Hong Kong has a lot of beautiful scenery, but hiking under a hot sun may be too demanding for some. Now that autumn has arrived with cooler temperatures, walking grows in popularity as an enjoyable family outing.

The SARS outbreak made Hong Kong people appreciate the importance of leisure and recreational activities - and hiking has become the No. 1 outdoor pursuit. To meet the increasing demand, the regional government recently published the "Walkers' Companion" booklet, introducing 50 walking trails in its 23 country parks with details on how to get there and maps of different routes. To promote these routes, the HK government will organize the Hiking Festival, with free guided walks from November through February.

Application for participation in the Festival takes place from October 21 to 24. Participants who finish a complete trail will get a badge as a souvenir of their achievement. There will be 3,000 places for each walk and enrollment will be done on a first-come-first-served basis.

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