31-686: Victoria Peak Garden is a Victorian style garden near the summit of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong . The former Mountain Lodge , an alternate residence for the Governor of Hong Kong , was located there, which has since been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department . It is a vantage point which captures an over 300m high view of Victoria Harbour and
62-637: A campus on Victoria Peak. Pinewood Battery Pinewood Battery is a historic military site in Hong Kong, located 307 metres (1,007 ft) above sea level, within Lung Fu Shan Country Park , in the northwestern part of Hong Kong Island . Construction of the battery started in 1901 and finished in 1905. During the Battle of Hong Kong , the Battery came under repeated air raids. On 15 December 1941,
93-466: A diverse mix of apartment buildings and houses, and as a tourist destination, also has hospitals, schools and malls. Many properties are also owned for rental purposes typically occupied by expatriate. The Mount Austin is a complex owned by Nan Fung Group with apartments of sizes ranging from 696 sq.ft. Plantation Road has a property with many purpose-built blocks for rent, temporary staff housing of small units and facilities for staff. Barker Road
124-569: A house at 23 Severn Road called 'Genesis,' which was built in the 1980s by Heung Chi-kau. Another house Wong bought was 10-18 Pollock's Path, known as 'Skyhigh.' Owned by HSBC and lived in by the bank's Chairmen, Skyhigh was sold to Kazuo Wada , the president of Yaohan , for HK$ 85 million in early 1990s. Because Yaohan went bankrupt, Kazuo Wada sold to businessman Wong Yuk Kwan for HK$ 370 million. In 2004, after SARS , actor Stephen Chow bought Skyhigh, and brought in Ryoden Development as
155-480: A house on Barker Road for HK$ 1.5b or HK$ 150,000 per sq.ft. In 2020, developer The Wharf (Holdings) bought a plot at Mansfield Road on the Peak for HK$ 12b or HK$ 46,300 per sq. ft. through government auction. This site is one of the last plots of sites owned by the Hong Kong Government used previously as accommodation for civil servants. In July 2024, the owner of 46 Plantation Road sold four houses with
186-404: A joint venture partner to rebuild the land into four houses. Genesis was sold by creditors in 2001 for HK$ 240m, less than 50% of what Wong Kwan paid. These property transactions at the Peak were desperate sales by cash-strapped businessmen during an economic crisis. Some large houses on The Peak with historic values, including homes of consulates, and government buildings were demolished over
217-557: A resting place for the public. The existing kiosk and toilet will also be reconstructed to boost the garden's Victorian ambience. The $ 142.6 million tourist district improvement project, scheduled to finish around the end of 2007, will help create three new tourism nodes - Mount Austin Playground , Gate Lodge and Peak Garden, on the Peak. 22°16′27″N 114°08′36″E / 22.27406°N 114.14334°E / 22.27406; 114.14334 Victoria Peak Victoria Peak
248-509: A summer residence built on the Peak circa 1868. Those that built houses named them whimsically, such as The Eyrie, and the Austin Arms. These original residents reached their homes by sedan chairs , which were carried up and down the steep slope of Victoria Peak. This limited development of the Peak until the opening of the Peak Tram funicular in 1888. The boost to accessibility caused by
279-435: Is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island . It is also known as Mount Austin , and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of 552 metres (1,811 ft), it is the tallest hill on Hong Kong Island, and the 29th tallest in the territory of Hong Kong . It is a major tourist attraction offering views of Central , Victoria Harbour , Lamma Island and the surrounding islands. The summit of Victoria Peak
310-442: Is also known as a residential area consisting of different neighbourhoods. It is one of the most expensive residential areas in Hong Kong and internationally. As early as the 19th century, the Peak attracted prominent European residents because of its panoramic view over the city and its temperate climate compared to the sub-tropical climate in the rest of Hong Kong. The sixth Governor of Hong Kong , Sir Richard MacDonnell had
341-474: Is home to a few other key officials in Hong Kong : Victoria Peak is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 11. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Bonham Road Government Primary School and Li Sing Primary School [ zh ] (李陞小學). German Swiss International School maintains
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#1733084605372372-423: Is home to many species of birds , most prominently the black kite , and numerous species of butterflies . Wild boar and porcupines are also seen on Peak, along with a variety of snakes. With some seven million visitors every year, the Peak is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. It has views of the city and its waterfront. The viewing deck also has coin-operated telescopes that the visitors can use to enjoy
403-412: Is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. The surrounding area of public parks, tourist facilities and high-value residential land is the area that is normally meant by the name The Peak . The Peak also refers to Victoria Peak itself and its nearby areas, including Victoria Gap , Mount Kellett and Mount Gough . Sometimes Bowen Hill may also be included. The Peak
434-399: Is one of the most desirable streets because it is located below the level where harbour views are affected during foggy seasons. In 2010, Lee Shau Kee , Chairman of Henderson Land Development , bought a site at 35 Barker Road for HK$ 1.82b and rebuilt into three houses as his family's dwellings after originally living in a penthouse on Mid-levels. In 2015, Alibaba's founder Jack Ma bought
465-420: Is the annual published figures by the government's rating and valuation department , based on estimated rental values, although such properties are not rented out to third parties. Figures published in 2021 included 35 Barker Road, owned by Lee Shau-kee , to be among the top five most valuable houses. However, 35 Barker Road consists of three houses, and so it should not be compared to other houses. The Peak has
496-568: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department , while maintenance is the responsibility of the Architectural Services Department . The area has been converted into a picnic site. Interpretive signs are erected to illustrate the historical significance of this Battery. With its excellent environment, the Battery became a spot for wargaming . To prevent further damage to the site, the Country and Marine Parks Authority, AFCD set up
527-553: The Pinewood Battery was completed on the western side of the Peak. Harlech Road was constructed around the Peak as a means of resupply to this artillery and later anti-aircraft battery. During 1904 and 1947, Chinese people were not allowed to live on the Peak according to the Peak District Reservation Ordinance when Hong Kong was a colony. In the 1920s Robert Hotung was the first Chinese person to live on
558-508: The Governor's old summer residence, and is the closest publicly accessible point to the summit. It can be reached from Victoria Gap by walking up Mount Austin Road, a climb of about 150 metres (490 ft). Another popular walk is the level loop along Lugard and Harlech Roads , giving good views of the entire Hong Kong Harbour and Kowloon, as well as Lantau and Lamma Islands, encircling the summit at
589-490: The Japanese 23rd Army Air Group carried out extensive attacks on Hong Kong Island. Pinewood Battery, manned by the 17th AA Battery 5th Anti-Air Regiment Royal Artillery , was severely damaged. The raid caused one death and one injury. One of the antiaircraft guns and certain other facilities were destroyed. The commander of the defending troops decided to abandon the battery, and all men were ordered to retreat on that day. All
620-670: The Peak because at the time he was considered mixed-race. Ho Tung Gardens located at 75 Peak Road , was owned by Robert Hotung for decades, until it was sold in 2015 for HK$ 5.1 billion or HK$ 82,258 per sq.ft. Historically, apart from houses owned by the government, banks and corporations and lived on by their officials and chairmen, the Peak also had some multi-block estates, with medium-sized flats used as housing for more junior staff. These are located on less prestigious streets, such as Guildford Road and Mount Kellett Road, which face Southside instead of Victoria Harbour . In November 1996 businessman Wong Yuk Kwan paid HK$ 540 million for
651-549: The bus station used by the Hong Kong public buses and green minibuses on the Peak. The Peak is also accessible by taxi and private car via the circuitous Peak Road, or by walking up the steep Old Peak Road from near the Zoological Botanical Gardens or the Central Green Trail from Hong Kong Park . The nearest MTR station is Central . Victoria Peak Garden is located on the site of Mountain Lodge ,
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#1733084605372682-617: The cityscape. The number of visitors led to the construction of two major leisure and shopping centres, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria , situated adjacent to each other. The Peak Tower incorporates the upper station of the Peak Tram , the funicular railway that brings passengers up from the St. John's Anglican Cathedral in Hong Kong's Central district , whilst the Peak Galleria incorporates
713-446: The decades and redeveloped into smaller houses within managed complexes. In 2006, Sun Hung Kai Properties paid HK$ 1.8b, or 42,196 per sq.ft. through a government auction for a plot at 12 Mount Kellett Road, where there were blocks of flats as housing for medium-grade officials. In 2022, a house at the complex 'Twelve Peaks' at 12 Mount Kellett Road was sold by the creditors of HNA Chairman Chen Feng , whose business in mainland China
744-466: The heritage elements, the garden will be enhanced with Victorian style features including gazebos, benches, sun-dials and colourful flowers. Artifacts from the Victorian era, such as stone pillars and carvings, will be displayed to enrich the visitors' experience. The new pavilion will comprise four pergolas at the corners and Victorian colonnades to link up the pergolas. This will offer ample shade and
775-593: The level of the Peak Tower. There are several restaurants on Victoria Peak, most of which are located in the two shopping centres. However, the Peak Lookout Restaurant, is housed in an older and more traditional building which was originally a spacious house for engineers working on the Peak Tramway. It was rebuilt in 1901 as a stop area for sedan chairs , but was re-opened as a restaurant in 1947. The Peak
806-418: The night scene of Hong Kong. The original landscape remains in the garden. Unlike most of the public parks in Hong Kong, dogs and other pet animals are allowed in the garden. The Hong Kong government announced on 25 September 2005 that the site will be redeveloped along with the rest of the Peak area. The ample open space, vast amount of grassy lawn and stream course at the site will be preserved. To bring out
837-513: The old battery buildings are in a ruinous condition and two of the old magazines were demolished in fairly recent times. The military structures on Pinewood Battery received a Grade II conservation status in 2009. A heritage trail has been created on the site, which is also part of the Central and Western Heritage Trail , Western District and the Peak Route. The site and the buildings are managed by
868-530: The opening of the Peak Tram created demand for residences on the Peak. Between 1904 and 1930, the Peak Reservation Ordinance designated the Peak as an exclusive residential area reserved for non-Chinese. They also reserved the Peak Tram for the use of such passengers during peak periods. The Peak remains an upmarket residential area, although residency today is based on wealth. In 1905, construction of
899-459: The plot for HK$ 11 billion which represented around HK$ 65,000 per sq.ft. The property faces Victoria Harbour on a long road that has many properties of different types. The price per sq.ft. represents a decrease of around 50% compared to the level in the late-2010s. In August 2024, the same former owner of 46 Plantation Road sold another plot at 99 Peak Road with three houses at HK$ 860 million which represented below HK$ 60,000 per sq.ft. [1] The Peak
930-413: Was bankrupt, for HK$ 390m, or HK$ 91,959 per sq. ft. Chen Feng paid HK$ 506m in 2016 or HK$ 119,323 per sq.ft. Despite record-breaking transactions reported by international news, In fact, The Peak is not the most expensive residential area in Hong Kong. Deep Water Bay and Jardine's Lookout are also one of the most expensive residential areas. A house at 75 Deep Water Bay Road, near Li Ka-shing's home,
961-560: Was sold by Pan Sutong for HK$ 3.3b, or HK$ 240,000 per sq.ft., Cheung Chung-kiu , Chairman of CC Land , purchased 1 Purves Road, Jardine's Lookout for about HK$ 760 million, or around HK$ 100,000 per square foot. In 2018, a site on Perkins Road, Jardine's Lookout, was sold for HK$ 145,000 per sq.ft. Transactions of these two houses that do not face harbour views indicate a few with harbour views in Jardine's Lookout are valued at around HK$ 200,000 per sq.ft. Another benchmark for measuring values