Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [48]
Peak Tram Join the tram at the lower terminus on Cotton Tree Dr ( Map). The service disgorges passengers in Peak Tower (entrance level 4, exit level 3).
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Another good walk leads down to Hong Kong University ( Click here). First walk to the west side of Victoria Peak by taking either Lugard or Harlech Rds. After reaching Hatton Rd, follow it down. The descent is steep, but the path is clear.
For information on the 50km-long Hong Kong Trail, which starts on the Peak, see Click here.
PEAK GALLERIA Map
118 Peak Rd; Peak Tram
Designed to withstand winds of up to 270km/h, theoretically more than the maximum velocity of a No 10 typhoon, this building is worth skipping unless you’re after refreshments. You can reach the Peak Galleria’s viewing deck, which is larger than the one in the Peak Tower, by taking the escalator to Level 3. Inside the centre you’ll find a number of retail shops, from art galleries to duty-free stores. If you wish to eat, you’ll find that prices are high and the quality low, as restaurants don’t have to try too hard to find custom at this top visitor spot.
PEAK TOWER Map
2849 0668; 128 Peak Rd; 10am-11pm Mon-Fri, 8am-11pm Sat, Sun & public holidays; Peak Tram
The anvil-shaped Peak Tower, with its attractions, shops and restaurants, is a good place to bring the kids and makes a good grandstand for many of the best views of the city and harbour. On Level 4 there’s an outpost of Madame Tussauds ( 2849 6966; adult/child $150/80; 10am-10pm), with eerie (and often creepy) wax likenesses of international stars, as well as local celebrities such as Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Michelle Yeoh and Kelly Chen. There is an open-air viewing terrace with coin-operated binoculars on Level 5.
POLICE MUSEUM Map
2849 7019; www.police.gov.hk/hkp-home/english/museum; 27 Coombe Rd; admission free; 2-5pm Tue, 9am-5pm Wed-Sun; 15 or 15B, alight at the stop btwn Stubbs Rd & Peak Rd
Housed in a former police station, this seldom-visited museum in neighbouring Wan Chai Gap, an attractive residential area en route to the Peak, deals with the history of the Hong Kong Police Force, which was formed in 1844. It’s small and rather static, although the intriguing Triad Societies Gallery and the very well-supplied Narcotics Gallery are worthwhile.
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HAPPY VALLEY
Eating Click here
Happy Valley ( Map) – called Páau-màa-dáy (Horse Running Place) in Cantonese – has been a popular residential area for expats since the early days of British settlement. However, having built their houses on what turned out to be swampland, early residents had to contend with severe bouts of malaria (the area was named with a grim sense of irony given the high mortality rate). There are some interesting cemeteries to the west and southwest of Wong Nai Chung Rd. They are divided into Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Parsee and Hindu sections, and date back to the founding of Hong Kong as a colony. The district’s most important drawcard, however, is the Happy Valley Racecourse. Happy Valley is essentially the racetrack in the centre of circular Wong Nai Chung Rd and the residential areas to the east and south, where the main streets are Shan Kwong, Sing Woo and Blue Pool Rds.
HAPPY VALLEY RACECOURSE Map
2895 1523, 2966 8111; www.happyvalleyracecourse.com; 2 Sports Rd; admission $10; races usually held Sep-Jun on Wed & weekends (1st race 7.30pm); Happy Valley
Horse racing is the most popular live spectator sport in Hong Kong, not least because it offers one of the few legal ways to gamble in the city. An evening at the races here is also hugely atmospheric and is one of the quintessential Hong Kong things to do, if you happen to be around during one of the roughly fortnightly Wednesday evening races. The punters pack into the stands and trackside, and the atmosphere is electric.
The first horse races were held in 1846 at Happy Valley and became an annual event. Now meetings are held both here and