Standing at a height of 552 meters above sea level the Peak or Victoria Peak is the highest point in Hong Kong. From a historical perspective it served as a natural signaling post for ships coming into Hong Kong harbor and also served a retreat for the wealthy colonialists during the 19 the century.
Today the Peak is known to have the highest land value anywhere in the world and is the home of wealthy businessman, rock stars and affluent politicians. The actual peak of Victoria mountain is demarcated for a telecommunications tower and is off limits to the public. However the rest of the land area is a mixture of houses, residential apartments, parks and a number of leisure centers including shopping malls. The major tourist attraction of the Peak is that it offers spectacular bird’s eye views of the Victoria Harbor and other surrounding areas.
With an annual tourist arrival of about 7 million, the Peak is definitely the most visited tourist attraction in Hong Kong. The large influx of tourists has also spawned the recent development of two major leisure centers cum shopping malls in the area; the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria are located almost next to each other near Victoria Gap.
The traditional and the most entertaining way of climbing the Peak is by tram, this system has been in existence for over 100 years since 1888. The tram climbs at a very steep angle and offers excellent views of the Harbor and the city below. A few restaurants can also be found at the Peak, the best and most exciting one is the Peak Lookout restaurant that was built way back in 1901 as a room meant for tram workers.
Being Hong Kong’s premier tourist attraction The Peak is a must see attraction for any traveler. The country also offers great accommodation option for travelers as well, a Hong Kong hotel that is situated close to the peak and also provides comfortable lodging is the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/the-worlds-greatest-cityscape-454136.html
About the Author
Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers PPC Management and SEO services and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. (http://www.emarketingeye.com/)