Thousands of visitors gathered at the High Island Geo Trail’s Po Pin Chau section in Sai Kung over the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, prompting calls for better real-time updates on slot availability under a newly implemented trial registration system. The system, introduced by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to manage increasing visitor numbers, restricts daily entries to 2,000 during designated hours on selected weekends and public holidays.
Despite having booked slots in advance, many hikers faced long waits under the hot sun to access the trail. Some visitors, like Maria Chen, a postgraduate student from the mainland studying in Hong Kong, were unable to secure reservations and hoped to obtain walk-in slots. Chen said she had checked four days prior but found all time slots fully booked. She added that the lack of information on how long walk-in visitors would need to wait led her to abandon the attempt and head to a different hiking spot. Shortly after she left, several walk-in slots became available, with staff encouraging visitors to register online on site.
The trial system allows for 120-minute hiking periods, with up to 500 individuals permitted per time slot. Reservations must be made via the travel platform Klook, using real names and valid identity documents. The new system marked Hong Kong’s first countryside real-name reservation initiative, prompted by concerns over overcrowding at popular outdoor sites.
During the initial weekends of the trial system on September 5 and 6, authorities noted that over half of the hikers who reserved slots online did not show up, raising questions about reservation efficiency. Officials indicated that data collected during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the upcoming National Day “golden week” in October would be analyzed to assess the system’s effectiveness.
Some visitors, such as 35-year-old Shenzhen resident Alex Lin, were unsure about the procedures for walk-in bookings. Lin had reserved a 1 p.m. slot but arrived at 8 a.m., prior to the period when real-name reservations are required. She described the booking process as "quite smooth" but expressed uncertainty about the on-site quota system.
Other tourists, like Andre Yi, a 22-year-old university student from Hunan province, saw the extended weekend as an opportunity to explore Hong Kong’s natural landscapes. Yi, who was traveling with friends, said he planned to spend time outdoors after visiting urban sites such as Victoria Harbour and The Peak.
The trial registration system is set to face its first sustained challenge during the upcoming National Day golden week holiday, when visitor demand is expected to remain high. Authorities have signaled their intent to review the collected data and adjust policies as needed to balance public access with conservation efforts at Po Pin Chau.