Amah Rock is a natural

Nature

Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...

ly occurring rock

Rock (geology)

In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...

 located on a hilltop in southwest Sha Tin

Sha Tin

Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...

, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. The rock is approximately 15 meters in height, and its shape looks like a woman carrying a baby on her back. It stands above the entrance to the Lion Rock Tunnel

Lion Rock Tunnel

The Lion Rock Tunnel, being the first tunnel in Hong Kong, is a twin-bored toll tunnel, connecting Sha Tin in the New Territories and New Kowloon near Kowloon Tong. It has two lanes in each direction, with toll booths located at the Sha Tin end. It is a vital component of Route 1.The Lion Rock...

, within Lion Rock Country Park

Lion Rock Country Park

Lion Rock Country Park is a country park, located in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It consists of approximately 5.57 km2 of land, including Lion Rock and Mong Fu Shek and their surrounding scenic hillsides, of which 3.48 km2 is forestry plantations.-Landmarks:The dominant topographical feature...

.

According to a legend, the faithful wife of a fisherman climbed the hills every day, carrying her son, to watch for the return of her husband, not knowing he had been drowned at sea. In reward for her faithfulness she was turned into a rock by the Goddess of the Sea

Matsu (goddess)

Mazu , also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron deity of all Southern Chinese and East Asian persons...

 so that her spirit could unite with that of her husband. Similar legends abound throughout the whole of China — the number of "Mong Fu Shek" rocks in the country is a great one. Many Chinese classical poems were dedicated to this kind of rock.

The rock is a popular tourist destination; the whole Sha Tin District can be seen from there. It is also a place of worship for Chinese women and stands as a symbol of women's loyalty and faithfulness.

See also

• Amah (disambiguation)
• Lion Rock
  Lion Rock
  Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a famous hill in Hong Kong. It is located between Kowloon Tong in Kowloon and Tai Wai in the New Territories, and is 495 metres high...
  
  
• Tao Fung Shan
  Tao Fung Shan
  Tao Fong Shan is a hill less than 500 m tall located in Sha Tin in Hong Kong's New Territories. Alternate romanizations of the name include "To Fung Shan" and "Tao Feng Shan".-Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre/Service Unit:...
  
  
• List of areas of Hong Kong

External links

• Pictures of Amah Rock (Archived 2009-10-25)