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The Peak

The Peak

 
 
 
 

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The Peak (Traditional Chinese: 太平山頂) is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also documented as The Peak locally, and Mount Austin. The mountain is located in the western half of the Hong Kong Island. With an altitude of 552 m, it is the highest mountain on the island, although far from the highest Tai Mo Shan in the territory.

The actual summit of Victoria Peak is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. However the surrounding area comprises a mixture of publicly accessible parkland, and high value residential land, and it is this area that is normally meant by the name The Peak. The Peak offers spectacular views over central Hong Kong, the Harbour and surrounding islands, and is a major tourist attraction.

The theme park currently has over 14 rides and other attractions such as aquariums. Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and shark aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2000 fishes. The official mascot of Ocean Park is "Whiskers"—a waving sealion.

With some seven million visitors every year, the Peak is the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It offers spectacular views of the city and harbours. The number of visitors has resulting in the building of two major leisure and shopping centres, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, situated adjacent to each other at Victoria Gap.

The Peak Tower incorporates the upper station of the Peak Tram funicular railway that brings passengers up from Central district, whilst the Peak Galleria incorporates the bus station used by the public bus and green minibus services to 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 the mid-levels starting near the Zoological Botanical Gardens.
The Peak is home to a wealth of bird life, most prominently the Black Kite, and to an array of butterflies.

Posted on 3 OCt 2007
 


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