After exploring the area around the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, since my next destination was Victoria Peak, I took a bus to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus. Unexpectedly, it was packed with people and the queue was incredibly long. A sign nearby indicated an estimated wait time of one and a half hours. Having already ridden the tram before, I didn’t feel the need to experience it again, so I hailed a taxi straight to the Peak. The entire journey was about 6 km, costing HKD 54, which was quite reasonable; it was fast and there was absolutely no traffic. Surprisingly, Hong Kong taxis don’t accept Octopus cards—cash only. Compared to Shanghai taxis, which support transportation cards, Alipay, and WeChat Pay, the difference is huge~~~
The exterior of The Peak Galleria is currently under renovation, but the interior is operating as usual, though there are far fewer people than before. The Peak Tower remains unchanged, and even the shops inside haven’t changed much—still Burger King, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Tin Yat Restaurant, etc. However, this Pacific Coffee seems to be new; it might just be the Pacific Coffee with the best view in the world… Dinner was at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and I’ll write a separate post about the food.
This pavilion is also a great free viewing spot. Actually, there’s not much difference in the view—it’s just slightly lower—but expect quite a few mosquitoes…
After a full meal, I quietly waited for sunset and nightfall amidst the crowds. Note that the Sky Terrace 428 observation deck is completely open-air, so be extra careful on rainy days. The following four photos were taken at the same location at different times.
Looking towards the other side, in the direction of Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, you can see the sea.
A handheld time-lapse video~~~
As for Tsim Sha Tsui, after visiting K11 the next day, I took a few photos beside the original Avenue of Stars along Victoria Harbour and on the Star Ferry. It really looks a lot like viewing Lujiazui from the Bund~~~
K11 in Hong Kong is quite different from the one in Shanghai. It’s a fairly large mall; aside from some art installations, the brands are mostly mainstream, unlike Shanghai’s K11, which focuses on luxury and niche brands. The dining options in Shanghai are also much more distinctive than those in Hong Kong’s K11. Perhaps because Shanghai’s K11 opened later and has a smaller footprint, it had to adopt this boutique approach.
Photos in this post: SONY A5100 + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, post-processed in Lightroom. Video: iPhone 7, edited in iMovie.
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