Meet the man who's climbed every peak and visited every island in Hong Kong
Hong Kong (CNN) — Surrounded
by photos, maps and other documents, 45-year-old photographer Simon Wan
Chi-Chung is planning his next great Hong Kong adventure.
This is no weekend getaway. He's going to climb every peak in Hong Kong -- in one trip.
It won't be his first try, either. He's made the attempt several times over the last two decades.
There
isn't a single, definitive list stating the exact number of peaks in
Hong Kong. So Wan has drafted his own route based on various sources as
well as his own research of official Hong Kong topography maps.
Unofficial sources claim there are between 121 and 161 peaks above 300 meters, stretched over a dozen groups of hill ranges. By Wan's count, there are 148 hills to summit.
He set out on his first attempt to visit them all
in 2003. But on the ninth day, he was atop the 522-meter-tall Needle
Hill fighting through a sprained ankle -- an injury he sustained on the
second day -- and called his friend, a medical doctor, to come and treat
him.
But his condition didn't improve, the added days of hiking and camping only exacerbating the pain in his ankle.
"I was young and arrogant, wanting to prove that I could do everything and ended up hurting myself," Wan tells CNN Travel.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung, artist and photographer, is now planning his next great Hong Kong adventure.
Maggie Wong/CNN
But
an encounter with a fellow hiker -- an older man he met earlier that
morning -- gave him a new perspective. As the two acquaintances made it
to the peak, they saw the rolling hills in front of them.
"This 'Day 9 uncle' gasped when he heard about my mission to climb all of Hong Kong's peaks," recalls Wan.
"He
gave me his slice of bread and said, 'young man, you're going to need
this more than I do.' He grabbed an orange from his bag and repeated,
'You need this more.' It was such a simple gesture. But I stopped
feeling pity for myself. I let go of my arrogance and felt humbled by
the mountains."
With
a heavy heart and a swollen ankle, he decided to press pause on the
journey. Wan went home to nurse his foot for three weeks, then finished
climbing the rest of the 148 peaks on his list a few weeks later.
It was one of his most memorable encounters and one of the reasons he's devoted to Hong Kong's natural world.
"On the hills, people are more likely to talk and connect," says Wan.
"You won't have that experience in the city. Nature makes people feel comfortable and secure."
'Hong Kong is a city hidden within wilderness'
Wan prefers to work with film. He used a panorama camera for his expedition in 2003.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung
In
addition to its 148 hills, Hong Kong is also home to more than 100
island clusters made up of over 250 individual islands. Wan claims to be
one of the few people to have visited every one of them, saying he's
always wanted to become an adventurer.
"I
was researching how to fulfill my childhood dream -- to climb Mount
Everest. But as I dug deeper, I realized how commercialized Mount
Everest had become. It was an alternative high-end travel attraction. It
wasn't the Mount Everest from my childhood dream," says Wan during an
interview at his studio, The Photocrafters.
Having spent years studying in the UK, Wan realized he didn't know Hong Kong's landscape very well.
An idea hit him: "Why not explore every single hill in my own backyard? And why not do that in one go?"
Carrying
a bivvy bag and a film camera, Wan embarked on a series of
"expeditions." Ten years after his first trek through Hong Kong's
mountains in 2003, he repeated the journey in 2013.
Rather than set up a tent, Wan slept in a bivvy bag during his quests to visit all of Hong Kong's peaks.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung
But this time, he was under a tighter schedule so he opted to only tackle the peaks that were at least 300 meters tall.
Trekking
26 to 30 kilometers, or 11 to 12 hours, per day, he reached 134 peaks
in 19 days, camping in different parts of Hong Kong along the way.
He titled the works from these trips "Post Urbanisation."
Post Urbanization: Photographer
Simon Wan has taken "objective photographs" on top of every peak in
Hong Kong. Objective photography is a style that presents what a
photographer sees neutrally, without choosing to include or avoid
certain things.
Then,
in 2015, he voyaged to 107 uninhabited island clusters, traveling by
canoe, in 11 days. "These were 'hills' I hadn't climbed as well," he
says.
"These
days, you know about the place before getting on a plane -- you've
booked a hotel, seen photos online, or even know what restaurants to
book before leaving your home. In these journeys, I've been to places
I'd never heard of and villages I'd never seen. You wouldn't find much
information about some places online.
"It
turns out, I don't need to visit Mount Everest or a foreign country to
find that excitement and happiness of explorations and adventures."
"On the hills, people are more likely to talk and connect," says Wan.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung
Mountain and island names unfamiliar to most Hong Kongers roll off Wan's tongue as he retells anecdotes from his trips.
He
says he learned the history of Ap Chau, a rugged island in the
northeastern part of Hong Kong, during an impromptu tour from a
persistent retired villager who found Wan sleeping at the pier one
morning.
He
visited the memorial plate for Quentin Roosevelt II, Theodore
Roosevelt's grandson, on Basalt Island, where Roosevelt was killed in a
plane crash in 1948. It's a part of the city's history not written in
many textbooks.
"It
may be an old adage, but Hong Kong's nature is unique for its
convenience," says Wan. "No matter where you are, there is always a hill
behind you. You don't have to plan anything or ask for a day off. You
can just go at lunch.
"People
say there is great wilderness within Hong Kong. I say it is the other
way around -- Hong Kong is a city hidden within the wilderness."
Wan has plenty of advice for those wanting to start exploring Hong Kong's wild spaces as well.
"Whether
you're a waterfall climber or a leisure walker, there is a route for
you," he says enthusiastically. "Most of the hiking trails are
well-paved with signs and facilities along the way -- so it really is
for everyone."
For anyone new to hiking, he recommends the High West trail.
A
stone's throw away from the popular Victoria Peak (or The Peak), it
offers a quick taste of Hong Kong's natural beauty but is right next to a
vibrant business center.
Mount High West is only a stone's throw from popular tourist destination The Peak.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung
Meanwhile,
Lion Rock Hill, on Hong Kong's Kowloon side, gives "an unbeatable view
of Kowloon," with trails suitable for every type of hiker.
"Sai
Kung is stunning, but Yan Chau Tong Marine Park (in Plover Cove Country
Park) is even more beautiful," says Wan. "It's calm and less busy. If
you aren't an avid kayaker, a kaito (local speed boat) can ferry you to the area from Ma Liu Shui."
Nature as an emotional platform
Capturing
the beauty of Hong Kong's natural side is more than just a photo
assignment for Wan. It's an outlet for him to express his emotions as
well.
While
going through a painful divorce in 2011, he says he hiked up a
different mountain each day he couldn't see his then two-year-old son.
"I'd
take a photo towards the direction of where he was," says Wan. "Maybe
he'd happen to look my way at that moment. Then, we'd be looking at each
other. I've one copy of the journey at the Heritage Museum and I've one
copy here for my son, so he'd know that I never gave up on him."
On
his 2013 hike around Hong Kong, as well as his island-hopping trip in
2015, he used a Holga -- a made-in-Hong Kong film camera with limited
functionality.
Wan used a Hong Kong-designed Holga camera on some of his trips.
Simon Wan Chi-Chung
"I knew before my trips that the Holga camera wouldn't be able to yield ideal results," Wan explains.
"But
I wanted to use the camera as a metaphor for myself. I'd persevere and I
wouldn't change as an artist. At the same time, I acknowledge that the
environment is something I couldn't control so I had to let go."
Wan's next Hong Kong hill expedition will happen this summer.
"I
hate Hong Kong's summer -- it's humid and hot and festered with
typhoons. But I want to make the journey as challenging and memorable as
possible so I'll remember deeply how unique Hong Kong's summer is,"
says Wan.
"Some
people get wasted when they need to release their emotions. I go into
the mountains during my ups and downs. I think there is no difference. I
love my home -- I love this land. That's why I am so devoted to this
project. I think I will spend my lifetime doing this if I can."
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