Fanling DX Land - OL72CM
In my location at North Point on Hong Kong Island I was surrounded by too many tall buildings and it was difficult to find any clear path in any direction of the compass for clear reception and transmission of radio wave signals. There were also difficulties in the installation of antennas and the roof area was not mine so I could not do as I pleased. Also the smog in the urban areas was getting bad and for the health of my family it was better to go QSY to the New Territories in a place called Fanling.
The place is surrounded with trees, a woodland is close by and there are low rolling hills. There are NO SKYSCRAPPERS, the nearest one being at least 7 to 8Km away!!! The railway station is about 15 minutes by car. The train ride to Hung Hom KCR station is about an Hour and it is a 1.5 hour commute into work for me each morning starting at 6:30am but the benefits in living at such a location far out weigh the negative points. The natural scenery in this area is quite spectacular and some of the best you will find anywhere in Hong Kong. Hok Tau Country Park is but 10 minutes away from my home and Shau Tau Kok is another 15 minutes down the road from my QTH. Shen Zhen can be seen clearly through binoculars from my roof. The journey from the railway station to my home will take you through many lovely tree lined avenues that you will not be able to find anywhere else in Hong Kong. There is also the famous heritage trail "Leung Yeuk Tau" located here.
Fanling is the last two stops on the KCR line before you reach the border with China. The town is more or less continuous and consists of a number of villages joined together by newer housing developments. The walled villages at Fan Leng Wai, about 15 minutes walk from Fanling KCR, is worth visiting. There are also walled villages in the Lung Yuek Tau area to the northeast of Fanling. There are several good hiking areas around Fanling. To the northeast, Sha Tau Kok Road runs up to the border with China on the north side of Starling Inlet (Sha Tau Kok Hoi). On the northern side of the road is Robin's Nest (Hung Fa Leng). Further along the ridge is Ng Tung Shan, the highest mountain in the region, but it is in China, not Hong Kong. If you are exploring on the northern side of the road, take note of the line marked on the Countryside Series by a xxxxxxx symbol. If you are north of this line, you are in the Frontier Closed Area for which you should have a permit that you are unlikely to have. Pat Sin Leng Country Park is to the south of Sha Tau Kok road and you can enter it at Hok Tau Wai and Luk Keng. The 56k minibus will take you as far as Luk Keng where you can also get into Plover Cove Country Park.
The Fanling area has a long history. The Pang clan, who made their home at Fan Leng Wai arrived from Guanxi in the 12th century. A branch of the Tang clan, the largest of the New Territories, settled the Leung Yeuk Tau area. The area was connected to Hong Kong by the construction of the KCR early this century. The history of the area is agricultural, but recent developments have seen most of the farming disappear. Although the old rice fields around Fanling have escaped the conversion to container storage that you find in much of the northwest New Territories, they have been put to a variety of quasi-industrial uses. Nevertheless, you can get a flavor of what life was once like in Long Valley and in some of the villages along Sha Tau Kok road, where market gardening continues. Fanling has been developed as commuter towns, but much of the surrounding area is still sparsely inhabited. The major development has taken place over the border in Shenzhen, which has now has a skyline resembling that of Hong Kong. Oddly, the least developed areas are those directly opposite Shenzhen, which are inaccessible because they are within the Frontier Closed Area.
To get to Fanling, take the KCR to Fanling station. There are some small shops inside the station building and a larger shopping centre next door. Green New Territories taxis and green minibuses both leave from the small bus station on the southbound side of the line.
I have a few antennas here on the roof - A Fritzel GPA-30 for 20M/15M/10M, a GP-2W for 17M &12M, a GP15 for 6M/2M/70CM, a weather proofed Diamond CR8900 vertical that is modified for roof mounting for 29Mhz FM, 51MhzFM, 144Mhz and 430Mhz, a 50Mhz HB9CV, a home brew 6 element 430Mhz optimized yagi and a home brew10 element 430Mhz optimized yagi from ON6MU design.
If you are planning a visit to Hong Kong, drop me a note and drop by, I'm listed on QRZ.COM. Enjoy the site.
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