The man who loves Hong Kong swings so much that he made a map for them

An enthusiast is on a quest to find all the swings in Hong Kong’s playgrounds, country parks and islands!

Nothing can match the thrill of a swing: pumping your legs to fly through the air.

Swings can be hard to find in our crowded city, but there is a map that can help.

Seven years ago, a man nicknamed Mr Swing started recording Hong Kong's swings on an online map that anyone can look at.

He remembers the day he first saw a playground with metal swings near his home in Tuen Mun.

"I suddenly realised that it had been a long time since I saw a swing," he says. "I have fond childhood memories of swinging, but I have seen fewer swings in the playgrounds lately."

Out of curiosity, he went on the internet to see if he could find locations for other swings in Hong Kong, but he couldn't find many.

So he decided to go on a quest to find them. Starting in his own neighbourhood, Mr Swing's first stop was a playground in Siu Hong Court. He jotted down the spot on a whiteboard and added the location to a Google Map, and then shared the details on social media.

He found that Hong Kong's swings are usually located in public estate playgrounds. There are 670 leisure venues in Hong Kong that have children's play facilities, and 143 of them have swings.

Besides these ones, there are also handmade swings that can be found in the countryside or on islands like Lantau.

"Those swings hidden in remote areas are harder to find. I remember once I spent hours hiking to find a swing, only to find that the information online was wrong," Mr Swing remembers.

Hong Kong mainly has four types of swings: sling belt swings, bucket swings for toddlers, rubber tyre swings, and handmade wooden swings.

Another example is the play space in Tuen Mun Park. It has a nest swing and a parent-child swing. "It gives more options for people to play," he says.

As the enthusiast visits more playgrounds, the swings have also deepened his love for the city.

"Ever since I started my journey visiting the city's swings, I have been able to explore Hong Kong and create more memories," he explains.

Swings are usually found in gardens or playgrounds for children. But acrobats in a circus also have swings which hang from the top of the tent. These acrobats' swings go much higher!

a person who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it

a strong desire to know about something

your feelings or thoughts about somebody/something, rather than a fact

something that you can choose to have or do; the freedom to choose what you do