Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s power buildings and gleaming harbour are made for the cinema. The city’s views have inspired the sci-fi classic Blade Runner and awed audiences in The Dark Knight. Luckily, unlike Batman, you don’t have to scale a 400-storey building for a glimpse of Hong Kong’s dramatic skyline. There are plenty of less life-threatening spots around town that afford equally stunning views.

Remember, too, that it’s not just about Hong Kong from the top down. One of the city’s most famous views is of Victoria Harbour crisscrossed by boats, with architectural wonders lined up in the background.

Highest viewing spots

You can get a rush of energy (or acrophobia) taking in this futuristic megacity’s outline, but you’ll need perspective to do it properly. Getting as high as you can (we mean physically) is one good way to enjoy this simple thrill.

Victoria Peak, one of the city’s foremost tourist attractions, is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. Soaring above Central, the Peak offers superlative views of the city and the mountainous countryside beyond, as well as dappled trails and cooler climes (the Peak is about 5⁰C cooler than the city). At sunset the scenery dons its glitz and starts to shimmer like a fallen Milky Way. The best way to reach the Peak is by Asia’s oldest funicular, the Peak Tram, which hauls itself almost vertically up the hillside to finish at the Peak Tower.

Going vertical: stellar views from the Peak Tram. Image by Megan Eaves / Lonely Planet

Going vertical: stellar views from the Peak Tram. Image by Megan Eaves / Lonely Planet

Hong Kong’s highest observation deck, Sky 100 (sky100.com.hk), is suspended 390m above terra firma, on the 100th floor of the territory’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in West Kowloon. The deck offers a spectacular 360-degree view covering Hong Kong Island and almost all of Kowloon Peninsula. On clear days, you can see as far as the nine ridges that gave Kowloon its name, and Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s tallest peak.

Even higher than Sky 100, is Ozone, Ritz Carlton’s flamboyant top-floor bar on the 118th floor of the ICC. Ozone features floor-to-ceiling glass that shows its location in the clouds to the best advantage.

Off-the-beaten-track vantage points

For half a century, the large outdoor carpark atop the Harbour City shopping mall and cruise terminal has attracted clandestine lovers and fans of sunsets with its riveting views and the serenity of a bygone era.