Everything about The Peak Tower totally explained
The
Peak Tower is a leisure and
shopping complex located near the summit of
Victoria Peak on
Hong Kong Island,
Hong Kong. It also houses the upper terminal of the
Peak Tram. Both the Peak Tower and the Peak Tram are owned by the
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group, the owner of Hong Kong's famous
Peninsula Hotel along with many other properties. The tower and tram are joinly promoted by the collective branding known as
The Peak.
The Peak Tower is located at an elevation of 396 m, 156 m below the summit of Victoria Peak. Because the architects sought a design which would be prominent on the skyline but wouldn't interrupt the natural line of the hills, they chose a site in a dip along the line of the hills, and restricted the tower's height to 428 m above sea level.
History
In 1881, Alexander Findlay Smith, who owned a hotel on the Peak, petitioned for the right to introduce a funicular railway to Hong Kong. The Peak Tram was opened for public service on May 28, 1888 by the then Governor
Sir George William des Voeux.
The current Peak Tower was the work of the British
architect Terry Farrell, and was completed in
1997. It has seven floors with a total area of 10,400 m² (112,000 ft²) with a
wok shape at the top. A viewing platform was located on the third floor overlooking the world famous
Victoria Harbour.
Attractions
Apart from the
Peak Tram terminal and gift shops, the Tower also included several attraction:
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium,
Hong Kong's Historical Adventure (a journey through scenes of the Hong Kong's early history, and the first computer-operated entertainment ride in Hong Kong) and the
Peak Explorer Motion Simulator.
In 2000, after the closure of
Hong Kong's Historical Adventure,
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong moved in to occupy the former vacated premises to become the first
Madame Tussaud's permanent outlet in the
Asia-Pacific region.
After the latest refurbishment in 2006, the Peak Tower now has eight floors with viewing terrace relocated to the top of the building (at the top of the 'wok' shape) that overlook both Victoria Habour and
Aberdeen (SW of the Hong Kong Island); however, severe air pollution normally hinders the outlook from this venue.
The Peak Tower is adjoined by a second leisure and shopping centre, the
Peak Galleria, built atop the bus station used by the
public buses and
green minibuses that serve the Peak.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Peak Tower'.
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