That’s right an Instagram classic fake image

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This is a completely fake image and is NOT the amazing view!! The only possible location to take this base image (ie looking down on these buildings) is located close to 27 Lugard Road, there are no steps, concrete structures and green railings, just a simple black railing and a sheer vertical drop

The image above is one of the best images I have ever seen of the view from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and it is a total fake

I believe the fake image was taken close the spot next to the lamp post and a drone was launched from there to get the height perspective, there is NOWHERE on Lugard Road where there is a large concrete structure with green railings and steps, those black railings are all the separate you from a free fall down a mountainous rock face!

This is what you actually see from my spot about 200 - 300 yards to the left of the location that has been manipulated notice the absence of steps and the height differential and yes this is one of my images and yes, this is what you see on a glorious summer day in Hong Kong!

The top of Victoria Peak can be clearly seen in this image, it is where the radio masts and antenna’s are, it is a closed area military site and public access is not possible. The apartment blocks below the Peak have nice views but these are private estates with security guards and such with no public access

Why I have issues with Instagram so called influencers

The quest to show “hidden gems” and “secret spots” means fake images are rampant

Let me be clear

I hate fake images supposedly taken in Hong Kong and posted on Instagram in an effort to get “likes” and this company hongkong.explore has a history of posting fake Hong Kong images on Instagram and despite them responding to me admitting they are fake they continue to post them.

This organisation posts something like 10 - 15 images a day and they get many thousands of likes and hundreds of comments for a typical post all in an effort to promote the Hong Kong app for a company called Tripscout

Personally, I do not think much of their site, the quality of the images varies markedly depending on who is taking the images, they use too many drone images and quite often they post images of places in China and pass them off as Hong Kong images, clearly editorial control is very much lacking.”

This is from a blog post I wrote on my J3 Private Tours website in 2022

For the sake of clarity I should point out that I have walked to “my spot” on Lugard Road at Victoria Peak over 6,000 times since 1972 to see the views

Victoria Peak attracts on average roughly 15 million visitors a year and given the popularity of Instagram and other social media sites, images that go viral can cause a really big problem, I can only imagine how many people visiting Hong Kong in the 2 years since the image was published in 2022 have been really annoyed at finding out this view point simply does NOT exist.

Unfortunately comments made by myself, other private guides and Hong Kong residents complaining about the doctored image where drowned out by an avalanche of comments loving the image!

You can read my explanation below.

This image appeared on Instagram in 2022 and it is a completely fake image and despite a campaign by Private Tour Guides to have it removed, it remained and is probably still on the site, this is the problem with social media influencers, all that matters is clicks they do not care about the validity or authenticity of the image - this image within a few days garnered many thousands of likes and comments and if this place existed, wow it would be worth a visit but it does NOT exist.

For the record this perspective of “height” looking down on the buildings and across Victoria Harbour clearly indicated a drone was used but even that does not take away from the fact that those steps are simply NOT in that location, what is actually there is a very simple black railing and an almost sheer vertical drop down the mountain.

I estimate the drone was at a height of 550 - 650m, the reality is that the maximum height you can be on Lugard Road at Victoria Peak to take this image would be around 430m maximum. The top of Victoria Peak which is closed to the Public as it is a military installation is 552m

I actually know where those steps are, I have been down them myself in the 1970’s when I was kid and they are certainly not at the top of Victoria Peak I would estimate that they are at a height of just 250m (from sea level) maximum - I just feel really sorry for people that came to Hong Kong looking for that spot, it does NOT exist.

You can see my comments on the Instagram page under j3tourshk not that it made any difference!

As an enthusiastic amateur photographer I strive for realism with my images keeping editing to the bare minimum, Hong Kong is not blessed with blue skies and sunshine 365 days a year, we have 4 distinct seasons, however a lot of people use their smartphones and social media has filters that make images a work of art no matter what the weather completely distorting reality and influencers need image perfection to get as many clicks and likes as possible

For what difference it will make, I have made my point.

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