Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

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Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin and locally as The Peak. With an elevation of 552 metres (1,811 ft.), it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island. It is a major tourist attraction offering views of Central, Victoria Harbour, Lamma Island and the surrounding islands.


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.


The Peak Tram is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Garden Road Admiralty to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong. Operated in 1888, it was the first funicular railway in Asia.


A funicula is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterised by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result of such a configuration is that the two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed. The term funicular derives from the Latin word funiculus, the diminutive of funis, meaning 'rope'.


The Peak Tram's route from the Central District to Victoria Peak covers a distance of about 1.4 kilometres and an elevation of just under 400 metres (1,312 ft.). The line has two pronounced curves, one to the left immediately after leaving the lower terminus, and the other to the right in the upper half of the ascent. The gradient also varies considerably throughout the ascent. It is a single-track route and a passing loop, with two trams.




The lower terminus station, Garden Road, is located on Garden Road near St. John's Cathedral. The original station was incorporated into St. John's Building, an office tower, with the tram terminus at the ground level. The station comprises a single track, with platforms on both sides. One platform is used for boarding, the other for exiting the tram.


The upper terminus, The Peak, is located below the Peak Tower shopping and leisure complex at Victoria Gap, some 150 metres below the summit of Victoria Peak. The station has the same arrangement of boarding and alighting platforms as the lower terminus. The haulage and control equipment for the funicular is located in a basement below the station.




There are also four intermediate stops, each of which is a request stop consisting of a single stepped platform and a shelter.


The tram ride to Victoria Peak is almost a 'must do' activity on any visit to Hong Kong.

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