“Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series No. 3: Wilson Trail” Special Stamps

In Hong Kong, there is a multitude of distinctive hiking trails, offering hikers a diverse array of green experiences.  Among them, the Wilson Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that stretches 78 kilometres over ten sections.  It begins at Stanley in the south of Hong Kong Island and finishes at Nam Chung in the northern New Territories, spreading across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.  Subsequent to the “Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series” special stamps released in 2016 and 2019, Hongkong Post issues a set of ten stamps on the theme of “Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series No. 3: Wilson Trail” to feature the Wilson Trail.  The special stamps, each in a denomination of $2.20, showcase the unique scenery of the ten sections of the Wilson Trail, fully illustrating the natural landscapes to be enjoyed along the way.

Acknowledgement: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

Section 1 – Stanley Gap Road to Wong Nai Chung Reservoir
Setting off from Stanley Gap Road, this section climbs up the Twins, or Ma Kong Shan, which comprises two peaks each exceeding 300 metres above sea level.  Following a descent from the Twins to Tsin Shui Wan Au, the trail ascends once more, this time to Violet Hill, before reaching Hong Kong Parkview near Wong Nai Chung Reservoir.  The stamp depicts the stunning scenery of some attraction spots, including St Stephen’s Beach, Stanley Peninsula, and Po Toi Island, from the Ma Kong Shan View Compass.

Section 2 – Wong Nai Chung Reservoir to Lam Tin
The route starts at Hong Kong Parkview and heads towards Jardine’s Lookout.  While journeying through the mountains in the Eastern District, hikers can adore the beautiful views of both Tai Tam Reservoir and Victoria Harbour from afar.  The trail then traverses Siu Ma Shan, passes through several rows of wartime stoves, and finishes at Quarry Bay, which marks the end of the Hong Kong Island section of the Wilson Trail.  The stamp illustrates the scenic vista of mountains and sea along the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island from the trail at Siu Ma Shan.

Section 3 – Lam Tin to Tseng Lan Shue
As the starting point of the trail in Kowloon, this section passes by several war relics, including the site of the pillbox on Devil’s Peak (also known as Pau Toi Shan).  It then takes an ascent to Black Hill, where one can command a bird’s eye view of Tseung Kwan O New Town.  The latter part of this section is a rural path that ends at the picturesque village of Tseng Lan Shue.  The stamp captures the expansive view of Tung Lung Chau from the trail at Devil’s Peak.

Section 4 – Tseng Lan Shue to Sha Tin Pass
This section commences at Tseng Lan Shue and follows an ancient trail connecting Kowloon and Ho Chung in Sai Kung to arrive at Tai Lam Wu Village.  After climbing over Tung Yeung Shan, which stands over 500 metres above sea level, it runs through Fei Ngo Shan Road to Tung Shan and continues along Shatin Pass Road before ending at Sha Tin Pass.  The stamp features a spectacular view of the Sai Kung area from the Kowloon Peak Viewing Point.

Section 5 – Sha Tin Pass to Tai Po Road
Starting from Sha Tin Pass, the trail descends through the woods to the hillside then runs along a catchwater, from where one can see Amah Rock, a Sha Tin landmark, standing on the left of the summit.  Hikers can also enjoy a diversity of flora species along the way as the route leads to Tai Po Road.  The stamp depicts the distant view of Tai Wai from the Hung Mui Kuk catchwater.

Section 6 – Tai Po Road to Shing Mun Reservoir
This section starts off from Tai Po Road and passes Kowloon Reservoir before turning into the hills via a forest trail, where it starts to head north and wind through Kam Shan.  In the latter part, it follows a hillside track along Smugglers’ Ridge, offering sweeping views of Tai Mo Shan and Needle Hill in the distance.  On arriving at the Gorge Dam of Shing Mun Reservoir, the end of this section, one can see the historic structures of Shing Mun Reservoir, as illustrated on the stamp.

Section 7 – Shing Mun Reservoir to Yuen Tun Ha
The first half of this section skirts round the east bank of Shing Mun Reservoir, allowing hikers to appreciate its enchanting scenery.  The trail then climbs uphill along a forest path to Lead Mine Pass, the highest point of the section, before descending to Yuen Tun Ha.  The stamp showcases the harmonious blend of the paperbark woodland and serene waterscape at Shing Mun Reservoir.

Section 8 – Yuen Tun Ha to Cloudy Hill
This section begins at the historical San Uk Ka and Sheung Wun Yiu.  After passing through Tai Po Tau, the trail ascends flights of steps up Cloudy Hill, where hikers can admire the unique mix of city and countryside views.  On the stamp is an aerial photograph of Cloudy Hill.  The transmitting station shown at the top of the stamp marks the peak of Cloudy Hill and the endpoint of Section 8.

Section 9 – Cloudy Hill to Pat Sin Leng
This is the longest section of the Wilson Trail.  Descending from Cloudy Hill to Hok Tau Reservoir, the trail winds up to Ping Fung Shan and then runs east along the ridges of Wong Leng and Lai Pek Shan before ending at Hsien Ku Fung of Pat Sin Leng.  The stamp depicts the splendid view of Plover Cove Reservoir as seen from Hsien Ku Fung.

Section 10 – Pat Sin Leng to Nam Chung
The final section begins at Hsien Ku Fung and takes a descent via stone steps that lead to the Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail.  It then follows the Wang Tsat Ancient Trail to the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Pavilion, cutting across the deserted ancient villages of Wang Shan Keuk Sheung Tsuen and Wang Shan Keuk Ha Tsuen.  The section concludes at Nam Chung, which is also the endpoint of the Wilson Trail.  The stamp features the natural beauty of Starling Inlet (Sha Tau Kok Hoi) and Nam Chung as viewed from the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Pavilion.

Official first day covers will be put on sale at $2.5 each at all post offices from 9 September 2025. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from 9 to 15 September 2025.

Stamp products include mint stamps, stamp sheets, souvenir sheet, presentation pack, self-adhesive stamp booklet and serviced first day cover. Serviced first day cover will be available at all philatelic offices only.

Date-stamping Arrangements

• A hand-back date-stamping service with the office date-stamp and the special postmarks will be provided on 23 September 2025 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately-made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. All philatelic offices will also provide “Philatelic Bureau” pictorial postmark and its respective philatelic office pictorial postmark. The GPO-1 date-stamp impression will only be available at the General Post Office.

• All stamp products will be available at all post offices starting from 23 September 2025 for 3 months while stock lasts.

• All stamp products will be available at Hongkong Post’s online shopping platform “ShopThruPost” (website: shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) starting from 23 September 2025 at 8:00 a.m. for 6 months, while stock lasts.