Shark Rock Hong Kong: a hidden Kowloon hike

Shark Rock has recently become very popular not only because of its realistic shape but also how easy it is. Hidden on the side of a well-paved trail up the hill from Diamond Hill, Shark Rock Hong Kong edition makes for an easy half-day hike suitable for family and beginner hikers. There’s also the added bonus of seeing the Hollow Tree en route.

And here’s how to get to Shark Rock:

Shark Rock Hike Summary:

Time taken: less than an hour

Shark Rock hike difficulty: 1/5 but 2/5 if you want to hike up to Jut’s Incline

Pro: an easy to reach unique rock right by the trail

Con: you have to walk through a cemetery and potentially return the same way

How to get to Shark Rock Hong Kong

The trail start to Shark Rock is by the Fu Shan Public Transport Terminus, which is the name of the housing estate uphill from the Diamond Hill MTR station.

You can hike up from Diamond Hill MTR station or take one of the buses that end at the station.

Walking from Diamond Hill MTR to Shark Rock hike trail start

From Diamond Hill Station, head towards Nan Lian Garden and then follow the main road to the roundabout, heading north. It’s around 20 minutes hike that goes gently uphill.

Bus to Shark Rock hike trail start

There is only one bus that goes to Fu Shan Public Transport Terminus: Bus 5 from Tsim Sha Tsui Pier.

There’s also 33M minibus that loops up from Wong Tai Sin Station.

Shark Rock hike vlog

Shark Rock hike from Fu Shan Public Transport Terminus

Go to the north (uphill) of the bus stop and find the road that goes right and downhill behind a car park barricade.

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Follow the road all the way to the cemetery and take the trail right by the river (the flat one, not the stairs to the right that leads to the mountain graves).

Diamond Hill Urn Cemetary to Hollow Tree

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You’ll be walking through the Diamond Hill Urn Cemetary, so remember to be respectful to the graves.

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There are some arrows and graffiti on rocks (unfortunately in Chinese, but photo below) that points you in the right direction, which is nice!

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The trail is basically a concrete walkway the whole way, so it’s an easy hike. We even walked past some small farmlands on the way.

Hollow Tree

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The Hollow Tree is just on the side of a bridge so it’s impossible to miss. Its center was eroded by insects, leaving a gap that can fit a small person (1.5m>) standing. The cool thing is that there’s a circular hole through at the top of the hollow gap, so people can peek their faces out for a photo:

Hollow Tree to Shark Rock

Carry on from the Hollow Tree on the paved trail and it’s a short but slopier walk to the Shark Rock. Unlike how I imagined, it’s on the left side of the path and also super easy to see.

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Some hikers even added pebbles as its eye and teeth!

Note: I highly recommend beginner hikers and those who don’t have an offline map to turn back and get out the same way, as the trail going up to Jut’s Incline is still currently not well marked.

Shark Rock to Jut’s Incline

If you’re a seasoned hiker, you can continue up the trail to get out onto Jut’s Incline. It’s a steep ascent in certain places with a marked increase in steepness immediately.

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Once you reach a river, follow the arrow and go into the wood. This is where it’s super easy to get lost. Even I mostly found the right way by using my offline GPS map to check if we were going in the right direction.

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It appeared to be some abandoned farmland from a long time again. After going right then up, we entered a narrow but more clearly defined trail to the steepest part of the hike between some bamboos.

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At the end, which felt long but probably isn’t, we emerged onto an obscure opening at the side of Jut’s Incline. This is the one-way road that branches south from the junction of Shatin Pass and Fei Ngo Shan Road.

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Jut’s Incline to Nam Shan

Go downhill once you reach Jut’s Incline. There’s no pavement so watch out for cars coming down.

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Nam Shan is just one of the high points along the way marked by a black and white pillar.

There’s not much to see – if you want a good view, go to Middle Hill or Kowloon Peak which are the mountains to the east.

Getting out

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From Nam Shan, continue to go down until you see a pavilion. There is a flight of stairs behind it that leads to a nicely paved trail that goes all the way down to Hammer Hill.

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At the second Pavillion where there’s a triple junction, turn right and exit onto Fung Shing Street and it’ll take you to the Fu Shan Estate and a short walk back to Diamond Hill.