Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls

Ngong Ping / Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong

About Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls


Hiking Distance: seen from cable car
Suggested Time:

Date first visited: 2024-11-29
Date last visited: 2024-11-29

Waterfall Latitude: 22.26384
Waterfall Longitude: 113.90494

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls (彌散石澗瀑布 [Mísàn Shí Jiàn Pùbù] or [nei4saan3 sek6gaan3 buk6bou3] in Cantonese) were essentially waterfalls that we noticed while riding the cable car towards Ngong Ping Village.

Indeed, it was kind of my waterfaller’s excuse to talk about the well-touristed Ngong Ping area, which is best known for the Tian Tan Big Buddha statue (天壇大佛 [Tiāntán Dàfú] or [tin1taan4 daai6fat6] in Cantonese]) – one of Hong Kong’s major highlights.

Big_Buddha_161_11292024 - One of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls
One of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls

Most people who visit the Ngong Ping (昂坪) and the Tian Tan Buddha Statue do so by riding the cable car, which is probably the easiest and most convenient (albeit not the cheapest) way to get there from the station in Tung Chung (東涌).

The Nei Sham Stream is sometimes referred to as the “Thousand Layers Stream” probably because it has lots of these “layers” that gave rise to waterfalls.

We managed to notice this series of waterfalls on the final approach to the Ngong Ping Village (or as we initially left the village on the way back) as the sky rail passed over the Nei Sham Stream.

For the most part, we noticed at least two (maybe three) cascading waterfalls directly below us, but I’m sure there are more tiers to them (given that people associate this stream with a “thousand layers”).

Big_Buddha_143_11292024 - The Tian Tan Big Buddha Statue is the main reason why people ride the cable car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village
The Tian Tan Big Buddha Statue is the main reason why people ride the cable car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village

Anyways, experiencing this series of waterfalls from above was kind of similar to how you’d experience waterfalls when flying over them by helicopter or drone or other aerial means.

In other words, you don’t really get up and close with the waterfalls unless you go on a much more difficult hike and scramble along a combination of the so-called Ngong Ping Rescue Trail and stream scrambling directly within the Nei Sham Stream itself.

According to my topo map, the shortest way to do this would be to hike from Ngong Ping Village for about 3km in a lollipop loop that would following along the Ngong Ping Rescue Trail for the first 1km or so to the Nei Sham Stream.

However, since it would meet the stream above the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls, it would likely require looping back for about 700-800m around towards the lower reaches of this section of the stream.

Big_Buddha_055_11282024 - Descending the final stretch to Ngong Ping Village (and over the Nei Sham Stream) on the Tung Chung-Ngong Ping Cable Car
Descending the final stretch to Ngong Ping Village (and over the Nei Sham Stream) on the Tung Chung-Ngong Ping Cable Car

This would be the stretch where you’d likely have to stream scramble up within the streambed or alongside it before returning to rescue trail and returning to Ngong Ping Village.

Alternatively, there are also people who have managed to experience more layers of the Nei Sham Stream in all-day adventures involving some of the roughest and hazardous scrambles to be found in Hong Kong.

We’re talking about clinging to narrow ledges, wading in rushing waters, clinging alongside wet slopes besides waterfalls, and bushwhacking through intensely vegetated ravines.

Indeed, for the majority of people who want to notice these waterfalls, the cable car is the best way to go.

Big_Buddha_070_11282024 - Looking back at the context of the Nei Sham Stream and the cable car going over its ravine. Notice how steep and rugged the terrain is, which gives you an idea of how rough the adventure to get close to the waterfalls would be!
Looking back at the context of the Nei Sham Stream and the cable car going over its ravine. Notice how steep and rugged the terrain is, which gives you an idea of how rough the adventure to get close to the waterfalls would be!

That said, if you’re determined to get close to these waterfalls, there seems to be no shortage of bloggers and vloggers in the literature who have actually done this adventure from Tai O, Tung Chung, or Ngong Ping Village.

Authorities

The Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls reside near the Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island in the Islands District of the New Territories Region of Hong Kong. It is adminstered by the Ngong Ping 360 Limited Company, which runs both the cable car and the themed Ngong Ping Village. For the latest conditions or other inquiries, you may want to try the Ngong Ping 360 website.

Big_Buddha_002_iPhone_11292024 - Looking towards the left luggage service, which was behind the elevator containing the waterfall projection (towards the bottom center of this photo)
Big_Buddha_007_iPhone_11292024 - On the double-decker S1 bus heading from the Hong Kong International Airport towards Tung Chung Bus Terminus
Big_Buddha_009_iPhone_11292024 - Approaching the mountains of Lantau Island as the bus was heading towards the Tung Chung Station
Big_Buddha_016_iPhone_11292024 - The bus on the expressway approaching Tung Chung, which was where those high rises backed by impressive mountains were
Big_Buddha_021_iPhone_11292024 - Our double-decker bus getting closer to the final turn left towards the bus stop nearest to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station and eventually the Tung Chung Bus Terminal
Big_Buddha_004_11282024 - About to board the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car in a standard car to get from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village
Big_Buddha_006_11282024 - Going over Tung Chung Bay in the cable car
Big_Buddha_017_11282024 - Looking across Tung Chung Bay towards some high rise developments from the cable car
Big_Buddha_023_11282024 - Looking back towards a series of bridges spanning Tung Chung Bay as the cable car was steeply rising
Big_Buddha_035_11282024 - Looking over to the Hong Kong International Airport from the cable car
Big_Buddha_043_11282024 - Elevated look back towards Tung Chung Bay as the cable car was rising sharply towards a station near Lin Fa Shan
Big_Buddha_051_11282024 - Looking back at the context of the Hong Kong International Airport as we were near the station near the apex of the cable car run
Big_Buddha_053_11282024 - Swinging through the cable car station near the apex of the cable car route between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping
Big_Buddha_063_11282024 - Looking towards a long bridge leading to some kind of island away from Lantau Island as seen from the cable car
Big_Buddha_066_11282024 - Looking down at one of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls partially exposed in the sun and partially hidden in the late afternoon shade as seen from the cable car as we passed above its drainage
Big_Buddha_067_11282024 - Portrait contextual look down at the Nei Sham Stream and some of its waterfalls somewhat hidden in the shade and the heavy foliage
Big_Buddha_076_11282024 - Making it up to the Ngong Ping Village after getting off the cable car. Note the Big Buddha up ahead, which is what we were targeting for our visit
Big_Buddha_080_11282024 - Going through the crowded Ngong Ping Village walkways on the way to getting up to the foot of the Tian Tan Big Buddha
Big_Buddha_084_11282024 - Continuing to get closer to the Big Buddha statue from the Ngong Ping Village
Big_Buddha_087_11282024 - Making it up to the next archway shortly before the steps leading up to the Big Buddha
Big_Buddha_089_11282024 - Looking across a plaza towards the Nei Lak Shan (the highest mountain on Lantau Island) towering over the Polin Monastery near the steps leading up to the Big Buddha
Big_Buddha_092_11282024 - The context of the steps leading up to the Big Buddha Statue
Hong_Kong_Buddha_012_04172009 - Just to give you an idea of what it was like when we first visited the Big Buddha 15 years prior, this photo showed what it was like in mid-April 2009
Big_Buddha_100_11292024 - Almost making it up to the top of the steps and getting up to the base of the Big Buddha statue
Big_Buddha_109_11292024 - It was crazy crowded up around the front of the Big Buddha Statue (at least compared to our first visit in April 2009), but this was the view that most people were after when they visited this landmark
Big_Buddha_111_11292024 - Descending the steps from the Big Buddha after having our fill of it
Big_Buddha_129_11292024 - Going back through the very busy Ngong Ping Village on our way back to the cable car to return to Tung Chung and eventually the Hong Kong International Airport
Big_Buddha_134_11292024 - Getting through the very crowded Ngong Ping Cable Car Station to board the cable car back to Tung Chung
Big_Buddha_143_11292024 - Our last look at the Big Buddha as we took the cable car back to Tung Chung
Big_Buddha_025_iPhone_11292024 - Approaching the ravine carved out by the Nei Sham Stream, which was where most of the waterfalls to be found would be, I'd imagine
Big_Buddha_148_11292024 - Geting closer on the approach to the ravine containing the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls. Notice the steepness of the terrain, which would make the hike to get closer to these waterfalls quite challenging
Big_Buddha_150_11292024 - Looking down at the multiple tiers of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls, which is also referred to as the 'Thousand Layer Stream' probably for this reason
Big_Buddha_152_11292024 - Another look down at the Nei Sham Stream and its waterfalls from the cable car as the shadows grew longer in the late afternoon
Big_Buddha_154_11292024 - Focused look at one of the longer tiers of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls as seen from the cable car
Big_Buddha_155_11292024 - Another look at a different tier of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls as seen from the cable car
Big_Buddha_157_11292024 - Broad look down at one of the tiers of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls as seen from the cable car
Big_Buddha_158_11292024 - Another look down at one of the more plungier tiers of the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls as seen from the cable car
Big_Buddha_160_11292024 - Last look at the Nei Sham Stream Waterfalls as the cable car was moving past
Big_Buddha_164_11292024 - Looking down at a walkway beneath our feet given the crystal cable car that we rode which meant we could see beneath the floor
Big_Buddha_166_11292024 - Approaching a station before the steep descent back towards Tung Chung
Big_Buddha_177_11292024 - Descending on the cable car with the Hong Kong Airport in the background
Big_Buddha_191_11292024 - Looking beneath our feet again at more of the stepped walkways that very few people have taken in lieu of the cable car
Big_Buddha_195_11292024 - Descending over the Tung Chung Bay and its context as our cable car journey was towards the end
Big_Buddha_199_11292024 - Looking towards the high rise buildings at the end of Tung Chung Bay. Notice how the buildings are flanking the drainage of the Tung Chung Stream, which I'd imagine could be a bit of a flash flood hazard in times of high rainfall
Big_Buddha_218_11292024 - Final approach to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station
Big_Buddha_222_11292024 - Now walking towards the bus stops below as we made our way towards the S1 stop we'd have to take to return to the Hong Kong International Airport
Big_Buddha_026_iPhone_11292024 - Waiting at the S1 bus stand to take our return ride to the Hong Kong International Airport


The Tian Tan Buddha is most easily accessed via the Ngong Ping Cable Car, which departs near the Tung Chung MTR Station.

The town of Tung Chung is the closest one to the Hong Kong International Airport.

Big_Buddha_003_iPhone_11292024 - Waiting for the S1 Bus at the Terminal 1 North stop to get to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station
Waiting for the S1 Bus at the Terminal 1 North stop to get to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station

Therefore, it makes sense to fit in an excursion to the Tian Tan Buddha from the airport (especially if you have a long layover) or to take the Tung Chung Line on the MTR (mass transit rail) from Hong Kong Central Station to the Tung Chung Station.

I don’t recall very much how long it took us nor how much it costed us to do the Tian Tan Buddha excursion from Hong Kong Central.

However, I do know that it took us about 3 hours to get from the left luggage service in Terminal 1 North of Hong Kong International Airport to the Big Buddha and back via the cable car.

The left luggage service was charged by the piece per hour, which was $14 HKD per hour.

Big_Buddha_003_11282024 - Waiting at the Tung Chung Cable Car Station to take the standard cable car up to the Ngong Ping Village
Waiting at the Tung Chung Cable Car Station to take the standard cable car up to the Ngong Ping Village

Since we had to leave 6 pieces of luggage and they stored it for 3 hours, we wound up paying $252 HKD (or about $34 USD).

The S1 bus to get from Terminal 1 North (note there’s also a Terminal 1 South stop) to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station would take about 20-30 minutes (we paid $10 HKD each way for all of us as our daughter got the child rate).

The walking to get from the bus stop to the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car ticket office and queue should take no more than 5 minutes.

The cable car ride takes roughly 25-30 minutes in each direction (not counting the queues).

Big_Buddha_132_11292024 - Given how nuts the long queue was to return to Tung Chung from the Ngong Ping Village Station, we actually upgraded to take the crystal car instead of the standard car to bypass most of this 45-minute-plus wait
Given how nuts the long queue was to return to Tung Chung from the Ngong Ping Village Station, we actually upgraded to take the crystal car instead of the standard car to bypass most of this 45-minute-plus wait

Note that given the huge queues for the standard cable car to return from Ngong Ping Village back to Tung Chung, we actually paid to upgrade to a crystal cable car (basically has larger windows) to skip most of a 45-minute (or longer) queue.

As of November 2024, we paid $270 HKD for a standard cabin per adult to go to Ngong Ping Village (Tahia didn’t count for a half-priced ticket as a child).

However, since we upgraded on the return leg back to Tung Chung, we paid $310 HKD for the crystal cabin per adult.

Thus, we wound up paying $270 HDK x 3 + $310 HKD x 3 = $1740 HKD in total, which assuming an exchange rate of $7.50 HKD per $1 USD, this would mean roughly $232 USD for the whole thing.

Big_Buddha_135_11292024 - Even inside the Ngong Ping Cable Car Station, we bypassed most of the snaking line because the crystal car line was shorter than what you see in this photo
Even inside the Ngong Ping Cable Car Station, we bypassed most of the snaking line because the crystal car line was shorter than what you see in this photo

So indeed, when you add up all the costs for our particular situation, this wasn’t a cheap excursion.

That said, the alternative would be to take the Bus 23 towards Ngong Ping, which would take roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes in each direction, and this doesn’t count the S1 bus to Tung Chung and all the walking and queueing involved.

For geographical context, Tung Chung was about 6km (less than 15 minutes drive) from the Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1, about 32km (about 30 minutes drive) west of Kowloon, about 35km (about 30 minutes drive) west of Hong Kong City, and about 40km (over 30 minutes drive) southwest of Shenzhen, China.

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Tagged with: ngong ping village, ngong ping, lantau island, hong kong airport, tian tan buddha, big buddha, nei sham stream, cable car, tung chung, ngong ping cable car, hong kong waterfalls, hong kong



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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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