Hong Kong has launched its first countryside real-name reservation system, capping daily visitors to a popular trail in Sai Kung at 2,000 on select dates, with a lawmaker and district councillor saying the move could help gather data to shape more formal arrangements going forward. The trial reservation system for visits to the Po Pin Chau trail in Sai Kung East Country Park went live at 11am on Monday, offering the first batch of slots for September 5 and 6 through Klook’s website, app and WeChat mini-programme.
A check by a South China Morning Post reporter on Monday afternoon found that slots across all four time slots—9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm—for both dates remained available, with each slot permitting a maximum of 500 people. To complete a booking, users are required to submit all participants’ names, telephone numbers and identity documents, including passports, exit-entry permits for Macau and Hong Kong, or identity cards for mainland Chinese and local residents. Contact information is also required, with an e-voucher sent via email or made available through Klook’s app or mini-programme after registration.
According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department’s website, the reservation system will cover weekends between September 5 and 20, the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival weekend beginning September 25, and mainland China’s National Day “golden week” from October 1 to 7.
Lawmaker Chris Ip Ngo-tung, who represents the southeast New Territories, welcomed the move, praising it for helping manage overcrowding at the site while safeguarding visitor safety. Speaking on a radio show, he noted that an overcrowded tourist spot brings not just inconvenience but genuine danger, pointing to several fatal accidents that had previously occurred in the area. Ip said more than 3,000 people visited Po Pin Chau daily during the Easter holiday, with the influx concentrated over a short period, adding that the new arrangement was the result of careful analysis. He said he expected the government to use the trial period to collect data and develop a formal system going forward, factoring in actual footfall and the area’s ecological capacity, suggesting that a charging or deposit system could be introduced if excessive no-shows led to wasted quotas.
Sai Kung district councillor Chris Cheung Mei-hung, speaking on the same programme, said the quota system capping daily footfall at 2,000 was a good starting point for managing the site. Noting that most visitors to the spot were mainland tourists, he called on authorities to fine-tune the system after the trial period by reserving some quotas specifically for local residents. He also urged the introduction of on-site walk-in quotas, pointing out that some visitors—such as elderly residents—may not be familiar with mobile apps or online registration systems. Cheung added that authorities should also increase publicity of the new system on mainland social media platforms to ensure tourists are properly informed of the regulation.
The change has also drawn support from tourists on social media, with many users sharing photos from their visits in the comments. One RedNote user noted that the experience felt better with fewer people present, while another recalled witnessing littering during a visit in November, expressing support for the new system as a step toward better site management.