The Balanced Rock — Geological Wonder at Grass Island (Tap Mun)

The Balanced Rock was made of hexagonal volcanic rock columns, which were formed from the volcanic activities that took place 143 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions spewed large amounts of volcanic ash. After a period of cooling and contraction, vertical hexagonal columns were formed. With sea and wind erosions that took place in the following tens and thousands of years, some rocks broke away from the mass and stood independently, just like the Balanced Rock does now. The Balanced Rock of Grass Island is a natural wonder, where two large rock boulders sit on top of each other and do not fall down. Allow for two hours if you want a good, leisurely walk on the loop trail of Grass Island. More time is necessary if you want to reach the Balanced Rock and the Tap Mun Cave. At the Pier, turn left to begin the walk. You will soon find yourself at Tin Hau Temple. The Tin Hau Temple of Grass Island was built during the early Qing Dynasty. A plaque inside the temple indicates that as early as the 8th year of the Qianlong Reign (1743), the Tin Hau Temple has been in existence, established by the fishing merchants of the region. On the left side of the Tin Hau Temple, the trail continues. Follow signs for Balanced Rock throughout this section of the trail. Soon you will be climbing a gentle incline to reach what the locals call the Grassland. This is where most campers find their spots. The Kung Pui Pebble Beach lies on the eastern side of the Grass Island. It offers wonderful views of the ocean, and I spent about 20 minutes there hearing the waves. It is a pebble beach so walk carefully amongst the large and small rocks. #balancedrock #grassisland #tapmun #hongkongislands #outlyingisland #hongkongnature #geology #geologicalwonder #geologicalgems #travel#naturalwonders