Book excerpt: Above the City: Hiking Hong Kong Island is a unique comprehensive guide to walks and hikes on Hong Kong Island. Many Hong Kong residents and visitors enjoy a few famous hikes, but then are at a loss to find more routes. Above the City takes the walking enthusiast beyond the well-trodden paths and explores all the walks available on Hong Kong Island. Walkers can find outings to suit their every mood, and variations on well-known and well-loved walks. Every walking route on the Island is described in detail, including distance and difficulty ratings. The hikes are organized around “hubs,” allowing easy identification. They also are indexed by special interests, such as routes that can be run, that are suitable for families, or the most scenic. Directions to the walks by public transportation and by car are provided, and local amenities, such as rest stops, restaurants and local historical sites are listed. Local residents who are seeking more walking choices, walking groups, or visitors to Hong Kong will find Above the City an invaluable hiking companion. “Can beguiling, solitary hiking trails exist just kilometres from Hong Kong’s crowded streets? Or wild summit panoramas beckon ‘above the city’? Alicia Kershaw and Ginger Thrash know they do. With ample practical hints, and obvious delight in hiking, the authors guide us along the many wonderful trails on Hong Kong Island. Knowing the joys of hiking—and how steep Hong Kong hills can seem!—they encourage us to put on our hiking boots.” —Edward Stokes, Hongkong Conservation Photography Foundation “Even more helpful for residents than for visitors, Above the City offers clear, concise directions to places seemingly out-of-the-way, yet close to the city. Practical, helpful details, such as bus routes, points of access and places to eat or relax, are interspersed with out-of-the-ordinary elements of local history and ecology, all engagingly brought together in a chatty, enthusiastic style. Above the City should be an essential companion for any walk across ‘over-crowded’ Hong Kong Island’s beautiful open spaces.” —Jason Wordie, Hong Kong historian and author