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With about six million people visiting this destination every year, the Peak is the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong. This is partly due to the spectacular views of the city and bay: one can see Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula from the Peak Tower at Victoria Gap. The Peak area, covering the Peak, Victoria Gap, Mount Kellet, Jardine's Corner, Mount Gough, Plantation Road, is also the place where some of the richest members of the former colony live.
Known as Hong Kong's most conspicuous landmark, The Peak is also the residential yearning of most of the population. Located on Hong Kong Island, The Peak was never as popular as it is today. During the first six years of Hong Kong's history, hardly anybody traveled up there. Only in 1888, when the Peak Tramway was opened, was the area atop the hill acknowledged as The Peak. The Peak Tram, which runs from 5:40 a.m. to 1 a.m., takes people up and down the hillside, and has been maintaining a safe reputation since its first operation. Only two cars are available to carry 72 passengers and one driver. These cars are pulled by 1,500m steel cables wound on drums. Residents of The Peak are comprised of gentries who often throw lavish dinner parties. Houses and flats are rented out to banks and corporate giants for their top executives at sky-high prices. The area's wilderness, contiguous with stately residents, continues to remain beautifully placid. It is one of the few areas of Hong Kong that feels like a tropical climate. The Peak is a great place for walks, with its forests of bamboo and fern, lilliputian Chinese pines, hibiscus, and vines of phenomenal beauty. Visitors should start from Lugard Road, which begins just opposite the Peak Tram's upper terminus at 395m above sea level. Atop the hill, visitors will be greeted with some of the world's finest views that stretch all the way to China and Macau. The hike from Lugard Road to Harlech Road, which presents views of the harbor, takes about two hours to complete. Hikes from Green Island and Peng Chau to the north, and Lantau and Macau to the west will also take about the same time. |