Victoria Peak - one of
the highest peaks in Hong Kong, that offers a 360 degree view of the Island.
Attraction - Victoria
Peak
Location - The Peak
Victoria Peak
A must see attraction in Hong Kong island, the victoria peak,
often referred to as 'the peak' offers a spectacular view of the skyscrapers in
Hong Kong island, the victoria harbor and kowloon in new territory. Standing at
552 meters above sea level, the Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong
Island. Combined with the experience of traveling in one of the world's
oldest and most famous funicular railways since 1888 and the 360 degree vista
from the highest viewing platform in the city, this is an attraction not to
miss, though weather permitting. The Peak has been one of the hot
residential property since the 19th century. Early settlers were mostly
British, though gradually the restriction was relaxed.
The Tram
Pulled by steel cables, the tram rises from 18 meters to 396 meters
(about 1,300 feet) above sea level. Its true as they have specified in the
official website that when you travel, the buildings on both sides will look
inclined to you. That steep is the travel. The history of the tram dates back
to 1881. Since then it has been a icon for Hong Kong. Before the tram existed,
people were carried to the peak in sedan chairs. In May of 1881, the
enterprising Scotsman Alexander Findlay Smith devised a plan to speed the
development of new residences in the hill districts with the introduction of a
funicular train that would connect Murray Barracks to Victoria Gap. On May 30, 1888, Governor Sir George William des Voeux
officiated at the inauguration of this important transport for the commuters on
the peak.
The Peak Tower
With the peak tram growing popular as a main touristic
attraction, the Peak tower was built to cater to varied needs of the tourist.
At 396m above sea level, the multi storied peak tower encompasses restaurants,
shops, tram station and viewing deck. Sky terrace 428, at 428m from sea level
is the viewing deck offering panoramic view.
My Experience
 |
| Hong Kong Island and New Territory from The Peak |
Well.. I didn't wanted to miss this at any cost. When i started
planning for Hong Kong, this was first in my wish list and in my schedule.
Mainly for the view, a spectacular view up from the top. There are a number of
sky scrappers and you get a spectacular view of them from here. On my weekend
visit, i knew Saturday evening will be raining, hence i opted this for Sunday.
Again, evening - as i wanted to get some sun into my shot.
I planned to catch the tram at around 5, as i have to return to
airport to catch the flight at 9. After coming out of the Central MTR - get out
of exit K on to Statue square. To the right you will see the massive HSBC
tower. To its right is the old Bank of China Tower. Walk towards it and cross
the bending road in the signal. You will reach the midpoint where you can see
modern Bank of China Tower to the left, Cheung Kong tower to the right and Citi
Bank plaza in front along the Garden Road. Walk 200m from there (a
bit uphill) and you can see the Garden Road Peak Tram terminus. Note that
you should reach ahead in time as you have to wait at least 1 hour in the
queue if you have not got the tickets already.
After 30 mins in the queue, i managed to get the ticket - HKD 75
for Peak Tram return and Sky tower. There are other combo packs. Even lesser
when you use Octopus card to pay. Getting the tickets online is best option to
cut the Queue time. After getting the tickets a wait of about 20 mins is
expected to onboard the tram. I chose the last portion of the tram and wanted
to stand. It was a nice experience - as if you travel up sleeping on the tram
door! Don't miss the spectacular view from here and do turn back and see the
tracks leading down ! In 10 minutes you will reach the Peak Tram station at the
peak. From here my only idea was to climb the multi stories (via escalators) up
to the sky terrace 428 (note - you need the tickets to view from sky terrace).
It was a dull evening - call it fog, smog - the view was not clear, yet i was
very keen to get a good shot. I put my shop in a good spot and started getting
few shots until the lights got turned on in the sky reaching buildings. After
nearly 30 mins, i decided to get back. You can spend some time shopping - i managed
to get few souvenirs. You need to come out of the peak tower to get the
tram back. Again, there will be a queue for this. I did managed to get the
train to airport and then flight back to Singapore !
How to reach
One of the best ways to reach is to take MTR to Central from
wherever you are. From Central MTR - take exit K - walk along HSBC tower, Bank
of China old tower and cross the road to get into Garden Road along the modern
Bank of China Tower. 200m from here is the Garden road Peak Tram lower terminus.
(clearly signed along the way from MTR).
References
This blog refers few
information from the below links.
