Victoria Peak

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For other places with the same name, see (disambiguation).

The view of Hong Kong, Kowloon and Victoria Harbour from the top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong Island

Victoria Peak or The Peak (太平山頂, 扯旗山, 爐峯, Tai Ping Shan, Mount Austin; usually referred to locally in Cantonese by the nickname Shàn Déng, 山頂, literally "mountain peak") is a mountain in the southwest of Hong Kong Island. With an altitude of 552 m, it is the highest mountain on the island and the 11th highest in Hong Kong.

With about six million visitors every year, the Peak is the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It offers spectacular views of the city and bay. One can see the Kowloon Peninsula from the Peak Tower at Victoria Gap.

It is home to a wealth of bird life, most prominently the Black kite, and also to an amazing array of butterflies. To the local social life of Hong Kong it offers many semi-secluded park benches that on a sunny day are favourite spots for young romantic couples.

The Peak area, covering the Peak, Victoria Gap, Mount Kellet, Jardine's Corner, Mount Gough, Plantation Road, is also home to some of Hong Kong's wealthiest residents.

Contents

1 Peak Tower
2 Restaurants
3 Lung Fu Shan Trail
4 Transportation
5 See also
6 External links

Peak Tower

The Peak Tower is located at Victoria Gap, and houses the upper terminus of the Peak Tram. It is not located at the top of Victoria Peak, but at an elevation of 396 m. Because the architects sought a design which would be prominent on the skyline but would not interrupt the natural line of the hills, they chose a site in a dip along the line of the hills, and restricted the tower's height to 428 m above sea level.

The Peak Tower was designed by the British architect Terry Farrell. It has seven floors with a total area of 10,400 m² (112,000 ft²) in a wok shape. There is a viewing platform on the third floor.

In 1997 Peak Tower was redeveloped with new attractions including Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, Hong Kong's Historical Adventure (a journey through scenes of the Hong Kong's early history, and the first computer-operated entertainment ride in Hong Kong), Madame Tussaud's (a branch of London's famous wax museum) and the Peak Explorer Motion Simulator. The Peak Tower also houses many gift shops selling Chinese arts and crafts, cosmetics, books, and other souvenirs.

As of January 7 2006, the Peak Tower is closed for renovation. The Peak Tram service continues to operate.

Restaurants

There are several restaurants on Victoria Peak.

The [Peak Lookout Restaurant] originally was a rooming house and working area for British engineers working on the Peak Tramway. In 1901 it was rebuilt to become a stopping area for private or public sedan chairs. The facility was rebuilt as a restaurant in 1947.

Other restaurants include L16 Restaurant and [Cafe Deco].

Lung Fu Shan Trail

Lung Fu Shan Fitness Trail is a 2750 m long trail exhibiting the environment of the Peak. Signs provide information about safe hiking on the road. The trail starts at Pinewood Garden, routing through the Pinewood Battery, a few barbecue sites, a number of shelters, a flight of steps and a section of steep road before arriving at the junction of Harlech Road and Hatton Road. It takes about 60 minutes to complete the trail.

Transportation

Peak Tram

The Peak Tram is a funicular railway that provides access to the Peak and surrounding areas. The Peak is also accessible by public bus, by taxi or private car, or on foot.

External links

[The Peak Hong Kong Official site]
http://www.hkta.org/sightseeing/hkisland_central.html
http://www.peninsula.com/highlights/peak/tower.html
[The Peak to undergo facelift] [(Chinese)]