Geology
Tai Mo Shan was once a volcano and has long been extinct, so it is made up of volcanic rocks from the Jurassic age. Today a small hill that is part of Tai Mo Shan known as "Kwun Yum Shan" still vents warm air though cracks in the rocks that lead all the way to the mantle. The holes that exhale warm air are known as "hot pots", when the surface temperature is cold, and the warmth of the expelled air is clearly discernible is referred to by locals as "dragon's breath". If the air temperature at the summit is 6 degrees Celsius, then the air emerging from the interior of Kwun Yum Shan is somewhere between 13 and 21 degrees Celsius. These "hot pots" are now just mild remnants of the intense superheated steam vents of the volcanic past The volcanic rocks are mainly coarse ash crystal tuff. To the northwest, the west and the south of the peak, the valleys contain large deposits of colluvium. The upper slopes are distinctly "ribbed", as is especially evident after a hill fire. These are stone terraces, running obliquely downhill to the valleys. Due to the height of the mountain, it is claimed to be Hong Kong's most misty area, as it is often covered in clouds. In summer it is frequently covered with cumulus clouds, especially on rainy days, and in winter stratus clouds and fog often cover the peak.
It is rather easy to hike to the peak as there is a road all the way at a comfortable gradient. People actually cannot access the highest point on Tai Mo Shan, as it is occupied by a Hong Kong Observatory (ex-RAF) weather radar station.
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