Read this blog: The one where we ride the Peak Tram and the Star Ferry
Friday 28th February 2025
Victoria Peak, usually just referred to as the Peak, rises 1,811 feet [552m] above sea level and is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. In the nineteenth century it provided a natural signalling post for shipping.
It was effectively a hill station, like Darjeeling and Shimla which we visited in India, where the wealthier residents could retreat from the oppressive summer heat. Before the tram was built they would have been carried up to Victoria Peak in sedan chairs.
The Peak Tram has been travelling the route to the summit since 1888 and is one of the oldest funiculars in the world. It takes passengers up to 1,300 feet [about 396 metres].
The most recent upgrade to the tram was completed in 2022 and nowadays the Peak has over 7 million visitors every year. We opted just to take the tram up for the views rather than pay the entry fee to go to the Peak Tower and Sky Terrace which are above the tram stop.
Between 1904 and 1947 the Peak was designated an exclusive residential area reserved for expatriates and the houses which can be seen have commanding views and must be very valuable real estate.
In a place with many high observation points and platforms, the Peak offers the best views of Hong Kong.
Even though it was slightly misty, the views were fabulous.
We were approaching the terminus to go back down just as a carriage was about to depart so we strategically slowed our walking pace to ensure we would be first in line for the next tram.
This allowed Robert to secure the best position at the front of the tram to video our descent. And, yes, he did video the whole eight minute ride but this has been speeded up in the Video of the day so that readers can enjoy the full experience but in much less time.
A trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without a ride on the famous Star Ferry.
The Star Ferry operates on two routes: from Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon it goes to both Central Pier [below] and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.
We took the ferry across from Central Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui.
The journey takes about 10 minutes.
It costs just HK$2.20, equivalent to about 22p per person at current exchange rates.
We looked back towards Hong Kong Island.
Approaching Kowloon you can see the Clock Tower [below] which is all that remains of the former Kowloon Station which was the terminus for the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Built of red brick and granite, it is now dwarfed by the buildings around it.
We walked to the Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound. Between 1884 and 1996 this served as the HQ for the Marine Police. It is now one of the four oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong.
Although it was originally completed in 1884 it has been redeveloped as a heritage hotel with retail and food outlets and is now known as 1881 Heritage. We are not sure why this date was chosen or is significant. A weapon similar to the one used as the Noonday Gun stands in front of the heritage hotel.
When the Signal Tower or Time Ball Tower [below] was in use, the top of the pole was 84 feet above sea level making it visible from some distance from a span covering over 200 degrees of the harbour. The time ball was six feet in diameter and was replaced with a replica during the restoration.
The Former Marine Police Headquarters was originally a two storey building but another floor was added in the 1920s.
From here we walked to see the Noon Day Gun on the harbour front at Causeway Bay. Unfortunately although this is close to our hotel because we wanted to visit the Peak and the Big Buddha we did not manage to see it being fired. Neither did we hear it.
The gun stands on the first plot of land ever sold through public auction in Hong Kong and is still owned by Jardine Matheson.
The Noonday Gun has been fired every day since the 1860s. While the exact origin of this timekeeping tradition is unknown, it has withstood two world wars, severe weather events and the march of time. On 31st December the gun is fired at midnight to herald the start of the New Year when it is referred to as the Midnight Gun.
Apparently, in the early days, depending on weather conditions there could be up to a 3.6 second delay between the Noonday Gun firing and sailors on boats moored in one of the bays hearing the sound so they began to rely on watching for the smoke to set their timepieces. The visual clue of the time ball was also more reliable.
Robert cannot resist a train and there were carriages on the esplanade which we had to investigate. People were using these carriages as a photo opportunity but to us they did not seem to be radically different from the ones we had been travelling on every day. Location is everything.
The lamp installation at the end of the promanade however, was quite atmospheric.
Video of the day:
Selfie of the day:
Route Map:
