Hong Kong: how nice you are! Our first day the weather was brilliant and we headed out with our giant jet lag to see Hong Kong from above. I regularly read that Hong Kong has one of the most beautiful skylines in the world, and of course I want to know if it really is that beautiful. With heavy legs and only half-open eyes, we board the subway to Hong Kong Island. It is extremely hot, something that doesn’t really make the hike up the mountain any easier. Already puffing, we arrive at the 125-year-old train that will take us to The Peak. In other words, the highest point on Hong Kong Island and one of the city’s most touristic spots. A little longer and we will be one of those millions of people who come to admire this skyline every year. I’m curious! Let’s go!
Victoria Peak
The Peak, or Victoria Peak as it is actually called, is 522 meters high, making it the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. Sometime around the 1850s, the wealthy people of Hong Kong discovered that The Peak was the ideal place to escape the downtown summer heat for a day. Back then, people still had to walk up the steep mountain, and the truly wealthy were carried up the mountain on a chair made of bamboo. In the year 1881, a Scotsman figured out that climbing Victoria Peak should be easier. He introduced the cable car train which then opened in 1888 as the first cable train in Asia. In the years since, the little train has been modernized, but still travels on the old track through years of history to the top.
The Sky Terrace: a 360-degree view of the Hong Kong skyline
Pay 28 Hong Kong dollars for a one-way ticket to the top (return tickets are also available, but hiking down through the mountains is much more fun; more on that later) and enjoy amazing views. On the platform high above the city, you can see a magical interplay of water, skyscrapers and mountains. A skyline like you’ve never seen before! When I compare these to the skyline of New York, then Hong Kong is definitely number one. A provisional No. 1, because there is so much more to discover on this globe! For now, at least, I enjoyed this view immensely.
Hong Kong: what else did we do?
So much! This diverse city has an enormous amount to offer. From colorful streets to fine dining, and from beautiful ancient temples to vast nature. And the advantage of traveling alone: you get in touch with locals easier! For example, I met a Hong Kong woman who lives in a fishing village on Lantau Island. If she has time from work I will visit her this week. How nice! I want to tell and show you much more, but since I’m still suffering from jet lag and accidentally fell asleep while writing this article and therefore it’s past midnight now, I’m going to save all that for later posts. Here is a preview with some pictures!
-
- Fruit Market
-
- Kowloon Park
-
- Man Mo Temple
What is the most beautiful skyline you have ever seen?
Click here to read more about Hong Kong!
