Victoria Peak / Peak Tram
We must have done early check-in at the downtown airport,
Had a hearty breakfast,
And set out again to enjoy our last day in Hong Kong with renewed energy.
We decided to visit Victoria Peak, where can admire the skyline of Hong Kong.
Exchange Square
We went to Exchange Square, located between the downtown airport and Central Station.
There, we could take a minibus to Victoria Peak.
There were buses going to various areas,
And the bus platform 1 was for buses going to Victoria Peak.
Platform 1, The Peak
There are various ways to get to Victoria Peak,
But it seemed like many tourists were using the Peak Tram to travel quickly.
However, many people also use buses,
You can enjoy the scenery while climbing the Peak on a bus struggling up the winding mountain road,
And there’s a charm in passing through the residential areas of Hong Kong and experiencing their lives for a moment.
Bus speedometer and card reader
The fare was relatively cheap at 9.2 Hong Kong dollars.
We could easily use Octopus cards for payment.
There was a speedometer on the bus ceiling,
I was curious why they bothered showing the speed to passengers.
Was it to show that they were adhering to the speed regulations?
Bus heading to the Peak
As the bus departed from the platform and entered the downtown area, it seemed to be stuck in traffic,
But as it veered off onto the mountain road, it climbed steadily.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the Peak.
The Peak Station
We arrived at the Peak shortly after.
Platform 1 had become a platform for returning to Central.
Since we were planning to take the tram down, we didn’t think we would come back, so we just took some photos.
The Peak Galleria
The terminal was connected to the Peak Galleria.
I was already curious about the views of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour from Victoria Peak.
Free WiFi
Free WiFi was available.
While in Korea, we didn’t pay much attention to WiFi, but many people were looking for places with good WiFi services abroad.
Inside the Peak Galleria
Various tourist products were being sold inside the Galleria.
We decided not to shop separately and headed outside to the observation deck.
Entrance to the Peak Galleria
Since we had to come out from the underground platform, we could only see the building from the outside later,
But I found it fascinating to see the inside first and then look outside the building.
It felt like watching a travel video in reverse.
Shopping street
There were many places to eat in the Peak Galleria.
Since it was still before lunchtime, there weren’t many people using the restaurants.
Observation deck of the Peak Galleria
There were observation decks on the rooftop and outdoors of the Peak Galleria.
Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui
Although it was daytime, the fog was thick, making it difficult to see distant places.
However, I could see the Hong Kong Central area and Victoria Harbour that we had passed by earlier.
And in the distance, Tsim Sha Tsui was also clearly visible,
Being able to overlook the entire Hong Kong from such a height made me feel good.
Hong Kong skyline
Hong Kong is known for its beautiful night view, but even during the day, the view of Hong Kong from such a height was amazing and wonderful.
On the last day of our trip,
As we walked around and recalled the places we had been to, it felt like we were reminiscing about our trip to Hong Kong, which had become memories.
The Peak Tower
We descended from the observation deck and moved to the adjacent Peak Tower.
Here too, we could overlook Hong Kong and experience various attractions.
Hong Kong skyline through transparent glass
The interior of the building was made of transparent glass, so we could continue to overlook Hong Kong while moving inside the building.
Inside the Peak Tower
Although the building was tall and made of glass, it felt cool inside.
Although it was lower than the observation deck, the scenery was still beautiful.
Hong Kong landscape
The mountain slope I had just passed by on the bus was next to me, and I could see Hong Kong again in the distance.
It was such a beautiful scenery that I didn’t want to go down to the ground again.
As we turned around the building, we could see the distant Causeway Bay area.
I remember walking around that area on our first day in Hong Kong.
Even in the hot weather, we walked around all day with excitement.
Hong Kong was a place worth visiting again.
Bruce Lee, Madame Tussauds, HongKong
There was a Madame Tussauds exhibition inside the Peak Tower,
But we didn’t buy separate tickets to visit.
However, even at the entrance of the exhibition hall, we could see some famous figures.
Maggie Cheung, Madame Tussauds, HongKong
Maggie Cheung at the entrance was very finely crafted,
It reminded me of the Japanese movie “Twist Calm&Passion” (2003).
Many people were taking photos, so it seemed to be popular even in Hong Kong.
Letter to the future
There was also a postal service for sending letters to the future,
Although I wondered if I should send one to Korea, I didn’t try it out.
The Peak Tram
We went to take the tram down from the Peak.
Usually, people take round trips, but we only used the tram for the descent.
The Peak Tram and the guide
It’s said that the tram has a history of over 100 years.
It was completed in 1888 and initially served as a means of transportation for British officials and tycoons living on Victoria Peak.
Peak Tram ticket
Until 1926, the tram was divided into three classes inside, with the front two seats reserved for British officials,
First class for government officials and residents of Victoria Peak,
Second class for soldiers and police officers,
And the last seats were for servants working in residents’ homes.
The Peak Tram
The tram operated one way.
We traveled for about 5 minutes on the steep hill of over 45 degrees.
Despite the steep slope, we could still admire the scenery we had seen a while ago while riding the tram.
Inside the tram
The tram seats were made of wooden chairs, giving it an old-fashioned charm.
The one-way fare was 28 Hong Kong dollars (as of 2012).
Although it was more expensive than the round trip fare of 40 Hong Kong dollars, using it for one way wasn’t a bad idea either.
Destination: McDonald Road
It seems like the tram had various destinations in the past.
But now, it seemed to only go to and from McDonald Road.
View of residential area
While riding the tram down, we passed through ordinary residential areas and saw new scenery.
Apartments on the hillside
There were so many houses even on the hills in Hong Kong,
Perhaps due to the housing shortage relative to population density,
It reminded me of my hometown, Busan.
Arrival at the destination, Peak Tram
It was my first experience of a slope of 45 degrees,
I could feel how steep it was with my body.
It felt like my body was being pushed forward.
Peak Tram boarding and alighting point
Many people were queuing up at the boarding point near McDonald Road to go up to the Peak.
Waiting in this line to board the tram seemed challenging.
Queue for boarding the tram
The line for waiting for the tram was extremely long.
Although the tram was running quickly, it seemed not easy to accommodate so many people.
Entrance to the Peak Tram
Many people were lining up outside the Peak Tram boarding point.
Leaving that sight behind, we walked back to continue our journey to the next destination.
Aug. 24. 2012