Where to find Hong Kong's most impressive waterfalls

With abundant streams tumbling down several of Hong Kong's hills, there's a fine variety of waterfalls in our city. The sadly defunct Waterfalls of Hong Kong website listed more than 50 waterfall sites across the territory. Some are easy to reach, while others take effort to find, maybe requiring arduous trekking.

During long dry spells, even the best of the falls might be unexciting, with slender streams wending down rock faces. But in the rainy summer, swollen streams form mighty columns of roaring white water, crashing onto rocks and shattering into cooling spray over deep pools. Even normally overlooked cascades come alive, foaming over and around boulders. And with forecasters anticipating the return of El Nino later this year, Hong Kong may have some unusually wet months ahead — which could keep the falls lively.

Here's a selection of three contrasting waterfall sites. One, in the northeast New Territories, is among the best of the readily reached waterfall locations in Hong Kong. The other two are on Hong Kong Island — as reminders that there are waterfalls even close to the city.

Near Chung Mei: Bride's Pool, Mirror Pool and Dragon Ball falls

At Chung Mei, a stream plus the flow from a water catchment tunnel enter the northern tip of Plover Cove Reservoir. This was the world's first reservoir to be built "in the sea", by enclosing a former tidal bay. The expansive waters are tranquil, but upstream there are wild stretches of water.