Hongkongers flocked to the New Territories in droves on Christmas Day to take in the natural beauty of red leaves on the trees, while the city’s leader appealed to people to show “warmth and kindness” after he spent time with youth groups over the weekend.

Hundreds of people hit the trails of Tai Lam Country Park in Yuen Long on Monday morning amid the cool weather and a Post reporter estimated nearly 1,000 people had passed through the Tai Tong section over a two-hour period to admire the spectacular foliage of sweet gum trees.

Bus operator KMB arranged a special service on Christmas Day and Boxing Day so hikers could travel to the park from Yoho Mall on Tai Tong Shan Road. The company said it was the “best time to watch the beautiful scenery of the red-lead sea”.

William Chan, 35, who runs an education company, was among those who made the trek on Monday and even took the time to paint the scenery in watercolours.

“My job requires me to be in town during this period,” he said. “But this is a great way to spend Christmas.

“It’s very peaceful to be away from the crowds and tourists in urban areas, and I enjoy sharing this beautiful scenery with everyone here.”

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Amy Chiu and her husband Donald, in their sixties and retired, said they often hiked on weekends and had chosen the route for Christmas Day after they heard about the scenery from friends.

“The breeze is nice, even though there aren’t as many red leaves as we thought there would be,” she said. “Christmas in Hong Kong is special and the atmosphere is great. We will have dinner with our kids and grandchildren tonight.”

Catherine Rosimo, 42, a domestic helper, also took advantage of her extended weekend break to go with friends to admire the winter scenery.

“Christmas is a big holiday in the Philippines,” she said. “We can’t go home this year, so I have come with friends.”

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also wished Hongkongers a merry Christmas and posted a video of him and his wife welcoming youth groups to Government House two days ago as part of the celebrations.

“This special day reminds us to care for individuals from different backgrounds and with different needs,” he wrote on social media. “It encourages us to spread messages of love and work together to build a society that is filled with warmth and kindness.”

Lee on Saturday listened to a festive performance by students from the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired, later giving the group Christmas cards written in Braille.

His wife, Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, made Christmas biscuits with youngsters taking part in the Strive and Shine mentorship programme, part of government efforts to give teenagers from underprivileged families more opportunities.

She also teamed up with students from the Vocational Training Council’s Hotel and Tourism Institute to whip up a batch of festive drinks. Lee said they made the holiday season “even sweeter”.

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Students from the Chinese Culinary Institute and International Culinary Institute also showed the couple how to create lifelike fruit replicas using flour.

The city’s leader made a star and placed it on top of a tree made from fruit replicas and said: “Merry Christmas and may you be blessed by an auspicious star!”

The Immigration Department earlier estimated the city’s border checkpoints would handle more than 9.03 million trips over the Christmas period.

Authorities recorded 576,874 inbound trips and 905,024 departures on Christmas Eve.