In the northeastern New Territories, the Robin’s Nest Country Park is home to an old mine that has recently been opened to the public as a museum. Hike along the Lin Ma Hang trail and up approximately 900 steps to find the Lin Ma Hang lead mine, a remnant of Hong Kong’s mining industry that has been hidden for approximately 70 years.
Dating back to the 19th century, Lin Ma Hang was once the largest lead mine for galena, sphalerite, and silver in Hong Kong. Beginning with the government’s mining lease in 1925, mining activity in the territories boomed from mid- to late-30s, before this mine ceased operations in the late 50s due to decreases in lead prices. After long years of being quietly reclaimed by nature, the Lin Ma Hang lead mine has now been reinforced and stabilised, and reopened as an open museum dedicated to Hong Kong’s mining history and local biodiversity.
What makes Lin Ma Hang interesting is that in its years of abandonment, the mine has become a sanctuary for bats. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department, the bats recorded living within the caves account for approximately 40 percent of species in Hong Kong. These include the lesser bent-winged bat and the Chinese horseshoe bat. The deserted mine complex comprises five levels and multiple tunnels stretching over 2,100 metres in length, but access to several of these areas are restricted, partially to protect the bats’ roosting sites.
Officially opened last spring, the Robin’s Nest Country Park is home to two scenic hiking trails connecting Lin Ma Hang village in the west to Sha Tsui village in Sha Tau Kok in the east. Apart from the Lin Ma Hang lead mine, other attractions along its trails include the Grade II historic structure of the MacIntosh forts, including pillboxes and trenches, and the Robin’s Nest viewing point which overlooks Starling Inlet.
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