Rising before you is Wong Mau Hang Shan. What if I told you it holds secrets of ancient volcanic activity? This area is more than just a scenic viewpoint.
Wong Mau Hang Shan is part of the Tai Mo Shan Formation. This formation tells a tale from millions of years ago. It is when Hong Kong was a hotbed of volcanic eruptions.
From Ma Tau Leng to Wong Mau Hang Shan, you will see rhyolitic tuffs. These are coarse ash lithic crystal tuffs.
Faults border this area. The San Tin Fault and the Sha Tau Kok Fault have shaped the landscape. These faults subjected the tuffs to shearing and metamorphism. Near the San Tin Fault, the tuff is mylonitized. It means it has been ground down by the earth’s forces.
Imagine a volcanic crater lake. At Wong Mau Hang Shan, carbonaceous metasandstone, tuffaceous metasiltstone, and phyllite were deposited in what may have been such a minor basin. This ancient lake holds clues to the past environment.
Consider the rock beneath your feet. It is a testament to Hong Kong’s fiery past. The Tai Mo Shan Formation includes various rock types. There are lapilli-ash crystal tuffs. These contain feldspar and quartz crystals. Some have dark green biotite. You might even spot lithic lapilli of pale sandstone.
Look closely at the volcanic lithics. They are often flattened and aligned. This resembles fiamme, associated with a eutaxitic fabric. Near Tai Mo Shan’s summit, welded lapilli-ash crystal tuffs are present.
Think about the scale of these eruptions. Rapid accumulation of pyroclastic flows created these tuffs. One possible source is the area around Tai Mo Shan. Another eruption source may have been north of Tai Mo Shan.
The landscape around Wong Mau Hang Shan has been greatly transformed. It once was a beautiful place to visit. You could climb Wong Mau Hang Shan. The view from above was magnificent. Now, much of this view is gone. The area became a landfill. Waste has been dumped here, forever changing the scenery.
As you stand here, remember Wong Mau Hang Shan’s story. It connects the forces that shaped Hong Kong. Volcanic eruptions, geological transformations, and even modern development. All have left their mark on this landscape. It is a story etched in stone and memory.