城門水塘畔白千層 Paperbarks by Shing Mun Reservoir

夾道白千層,籠花似佛燈。脫皮身更健,落寞苦行僧。 (當代 | 吳銓高)

荃灣城門水塘菠蘿壩,在政府興建城門水塘之前,附近一帶盛產菠蘿,水塘建成後被當時的客家村民稱為「菠蘿壩」。菠蘿壩自然教育徑,風景優美,有不少獼猴、蝴蝶園、石澗、小瀑布、很多樹蔭,斜坡多,適合四季親子行山。

塘畔有不少白千層,很多棵沿堤岸邊生長,粗壯的盤根可以令人感受到強悍的生命力。白千層樹皮褐灰白色,似麟層狀,樹皮去掉一層又有一層,故叫白千層或剝皮樹。

Before the government built the Shing Mun Reservoir in Tsuen Wan, the surrounding area was rich in pineapples. After the completion of the reservoir, it was called “Pineapple Dam” by the Hakka villagers at that time.  The Pineapple Dam Nature Education Trail has beautiful scenery, with many macaques, butterfly gardens, rocky streams, small waterfalls, many shades and gentle slopes. It is suitable for parent-child hiking in all seasons.

There are many Melaleuca trees, akah Paperbarks, by the reservoir, and other trees grow along the banks. Their thick and strong roots can make people feel the vitality. The Melaleuca bark is grayish-white, resembling a lamellae, and it peels by layers, so it is called Paperbark.

楊必興 P H Yang