United College Staff Association (UCSA) organised a hiking and photography learning trip to Old Iron Mine and Ngong Ping Plateau at Ma On Shan on 14 December 2024. UCSA was pleased to have Professor Lam Kin Che of the Department of Geography and Resource Management lead the hike, and Mr Jackey Y K Cheung of Department of Computer Science and Engineering share photo-taking skills with 17 participants.

The Old Iron Mine, the former site for iron and mineral separation, is a remote location. Under Professor Lam’s guidance, the group discovered many magnetite ores of various sizes.

After learning about the mining history of Ma On Shan, the group proceeded to Ngong Ping Plateau, approximately 200 metres above sea level. Along the way, Mr Cheung and participants frequently exchanged photography tips. Jackey also captured many beautiful photos for everyone.

Although the participants climbed over a thousand steps, the excitement and satisfaction of overlooking the beautiful scenery of Sai Kung from Ngong Ping Plateau far outweighed any fatigue. The trip was wrapped up with a warm lunch, where the group enjoyed dim sums at a Chinese restaurant.