VICTORIA PEAK

Description

Essentials about Victoria Peak in brief

With a height of 552 meters, Victoria Peak is the highest elevation on Hong Kong Island and probably the best vantage point in Hong Kong, which is really not lacking in great viewpoints. Victoria Peak is surpassed by many hills/mountains on the territory of Hong Kong in terms of height. However, due to its location very close to the city center, Victoria Peak offers a fabulous view of the Central district on Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour as well as Kowloon and the mountains of the New Territories on the other side of the harbor. More than seven million people who come to Victoria Peak every year can’t be wrong. There are broadcasting facilities on the top of the peak, which is why it is not open to the public. However, this is not a tragedy, because from many other points on Victoria Peak you have a similarly good view.

The history of Victoria Peak

Already in the 19th century, Victoria Peak enjoyed great popularity among British and European immigrants, on the one hand because of its great view and on the other hand because of its much more temperate climate (compared to the sultry subtropical climate of the rest of Hong Kong).

Until the late 19th century, the wealthy residents of Victoria Peak were still carried up the mountain in palanquins. This changed with the construction of the Peak Tram in 1888, and from then on the climbs could also be negotiated by funicular. Until 1947, the residential areas on Victoria Peak were reserved exclusively for non-Chinese residents. Fortunately, this kind of apartheid no longer exists today. Today, anyone who calls a house or apartment on the slopes of Victoria Peak their own just has damn deep pockets. Real estate prices here are among the highest in the world.

How to get to Victoria Peak

There are several ways to get to Victoria Peak. The easiest (and also the most interesting) is still to take the Peak Tram. It starts in the Central district and ends at the striking, anvil-shaped Peak Tower building. Those who walk up the mountain via Old Peak Road also arrive at the Peak Tower. As other alternatives, you can take a car, cab or bus up the mountain. The buses arrive at Peak Galleria shopping center, which is located right next to Peak Tower. There you can also park your car in the garage.

The view from Victoria Peak

If you want to get as close as possible to the summit of Victoria Peak, you should walk along Mount Austin Road to Victoria Peak Garden (you can’t get any closer). From Peak Tower to Victoria Peak Garden you have to climb about 150 meters. The reward is a beautiful British-Chinese landscape garden with a magnificent view of the Hong Kong skyline.

Speaking of views: If you can’t get enough of Hong Kong’s spectacular panorama, you should definitely walk along Lugard Road and Harlech Road, which form a loop around Victoria Peak and offer equally magnificent views of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour, Kowloon and the islands of Lantau and Lamma.

Eating on Victoria Peak

If so many magnificent views make you hungry, you can either stop at one of the restaurants in the Peak Tower or the Peak Galleria. More nostalgic is the Peak Lookout Café, which is located in a house built in 1901 that originally served as accommodation for engineers of the Peak Tram and as a stop for sedan chairs.