Name(English): Old Peak Road
Name(Chinese): 舊山頂道
Category: Outdoor Activities
Address(English): Old Peak Road, Hong Kong Island
Address(Chinese): 香港島舊山頂道
Address Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/J7AX8c2sLRedZJ3m7
Address longitude and latitude: 22.27469476943039, 114.15156558546606
Opening Hours:
MON 00:00 – 23:59
TUE 00:00 – 23:59
WED 00:00 – 23:59
THU 00:00 – 23:59
FRI 00:00 – 23:59
SAT 00:00 – 23:59
SUN 00:00 – 23:59
Recommended Time to Visit: Daytime
Accessibility Note: Need to walk up stairs
Old Peak Road is likely the most expensive trail worldwide, where the mansions scattered on the mountain easily cost more than HKD 100 million (over USD 13 million). Implausibly unaffordable, but you can still take a glimpse of those houses, sharing the same vista.
Structural Housing Inequality
But why? The answer is structural housing inequality due to government policy. Thanks to the government policy, Hong Kong maintains a low tax rate for business but becomes very reliant on house price to provide any income shortfall. As a result, many people ended up living in so called cage houses. Join our Kowloon Free Tour to learn more about this.
History of The Old Peak Road
Back to the point, Old Peak Road is built in 1920, older than anyone alive but many millionaires have been residing still. In Hong Kong’s earliest days, when there were no automobiles nor trams, the only way to The Peak was to walk. Mortals wended, whereas the bigwig (the British) hired ‘collies’ (porters) to carry them with a sedan chair. In the May of 1881, the tram project was finally initiated that allowed the officers, the soldiers and the rich – all but Chinese – to have a faster way to The Peak.
Soon afterwards, Old Peak Road (It was named Peak Road without “Old” at the time) appeared as a shorter walking route. Then finally in 1923, the new motor route, Stubbs road that is now named Peak Road, was completed and therefore people could drive uphill.
With its historical mission fulfilled, people now use the Old Peak Road as a short trail to burn off some calories while getting to the Peak. Covered with trees, you won’t see much city view until you get near the top. Make sure you stop by Barker Road Station, it is the best preserved station in Hong Kong since it was built. This is actually a very popular spot for wedding couples to take pre-wedding pictures.
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