the area became known as Shing Mun or "fortified gate".

After 1669, when the Great Clearance imposed by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty was rescinded, many Hakkas settled in this area, growing rice, tea and pineapples. In the early 20th century, there were seven villages in the area.

The Shing Mun Reservoir was built as part of the Shing Mun Water Supply Scheme formulated in 1923 to meet the increasing demand for fresh water due to the urbanisation of Kowloon. To a design by London dam engineers Messrs Binnie, Deacon & Gourley, construction began in 1933 of a dam 122 metres wide and 35 metres high which, upon completion, had a capacity of 4 billion litres. By the conclusion of Phase Three of the scheme in 1937, the dam had been extended to 85 metres in height and 13.6 billion litres capacity.The name Jubilee Reservoir (銀禧水塘) was designated to celebrate the Silver Jubilee (1935) of King George V of the United Kingdom, though the name has fallen into disuse.

The local inhabitants were resettled in other parts of the New Territories, and now some of the old villages are submerged. The remains of other villages and houses can be seen in the woods on the side of the reservoir. The remains of Gin Drinkers Line on the nearby hills show the defenses of British forces against the Japanese invasion during World War II.

It is possible to see many troops of macaque monkeys around the picnic sites and in the woodland areas. To preserve the natural environment of the reservoir, its surrounding area is managed under Shing Mun Country Park. Two walking trails, Wilson Trail and MacLehose Trail, cross at the side of the reservoir.

Shing Mun Reservoir is the largest water storage facility at the foot of Tai Mo Shan, and the most unforgettable sight of Shing Mun Country Park. Measuring 2 km in length, the reservoir is orbited by a winding lakeside path that stretches for many kilometres in the verdant valley. This unspoiled piece of country park has many hidden corners for explorers. The most relaxing way to experience its natural beauty is to stroll along the east bank of the reservoir. The trail starts at the northern end of the main dam. Meandering along the embankment, it takes you deep into the beautiful Shing Mun woodlands. In summer, Common Melastomas (Melastoma candidum) dress the slopes a bubbly pink, against chartreuse ravines overlaid with Galingales. In the low wetlands, profuse trees and shrubs enclose the water. Continuing up the hills, the trail passes some large streams before making a descent through dense forests developed from overgrowing fung shui woods in the relics of old Shing Mun villages.

To the northwest of Shing Mun Reservoir, you find Tai Shing Stream, a waterway that runs from the uplands of Tai Mo Shan to the reservoir. The name Tai Shing Stream was given by hikers, and reflects the stream's highland origin and lowland end. Voted one of the nine greatest streams of Hong Kong, it is a broad waterway with an exuberant flow. It is also a major rock stream that feeds the Shing Mun Reservoir.

Shing Mun Country Park is primarily granite and volcanic rock terrain. The uplands are mostly volcanic rock, while the southern lowlands are formed by granite which is more vulnerable to erosion. The eastern region of the park boasts rich reserves of tungsten, and mining began here in as early as 1936. After a brief interruption during WWII, ore production resumed soon after the war. In the heyday, the Shing Mun mines had an average monthly output of 30 tonnes, all of which was exported overseas. In 1968, tungsten prices began to plummet, and the mines gradually went into disuse. Today, you can still find abandoned mine pits around Lead Mine Pass. Some of them date back a few hundred years.

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