Hikers hit Hong Kong’s ‘Mount Eason’ for Sunset Peak silver grass, album art
Hundreds of mainland Chinese tourists flocked to Hong Kong’s popular Sunset Peak on Saturday, drawn by scenic silver grass and an album cover by Cantopop star Eason Chan from 15 years ago, with hikers mostly avoiding runners taking part in a high-profile international trail race. Authorities had earlier warned hikers to be mindful of competitors…
Hundreds of mainland Chinese tourists flocked to Hong Kong’s popular Sunset Peak on Saturday, drawn by scenic silver grass and an album cover by Cantopop star Eason Chan from 15 years ago, with hikers mostly avoiding runners taking part in a high-profile international trail race.
Authorities had earlier warned hikers to be mindful of competitors in the TransLantau by UTMB event, four challenging races on Lantau Island of 25km, 50km, 80km and 120km distances being held from Friday to Sunday.
Some hikers on Saturday were spotted plucking strands of silver grass, climbing onto cabin roofs and smoking on the hillside.
Decked out in hiking gear and armed with professional photography equipment, fan merchandise and speakers blasting songs by Chan, avid hikers crossed the border on Saturday morning to climb the city’s third highest peak.
Many of the hikers on the 869-metre peak were from the mainland, mostly neighbouring Guangdong province, along with some locals and domestic workers.
Mainland hikers said they discovered the popular Lantau Trail because of the cover of Chan’s 2010 album, Taste the Atmosphere, and wanted to head to the Lantau Mountain Camp to recreate the photo.
