I am back at Admiralty MTR station again; this time, in the morning when the sun wouldn't be setting anytime soon and i have plenty of natural light to capture Hong Kong's beautiful urban skyline. Yes, back to take bus no X15 so that we can 'conquer' Victoria Peak one more time!
My visit the day before was a disappointment with low visibility and clouds that worsen the condition. Of course, i can't control the weather but at least daylight would make it easier for a lousy photographer wannabe like myself.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club; is this the same racecourse that appeared in many Hong Kong movies, especially the iconic ones like God of Gamblers etc?
Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple; i realized the Sikhs are extremely versatile people. You can find them all over the world like in Bangkok, in Hong Kong but they speak perfect, local language! That's impressive!
Cemeteries never fail to pique my curiosity.
Would Singapore be like this in the future? That's a possibility if our government has the intention to push the resident population to 10 million people. In Hong Kong, the population stood at an estimated 7.5 million in 2020 but about 2 times bigger.
Apparently, the headquarter of The Hong Kong Jockey Club is indeed beside the Happy Valley Racecourse which was first built in 1845 and has a massive capacity to hold an eye-boggling 55,000 spectators!
Problem with taking the bus in the daytime; the edge of the road appeared a lot more scarier. Any wrong move by the driver and we would be minced meat! Always show your appreciation to the bus drivers; your life is literally in their hands.
That building with an octagon-roof is the Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse; according to Wikipedia, "membership in this club is very strict, limited to the moneyed social elite".
So much greenery at the southern side of Hong Kong Island. Unlike Singapore, Hong Kong has a lot of hills but in the mind of an efficient Singapore bureaucrat, the hills should be leveled to build more houses to curb the housing demand.
Disembarking after about twenty minutes on the bus; once you step out of the bus terminal, the appearance of the strange-looking Peak Tower (like a half-completed building) would first draw your attention.
Pok Fu Lam Country Park - where you can embark on a hiking trail to embrace yourself with nature and check out Hong Kong Island's earliest water storage facility; the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir which was built in 1863.
No, i am too lazy to do that when i am on vacation although above is a picture of the reservoir which you can take from outside the bus terminal. It's good enough for me.
With five paths branching from the main Peak Road, it's hard to decide which one to take as the one that tourists would forge ahead with, the pedestrian path in front of Peak Tower known as Findlay Road, would likely be crowded.
Take my advice and go with Findlay Road, unless you have plenty of time to spare. It might be alright during the early spring and winter period but in summer, the humidity and heat can make one so impatient. Just pray that the crowd would be thin.
At least the visibility at Victoria Peak was way better than the night before; yes, there was still the thick layer of ominous clouds but at the very least, i can still see the buildings that made up the Hong Kong skyline!
Many people were walking along Findlay Road and sometimes, it's not such a bad idea to follow the crowd as the place we were brought to had an amazing view!
The Tai Ping Shan Lions' Viewpoint Pavilion; admission is free. If you wish to splurge, you may consider the 360-degree observation platform called Sky Terrace 428 at Peak Tower instead, which cost HKD $52 an adult. At 428 metres above sea level, it's also Hong Kong's highest viewing platform; Sky100, which we went in Day 4, commands only a height of just 393 metres.
Poor lion statue has a shiny head; guess there must be some ongoing superstition about rubbing the head for good luck or something. Both lion statues were equally 'pampered' judging from the shininess.
View that we stepped into. Alex was in a grouchy mood that day but even he lighted up at the sight and proceeded to take out his phone to take some pictures.
It's crowded but not that bad. In China, the crowds can be so bad; you would literally push each other because others would be pushing you and tempers flared all over the place!
Hong Kong skyline; with business district in front of us, Victoria Harbour in the middle and Kowloon at the back! For Sky100, it's only the Victoria Harbour and the business district of Hong Kong Island.
A bit hazy but better than the day before.
I love this kind of pictorial guide as it allows us to identify key areas or places that were previously unknown to us; like no14, Avenue of Stars and no 5, Lion Rock!
Taking a selfie to lock in the ecstatic moment.
Bishop's Lodge - that pre-war mansion (completed in 1890) on the edge of the hill should have a fabulous view of the cityscape! Bought over for HK$384 million (about S$70 million) in September 2012, the plan was said to convert it into a 17-room hotel.
More selfies!
A cute lion statue overlooking the harbour, as if to protect it from any harm. Unlike the statues right at the entrance, its head wasn't shiny.
Guess there were too many of them that spread across two levels. I prefer high up and didn't bother going one floor down. Did you realize that the lions were not facing forward; instead their heads were turned sideways.
More photos!
You can choose to walk further down Findlay Road but no, Alex isn't much of a walker and the least i would want is to hear his incessant nags! If you prefer a scenic path, you can try Lugard Road. I just checked on Google Map and they have a few lookout points that show a different side of the skyline.
A vendor preparing for business, it seems. This spot is the most popular as it's right beside Peak Tower and you can shoot a postcard-perfect picture of Hong Kong's skyline.
Right in front of the fence was the track for the tram which was closed for maintenance when we visited in July 2019. A pity as it was one of the highlights just like the railway train up Penang Hill.
View of the The Tai Ping Shan Lions' Viewpoint Pavilion. Given misty night and low visibility the day before, i actually didn't notice the pavilion. Nonetheless, it wouldn't have made much of a difference as photos taken wouldn't be acceptable.
Entrance / Exit for The Peak Tram. It started operations more than a century ago in 1888 and before then, sedan chairs were the only mode of transport!
Prefer an indoor area where you can comfortably soak in the sights without the strong wind? There's indeed one such place although you need to buy something to justify your stay.
It's the Pacific Coffee store at Peak Tower! I can't remember what i purchased but it would likely be mocha or macchiato. For those interested in taking time-lapsed videos using your phones, this is quite a good location too as you can just put your phone against the glass window.
See how bored Alex was.
You can find other spots within Peak Tower where you can take photos of the skyline. To save your time and effort, maybe it's best to pay and enter Sky Terrace 428 at Peak Tower. At about S$10 per person, it's actually not that expensive.
Time to leave!
Lastly, check out the time-lapsed videos i took at Victoria's Peak!
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Address
The Peak,
Hong Kong
For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.
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