Poon Choi Run 2026

2024 Poon Choi Run is back ! The Lunar New Year is one of the most important traditional festivals for Hong Kong people. It represents a new beginning and looks forward to a good start. In the meanwhile, everyone will have gatherings with relatives and friends, blessing each other.

In the local running community, it is quite common that many runners will come out and have new year runs and gatherings. They greet each other wishing good luck and health in the coming year.

A Poon Choi gathering for runners will be a very unique, interesting and traditional way to celebrate the joy of New Year with friends. Let’s join Poon Choi Run!

19KM

↑ Elevation 823mD+  🕑 Start Time 08:30  🏳 Location Hon Man Upper Village

The course starts from Hon Man Upper Village, Tsuen Wan and ends in Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1, Yuen Long where the Poon Choi Banquet takes place in the afternoon. The route is a bit challenging but not difficult, which is suitable for all levels of trail runners and hikers. The scenery is beautiful along the route. On Ha Fa Shan and Shek Lung Kung, participants can see the coast and the sea of Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi, Lantau with the famous Tsing Ma Bridge and Ting Kau Bridge. The second half of the route will be in the woods and valleys of Tai Lam Country Park. The beautiful scenes of Ho Pui Reservoir and Tai Lam Chung Reservoir can be expected also.

3.8KM

↑ Elevation 133mD+  🕑 Start Time 10:00  🏳 Location Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1

Participants with less experience can join the 3.8km route. It is a small loop which starts and ends in Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1. The route will take the participants to Tai Tong Nature Trail and Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail.

Section 1  Start – Checkpoint 1

Distance  8.3 km Ascent 520m

Hon Man Upper Village > Ha Fa Shan > Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail  > Shek Lung Kung > Mc Lehose Trail Sec.9 > Tai Lam Forest Track

Section 2 Checkpoint 1 – Finish

Distance  10.7 km  Ascent 303m

Tai Lam Forest Track > Ho Pui > Kat Hing Bridge > Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail > Tai Tong

Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1 > Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1

Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1 > Tai Tong Shan Road > Tai Tong Nature Trail >

Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail > Tai Tong Barbecue Area Site No.1

1. Fom Yau Kom Tau

Green Minibus 96A 
from Tsuen Wan MTR

Drop-off : Gate at Yau Kom Tau Village
And walk about 10 minutes to start point

​

2. Fom Tsuen King Circuit 

Green Minibus 84
from Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan​

KMB
30 - from Cheung Sha Wan
30X - from Whampoa Garden
39M - from Tsuen Wan MTR Station
39A - from Tsuen Wan West MTR Station

Drop-Off : Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital
And walk about 15 minutes to start point

Finish : Tai Tong BBQ Site No.1 (near the Tuck Shop)
Google Location  >> https://bit.ly/33EZvC5 

​Transporation to Yuen Long Town

K66 -  MTR Bus
10 minutes walk along Tai Tong Shan Rd
Bus-stop : Kiu Hing Rd - Tai Tong Shan Rd
Google Location 位置 >> https://bit.ly/3bmI9MW

Bag Drop Service will be provided at the start/finish. We held no responsibility for damage or loss of the baggage and personal belongings of the participants. Participants must ensure that their personal belongings are properly packaged, and the luggage may get wet due to bad weather.

Race packs will be distributed on the race day

NO refund will be given to any participant under any circumstances. Please understand this before the registration.

The origin of Poon Choi
​

After 40 years of resistance against Mongolian army, the Song Dynasty was finally defeated. Lin'an, the capital of Song, fell in 1276. Emperor Gong of Song surrendered to the Mongolian. Some senior officials, Lu Xiufu, Yang Liangjie, Chen Yizhung still wanted to fight back. They set up a new government of Emperor Duanzong in Fuzhou. Unfortunately, the new capital fell shortly too. The Song army fled to the coastal area of Guangdong. When they passed Kam Tin, the local people served the Emperor, officials, and the soldiers with the “best” food they had (i.e. pork, chicken, seafood) . At that moment, they didn’t have enough tableware for thousands and thousands of soldiers. They put different kinds of food layer by layer into a pot (called “Poon” in Chinese). This is the origin of Poon Choi, meaning “food served in pot”.

Now it is a tradition in the New Territories villages that people hold Poon Choi banquets in festivals and celebrations, such as Lunar New Year, wedding, moving into a new home, the birth of boys in Ancestral Halls.

From village tradition to Hong Kong Culture

The Poon Choi banquet is different from other banquets, it has a unique cultural significance. It means “unity”. When a Poon Choi banquet is held, a piece of red notice will be posted at the village hall, then the villagers will automatically show up at the banquet. In the banquet, all the villagers, no matter if they are rich or poor, enjoy the same bowl of food, so it somehow represents ”equality”. Apart from the delicious food, the villagers love the atmosphere most. They sit around the table, sharing the food, chatting and drinking. It is a very enjoyable moment in peaceful village life.

Poon Choi is a tradition of the indigenous people of walled villages. Nowadays the people in City area also like Poon Choi. They will order Poon Choi in their apartment to celebrate some Chinese festivals with family and friends. This tradition becomes trendy again. The recipe has been modified also. For example, some expensive ingredients have been served; vegetarian Poon Choi is also invented.

What are inside Poon Choi?

In the past, Poon Choi could only be tasted in the village. Now, many restaurants also have its supply, some introducing new flavors, such as Hakka style, seafood style and vegetarian style. The traditional Poon Choi will mainly use local ingredients.

The pre-cooked food will be placed layer by layer in a pot, from bottom to top, from general to expensive food. The highest class of Poon Choi is called “ 九缽 / 9 bowls”, in which 9 bowls of foods are served. The general kind of Poon Choi is called “兩杉四缽 / 2 dishes 4 bowls”. Mostly, there are chicken, duck, fish balls, mushrooms, dried oysters, shrimps, sea eels and other valuable seafood, or 2 dishes with pork , roasted pork skin, squid and Tofu skin . Poon Choi dishes also have seasonal differences, such as the lowest layer of radish in winter, absorbing the sauce as its flavor; in summer the radish is replaced by bamboo shoots. However, leafy green vegetables are never served in the pot as they are too common in village life.