Hong Kong — Victoria Peak 太平山, Hong Kong

A chaotic visit to the peak

September 2015

The Big Bus Hong Kong Tour included a ticket to visit Victoria Peak 太平山, the highest point in Hong Kong.

Organisation for the visit to Victoria Peak was a shambles. I had to queue for an extended period to get my Big Bus Peak Ticket exchanged for an actual Peak Entry Ticket. No one where we were dropped off seemed to know what was happening.

After I had managed to get the correct ticket, getting up the peak was easy as we had a ‘priority’ lane that got us onto the tram.

The tram looked like something out of an early century.

Note the cable running from the front of the Peak Tram. The reason for the cable soon became apparent as we went up the track.

The Peak Tram is an example of a funicular railway and is the most popular way to reach the top of Victoria Peak. The tram runs from the Central District, near the Hong Kong MTR station, to the mountain’s summit. The journey takes about eight minutes and offers stunning views of the city.

The inside of the tram was quite crowded, and the floor was rather odd. The reason for the bizarre floor became apparent as we went up the track to the peak. The track was steep! Hence the cable.

The ever-popular selfie.

The photo below is not taken at a funny angle (look at the buildings in the distance); it’s the tram at a funny angle.

I was amazed at the angle of the tram. It at least explained the funny floor, which in the station looked like a set of steps that had been laid flat on the ground, but were now at the right angle. And I was glad there was a cable.

The peak, as we approached, looked stunning, and there were some expensive houses up there. It is the place to live.

And the tram got to a severe angle.

The views of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak 太平山 were stunning!!

Looking into the business district and onto the mainland was just wow, wow, wow.

Victoria Peak is also known as Mount Austin, and its summit is at 552 meters (ca. 1,811 ft) above sea level.

Looking south, you get to see the ‘green’ areas of Hong Kong and the islands beyond.

The top of the peak was a bit of a mess.

And there are some pretty amazing houses and apartments in the area. I bet these are all a bit expensive.

The peak is a shopping mall with a rather spectacular viewing platform on the top.

The escalators from the tram to the viewing platform are arranged, so you must go past shops. Sneaky.

At the Peak, there was an excellent free audiovisual guide using an iPod Touch like device and earphones.

Looking back down the tram line from the peak made me appreciate just how steep the tram line was and why the cable under the tram was needed.

The viewing platform (which you have to pay to access and included in my ticket) was wonderful. The views, as can be seen in the photos, were spectacular.

The viewing platform was very popular.

And a great place to pose for photos.

At the peak, the ‘Say I love you’ was a bit weird.

Thank goodness they invented the selfie stick.

If you are going up Victoria Peak 太平山, you are doing it for the views, and they are stunning. Totally amazing.

At Victoria Peak 太平山 there is also the Tai Ping Shan Lions View Point Pavilion 太平山獅子亭, which, unlike the viewing platform at Victoria Peak 太平山 Mall, is free. However, at Tai Ping Shan Lions View Point Pavilion 太平山獅子亭, you don’t get the views to the south.

Walking down to Tai Ping Shan Lions View Point Pavilion 太平山獅子亭, you get to look back at the Victoria Peak 太平山 Mall, which is where the tram drops you off. You won’t get this view of the Mall unless you walk down to the viewpoint. The building makes me think of Thunderbirds.

The view from the Tai Ping Shan Lions View Point Pavilion 太平山獅子亭 is good, but not as good as from the viewing platform at the Victoria Peak 太平山 Mall.

Hong Kong is stunning.

The trip to Victoria Peak 太平山 was worth the effort as it gave some stunning views across Hong Kong. It was also great fun going up on the tram, as that was a unique experience due to the track’s gradient.

Foursquare: The Sky Terrace 428 凌霄閣摩天臺428, Victoria Peak 太平山, Peak Tram Lower Terminus 山頂纜車花園道總站, Peak Tram Upper Terminus 山頂纜車凌霄閣總站, Tai Ping Shan Lions View Point Pavilion 太平山獅子亭 — Best free view spot, Sky Terrace 凌霄閣摩天臺