Victoria Peak Garden, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
How to get to
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Prior to visiting Victoria Peak Garden, you may wish to visit the Lugard Road Lookout for one of the Worlds greatest city views or do it after you have seen the Garden and also after visiting Victoria Peak Garden you can do Barker Road. Click on the weird red button thingy below for my how to get to instructions for the Lugard Road Lookout and Barker Road, it is very easy to do all 3 attractions within a 3 - 3 1/2 hour time frame.
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Victoria Peak Garden at The Peak in Hong Kong
Mountain Lodge - A summer retreat for the Governors in Hong Kong over a hundred years ago - this house was completed in around 1902 and was demolished in 1946 and Victoria Peak Garden rose out of the ashes in around 1970 (ish) and has been modified quite a bit since then. I have to say, what a lovely House and it is a pity it was not preserved and reopened to the Public - oh well.
I found this image on Gwulo and it was taken in the 1930’s, this is the same building that is occupied by the Peak Lookout Restaurant next to the start of Mt. Austin Road, you will see quite clearly the sedan chairs and rickshaws, the building was used as a resting place for the poor chaps who had to lug up rich people to Victoria Peak Garden or Mountain Lodge as it was known in those days, what a truly awful job - the route that appears below is pretty much exactly the route they would have taken to get up there
Historical Interest as mentioned by Gwulo
As for the origins of the existing Old Peak Café (舊山頂餐廳), it is evident that an open-sided shelter was built in 1901-1902 by the Public Works Department (PWD) on this site for the accommodation of both public and private sedan chairs. On the other hand, it is believed that before the completion of the sedan chair shelter, the Peak Tramways had built on this site a workshop and a shelter for engineers responsible for the construction of the Peak Tram in 1888. On completion of the tramway the site and the building thereon was handed back to the government. The site was used as a shelter for sedan chair bearers until 1947, when the building was converted into an open-air cafeteria. In 1973 a public petition was raised to prevent redevelopment of the site and to save the building from demolition.
It should be noted that this stone shelter was completed during the period 1901 - 1902 at exactly the same time Mountain Lodge was finished! great timing.
How to get to | Victoria Peak Garden, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
Victoria Peak Garden at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong is a largely ignored attraction in Hong Kong primarily because it is not exactly easy to get to, if you have a car it is easy, you can also get a taxi to take you up there but they probably will not wait for you, so you may have to walk down and you will end up at the Peak Tower, you can of course wait to see if another taxi comes up but do not hold your breath.
My how to get to | instructions are based on the premise that you will walk up from the Peak Tower and walk back down (ie you go down exactly the same way as you went up) !
Please note that you can do the Victoria Peak Garden Experience at Victoria Peak, Hong Kong on your own without hiring a Private Tour Guide, simply open this blog post on your smart phone and follow the very detailed step by step instructions.
I have been there many times over the years and was there quite recently and as usual it was largely deserted which is a real shame, I just love the place.
First things first
• anyone with a reasonable level of fitness will be just fine to walk up or down
• I would suggest pushing strollers | wheelchairs up there is not really an option, take a taxi
• there is NO public transport such as minibuses going up there, your options are a private car, a taxi or walking
• I always shake my head at the optimists who claim wholly unrealistic times to walk up there from the starting point, I have seen times stated as little as 10 minutes to 30 minutes., if you are a fit marathon runner it might take you 30 minutes but I base my timings on the average person and let me make it clear there is a bunch of interesting things to see on the way up which will eat up time as well.
• it will take anyone with that reasonable level of fitness 45 - 60 minutes to walk up there at a moderate pace, the more people in the group the slower it will be
• the first part of the walk is quite steep and if it is 33oC and 90% humidity you will need to stop and rest, fortunately the second half of the walk is mainly shaded by a semi tropical jungle!
• you have to remember you will be walking on a very narrow road on the second part of the walk as you enter the “jungle” area, you will at some stage have to give way for cars and vans, you have to have your wits about you, no matter how many times I have walked up there I have encountered 2 or 3 vehicles.
• and again, you also have to factor in stopping and smelling the roses and taking pictures and such
• you really have to be realistic about the timing, of course if you take a taxi up, no more than 5 - 10 minutes but you will miss out on some splendid photo opportunities which you might miss however if you choose to walk down so will still get those opportunities
• after walking up the initial very steep part of Mt. Austin Road you will come across a lovely playground | garden that has a perfectly fine bathroom and lots of seats so you can rest up, this is NOT Victoria Peak Garden by the way, it is Mt. Austin Playground
A Brief History of Victoria Peak Garden
In essence the entire history of the site revolved around a structure | retreat built for the Governors of Hong Kong from the 1860’s onwards to escape the summer heat by moving up to the house called “Mountain Lodge” and enjoy the supposedly relatively cooler climate at the altitude of about 520m or so., remember in this era there was no air conditioning.
I should point out that I think that was nonsense, I have been up there in the summer heat and humidity many times and to me anyway there was no real discernible change in the temperature or the humidity! It has been suggested that there is a 5oC differential in the temperature, I don‛t think so, even if it was 28oC and 95% humidity it will feel uncomfortable and you will be soaked in sweat.
If you want to believe it is that much cooler, go right ahead!
I digress.
The first “Mountain Lodge” was completed in 1867 however from 1867 to 1892 a succession of structures were built and quickly destroyed by termites, rot and 3 huge typhoons! So it was decided that a more permanent substantial structure needed to be built and the new “Mountain Lodge” opened in 1902 and the first Governor to live there in the summer was Sir Henry Blake.
However it was not an idyllic spot with major issues being heat, humidity, fog, toilet facilities, water issues and of course actually getting there from the Peak Tram (which had opened in 1888) you needed to hire a rickshaw or sedan chair for the uphill journey - what looked good on paper ended up being a nightmare and yes, one of the problems was how hot it was living up there, remember the place was built because it was supposed to be cooler!
It was however a 43 acre site with a lovely garden so occupants and guests made the best of it, Hong Kong does have 4 distinct seasons so for at least 6 or 7 months of the year the weather was relatively nice.
The Japanese occupation from 1941 - 1945 put paid to “Mountain Lodge” it fell into complete disrepair and was demolished in 1946 with the exception of the Gate House, a structure down the road from “Mountain Lodge” which was declared a Monument in 1995
To be honest, what happened next is a bit of a mystery, apparently the site was renamed Peak Park and the Pavilion that was built on the site was constructed apparently between 1968 - 1970 but despite many hours of research I can find nothing of note of what was at the site from 1946 - 1968, amazingly even the Antiquities and Monuments Office in Hong Kong has seemingly no information of the site status from 1946 - 1968 I am presuming it was all fenced off with only the substantial garden being open to the public.
I remember going to Victoria Peak Garden in 1972 not too long after we arrived in Hong Kong and as mentioned I have been up there many times since, it is a lot busier on a weekend!
Victoria Peak Garden has been renovated | modernised many times since 1970 but not that much of a change at all and certainly there has been no effort to widen the road or offer a minibus service from the Peak Tower to the Garden, it remains one of those “cool and unusual things to do” whilst in Hong Kong
My advice, if you have the time do visit it and so we are clear, I do think the experience will be much better if you have a private tour guide with you.
So that is the brief history of Victoria Peak Garden, I will put some comments with the images where relevant
So what now follows is precise instructions with notes on how to get to Victoria Peak Garden
Image No. 1 | The large structure on the right is the Peak Tower, you will see a red car on the left, this is the start of Mt. Austin Road which is your path to Victoria Peak Garden
Image No. 2 | This is the starting point, Mt. Austin Road is the road to the right going uphill and ends at Victoria Peak Garden, this road literally starts 20 yards from the Peak Tower - imagine 20 or 30 of these old chaps back from 1876 onwards hauling up people and luggage to the first and very basic “Mountain Lodge” in a sedan chair which did not have wheels., rickshaws as shown in the image had arrived in Hong Kong in 1874 and supposedly made life easier for the old geezers going up the Mountain Lodge Summer House
Image No. 3 | In the background is the Peak Lookout Restaurant, quite famous and formerly known as the Peak Cafe which opened in 1947 and prior to this was a rest area for rickshaw pullers and sedan chair luggers (since 1902) - stop in and have a drink or lunch before heading up Mt. Austin Road to Victoria Peak Garden, the start of Mt.. Austin Road is literally 15 yards away from the green postbox
Image No. 4 | Almost but not quite, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department almost gets it right, 30 minutes to Victoria Peak Garden but that is if you just walk without stopping, resting, taking photographs, admiring the surroundings and such, reality is 45 - 60 minutes walking time including stopping!
Image No. 5 | Hard to miss the sign, Mt. Austin Road ends at Victoria Peak Garden
Image No. 6 | …… this sign is above the Mt. Austin Road sign, it leaves you in no doubt as to which direction to go in and is also handy to show to a Taxi driver if you would prefer not to walk
Image No. 7 | This is where reality sets in, this is the first part of the trek uphill, it looks quite benign but trust me, it is very steep and I hate it with a passion! no need to rush and simply go at your own pace, this is another place I curse in 17 different languages.
Image No. 8 | Keep walking up and then it is imperative you go RIGHT, do not deviate, go RIGHT
Image No. 9 | You have turned right and this is what awaits you, you are still on Mt. Austin Road and stick to the pavement on the left
Image No. 10 | As you walk up you will notice this entrance which leads to Mt. Austin Road playground or community park and NOT to be confused with Victoria Peak Garden, there are nice, clean bathroom facilities and it is a very pleasant place to rest up for 10 minutes, all that is missing is a Starbucks.
Image No. 11 | As you come back out of the playground now would be a good idea to cross the road and head towards the apartment block on the right. If you look closely, behind the car there is a small viewing pavilion where Mt. Austin Road intersects with Lugard Road (see also the image below) this is a historic pavilion by the way and was constructed prior to 1920!, take a seat and rest up again for 5 minutes and feel the history.
Image No. 11a | see also image No. 11 - This is the small viewing pavilion from 1920!
Image No. 12 | As you are walking on the right you will notice this, do NOT walk down this road as it leads to Lugard Road - there are some limited views to be had though and remember to sit in the little historic pavilion behind you and soak up a bit of history.
Image No. 13 | So now keep following the road up walking on the very narrow pavement on the right - watch out for traffic going up or coming down, remember that electric cars basically do not make a sound.
Image No. 14 | If you look on the left you will see a magnificent house with a rather imposing gate, this is the official residence of the Japanese Consul General - be aware this is private property and do not walk up to the gate!
Image No. 15 | You can photograph the sign though and check out the history of this house on Google! This is RBL 509 (Rural Building Lot) and there is a Japanese Flag fluttering on a very large flagpole to denote it is an official residence.
Image No. 16 | Onwards and upwards, just keep following the road and watch out for the traffic (such as it is) also just another note about privacy, the apartment block on the right is home to some very wealthy people and as such the security guards are of the zealous jobsworth nature and do NOT try and enter the compound and take photographs, from the gate you can see some spots where the views look magnificent, it is not worth the hassle.
Image No. 17 | Keep walking up, stick to the right and do not cross over to the left, head towards the white apartment block and bear left.
Image No. 18 | As you pass the white apartment block you will notice the road bears left, stick to the road and keep walking, it is now uphill again and the scenery changes with lots of trees and bushes and not much else but it can be shady and a respite from the sun
Image No. 19 | Keep following the road which bears right and do NOT walk up those steps, again, watch out for traffic
Image No. 20 | Just keep walking up, there are no pavements, you are walking on a road, it is getting a little steep here
Image No. 21 | just keep walking up, the pipes on the left are water pipes.
Image No. 22 | Keep walking, it is quite steep again, there is nothing much to see on this section just reflect on the notion that trees, bushes and plants are pretty much the same everywhere.
Image No. 23 | I always have to rest at this point! but keep walking and my usual note of caution, stay away from the bushes and vegetation, we have 14 species of poisonous snakes, giant spiders and giant centipedes, (luckily I have not seen a wild boar up here yet) - I have come across them because I like to photograph them but they are very hard to spot, you will be fine if you stick to the road.
Image No. 24 | The fork in the road as they say - do NOT under any circumstances walk up to the right, stick to the LEFT and keep walking, the sign you see tells you this!
Image No. 25 | Finally, something interesting - The Gate Lodge, a declared monument and basically a guard post for the long demolished Mountain Lodge - good for a selfie or two
Image No. 26 | Pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the Gate Lodge
Image No. 27 | In case you forget what the structure is! please note that they often remove all the vegetation and plant new plants and trees at this spot
Image No. 28 | I love this old image for context, all the trees and bushes obscure this view in modern times but you can clearly see Mountain Lodge in the background, still quite some distance away from the Gate Lodge, lest we forget, Mountain Lodge is now Victoria Peak Garden, when I see images like this I always daydream about being a time traveller!
Image No. 29 | Time to start walking again, onwards and upwards
Image No. 30 | You will come across this, never quite sure if it is a shed or a residence or both, it has a nicely manicured lawn though!
Image No. 31 | Another fork in the road, stick to the RIGHT, do not go left! this young couple asked me for instructions to Victoria Peak Garden, I told them to go up and they completely ignored me and went left!
Image No. 32 | yep, keep walking uphill, you are getting close now
Image No. 33 | keep walking, the excitement such as it is, is building and just about here you wonder how people can say it takes a 10 - 20 minute walk to get to Victoria Peak Garden from the Peak Tower! at this point I am generally cursing in 17 different languages, again.
I doubt this young chap has ever been to Victoria Peak Garden, this is why I get vexed, he claims a 15 minute walk from the starting point next to the Peak Tower or Peak Lookour Restaurant to the Garden, that is impossible
… and as much as I love Time Out I cannot understand how they can claim a 10 minute walk from the Peak Tower | Peak Tram Station, clearly no one has actually done this walk! personally I think it is important to let people know the reality and accuracy of timing when it comes to visiting attractions in Hong Kong.
Image No. 34 | Yahoo, we have made it, trust me it is a lot more interesting than it looks, there are some public bathrooms and in theory a kiosk should be open offering drinks and snacks… this site is 24|7 but I would not do this walk at night given the road is poorly lit and all those bugs, creepy crawlies and wild boars will keep most people away when darkness falls unless you come up in a car or taxi
Image No. 35 | The first thing you notice is the radio telecommunications mast
Image No. 36 | Take a moment to swivel 360 degrees and get your bearings and you will notice some more communication masts, more on them later.
Image No. 37 | The Fu dogs guarding the pavilion, hard to believe the massive Mountain Lodge house was on this spot
Image No. 38 | I love sitting in the pavilion, lots of seats, nice and shady and always some interesting characters around, if you read my notes you will remember that this pavilion was constructed between 1968 - 1970 and I first sat in there in 1972 and at one point in 2009 they were doing some research on the old Mountain Lodge and wanted to dig up the entire site to look for archaeological relics, they did a partial dig, found their relics and made it whole again.
Image No. 39 | Now you can explore, the focal point remains the pavilion, keep this in sight and you cannot get lost. This is the actual Victoria Peak Garden, steps lead down and the gazebo’s are great for selfies, it really is quite lovely, I would not advise wandering off down the road in the distance.. keep the pavilion as your focal point and as you can imagine, this area is jammed on a weekend in fine weather.
Image No. 40 | Another view of the Pavilion, there used to be a bunch of information boards with interesting facts and images of the various Mountain Lodges historically, sometimes these boards are there, sometimes they vanish for years, still with Google is it quite easy to get all the information you will ever need. The information board was there in 2022
Image No. 41 | This is an image I took in 2016 - this is the information board I mentioned above which is sometimes there and sometimes not but was in 2022.
Image No. 42 | As you walk around the pavilion you will start to see some interesting views of the South side of Hong Kong Island and some of the Outlying Islands in the South China Sea.
Image No. 43 | Pretty nice views. Pokfulam reservoir in the foreground and Lamma Island across the water, with the 3 stacks of the power station looming large.
Image No. 44 | This is the back of the pavilion, just follow the path heading towards the radio mast
Image No. 45 | Keep following the path towards the lamp post, I tend to keep off the grass as I have seen snakes and giant centipedes from time to time… stick to the path
Image No. 46 | Just follow the path, it comes to a viewing platform (and dead end) please note in the trees on the right are steps and a path do NOT go wandering off, stick to this path! and trust me, stay away from the park bench on the left, in the summer those trees are spider central, lots of very large Golden Orb spiders, they can sometimes be as big as an adult hand.
Image No. 47 | This is a Golden Orb Spider which I photographed in 2013 with a cheap point and shoot camera, this is the biggest one I have seen and yes, they are all over Victoria Peak in the summer but largely invisible (thank goodness!)
Image No. 48 | The viewing platform and a good place to take a picture of your shadow
Image No. 49 | Just take in the magnificent views
Image No. 50 | Magnificent scenery, I trekked up that hill when I was a kid! it is called High West and is, even today a very popular hiking trail for those fitness addicts with a point to prove and it is a fine way of them to show off their brand name hiking gear which they totally overdo in an effort to prove that they are serious hikers!
Image No. 51 | One more image of that view! be content in the knowledge that not many people (and that includes Hong Konger’s) ever see this view - simply amazing.
Bear in mind it is not sunny every day, I have been up there when it is cloudy, raining with gale force winds and totally fogged in, you make the best of it, I have never let the weather spoil my enjoyment and historical vibes of the site
Image No. 52 | You head back to the Pavilion, you will notice a few old colonial structures……. there is very little information on the history of these buildings or what purpose they serve now if any.
Image No. 53 | Now, serious warning time, there is a road next to the white colonial structures in the previous image above, please do not head up that road towards all those “antennas | radio masts” in the background - I have first hand knowledge and information from people that know about these things that this is a military site and it sits on the summit of Victoria Peak. Those are military grade listening posts and as such are completely off limits to the general public and people with guns patrol the site.
Image No. 54 | See above, it is a fairly bland sign and it is a little way up on the road to the facility - I took this image of the sign in 2016 when I was apprehended by a group of men who were armed, they where very polite and assumed I was a lost tourist or something like that. You have been warned.
So now it is decision time, how to get down - well you can wait for a taxi that comes up infrequently or you can walk down by following the road you came up and you will end up back at the Peak Tower or maybe you had hired a car with a local private guide (quite a good idea actually)
I know it seems like a lot of time is needed but I absolutely believe it is worth it and I hope that all my images get that message across!
Well, almost the last word - this is why I never ever use Wikipedia as a source of information
So why do I have an issue with the Wikipedia Information about Victoria Peak Garden?
It states that the elevation of the Garden is 300m, well the military antenna masts on top of Victoria Peak are at 552m and they are a very short walk from the Garden, you have to walk UP a steep road from the Peak Tower to get to Victoria Peak Garden, the Peak Tower is at 428m so I put the elevation of the Garden at between 480 - 520m
This sort of basic error really annoys me!
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