Greenpeace urges HK gov’t to cut Po Pin Chau visitor quota after Nat. Day overcrowding

Environmental NGO Greenpeace has urged the government to review its ecotourism policies and reduce visitor quotas for a popular Sai Kung trail after finding overcrowding and damage on the first day of the Golden Week holiday.

Tourists stand on the Po Pin Chau viewing platform on October 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The green group said in a statement that Sai Kung’s Po Pin Chau trail saw overcrowding on Thursday, which marked China’s National Day and the beginning of a weeklong holiday for the mainland.

This comes in spite of a recently established reservation system for the hiking hotspot.

Crowds caused erosion along the trail, the NGO said, with plants trampled underfoot and rampant littering in the form of plastic bottles, tissues, and food remains. Some tourists were suspected of defecating on the natural beauty site, the group added.

Littering on Po Pin Chau, Sai Kung on October 1, 2026. Photo: Greenpeace.

Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), which looks after the territory’s country parks, introduced a real-name booking system for the trail last month to curb overtourism.

Under the scheme, visitors planning to visit between 9am and 5pm on weekends and public holidays from September through October 7 must book in advance, with entry capped at 2,000 visitors per day.

Authorities earlier announced that some days of the National Day Golden Week holiday were already fully booked.

The AFCD said on Facebook that around 1,160 people visited the Po Pin Chau trail on Thursday, and the overall situation was “generally smooth and well-ordered.”

However, Greenpeace staff inspected the site at 8am on Thursday and found that many tourists rushed up the mountain before 9am to beat the restriction.

“Some ignored safety warnings and climbed over fences to take photos, creating dangerous situations,” Greenpeace said in a Chinese-language statement. “Some took shortcuts off the main trail for convenience, trampling and damaging adjacent vegetation, and some visitors were even found defecating by a cliffside beach, raising serious hygiene concerns.”

Greenpeace notices tourist suspected of defecating in Po Pin Chau, Sai Kung on October 1, 2026. Photo: Greenpeace.

At around noon on Thursday, the NGO counted 64 people on the Po Pin Chau viewing platform, which was designed for only 25 people.

HKFP has reached out to the AFCD for comment.

‘Conservation-first ecotourism policy’

Greenpeace has urged the government to reduce the current daily limit of 2,000 reservations for the Po Pin Chau trail, and to consider temporarily closing down damaged sections of the site or even seasonal closures to let the area recover.

Tourists on the Po Pin Chau trail on October 1, 2026. Photo: Greenpeace.

The group said authorities should adopt “a conservation-first ecotourism policy.”

“This should include carrying-capacity studies on ecologically sensitive areas across Hong Kong to formulate corresponding management measures and ensure truly sustainable ecotourism,” the Greenpeace statement stated.