The Peak Lookout
Encyclopedia
Victoria Gap
Victoria Gap is an area and a mountain pass located between the summits of Victoria Peak and Mount Gough, on Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its altitude is some 150 metres below the summit of Victoria Peak...
, near the summit of Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is housed in a 19th century Grade II Historic Building. Originally known as the Old Peak Café, the restaurant has an open terrace overlooking Aberdeen
Aberdeen (Hong Kong)
Aberdeen is a town on the south shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Southern District. Aberdeen Harbour is a harbour between Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau. The name 'Aberdeen' usually covers the areas of Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang and Ap Lei Chau, but it is more...
.
History
The Peak Lookout has experienced major transformations in function and renovations since the site was used in 1888 as a rest place and workshop for British engineers that constructed the Peak TramPeak Tram
The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of...
line. The site was believed to be owned by Hongkong Tramways Limited
Hong Kong Tramways
Hong Kong Tramways is a tram system in Hong Kong and one of the earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong. Owned and operated by Veolia Transport, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley...
.
In 1901, the site was handed over to the government and built into a chair shelter and rest place for sedan chair
Litter (vehicle)
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
carriers employed by the rich living at the peak. It was opened to the public in 1923 when sedan chair carriers were allowed to serve for tourists at the peak. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
(1941–1945), the chair shelter was believed to be used by the Japanese army as a police station. The catering history begins in 1947 when it was suggested that the building should be converted in to an open-air café, and thus, the Old Peak Café was established.
In 1973, a public petition was raised to prevent the demolition of the café. And the Old Peak Café was given Grade II Historic Building as a historic building in Hong Kong by the Antiquities and Monuments Office
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Antiquities and Monuments Office was established when the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was enacted in 1976, to preserve Hong Kong's monuments under appropriate protection....
in 1981. Grade II is defined as "Buildings of special merit; efforts should be made to selectively preserve". As the 1973 petition was approved, the company Freedragon Ltd. won the bid for the rental contract from the government to continue running the café business when the café's rental contract expired in 1989.
The Old Peak Café was renovated and renamed the Peak Lookout in 2001 as the new contract started with a new company, Epicurean Management Ltd. The new contract will expire in July 2011. The proprietors of the previous business opened the 'Old Peak Café' in Soho
Soho, Hong Kong
The Soho district in Hong Kong is an entertainment zone located in Central and bordering Sheung Wan, within Central...
, close to the Central-Mid-Levels escalators
Central-Mid-Levels escalators
The Central–Mid-levels escalators in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The entire system covers over 800 metres in distance and elevates over 135 metres from bottom to top...
.
Architecture
The architecture of The Peak Lookout was originally largely defined by the style of Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, once popular in Victorian and Edwardian times. However, due to numerous renovations and changes throughout the years, The Peak Lookout now looks considerably different in comparison to when it was originally used as a chair shelter. For example, the tiles of the roof have since been changed to Chinese tiles.
It is a single-story building with a pitched roof reminiscent of an English country cottage. Adding to this impression are the stone walls, arched windows, black and white half-timbering to the gable and the visible chimney stack. The building's garden surroundings are notable for the old boundary wall and a number of trees and shrubs complete the austere, rural scenery.
The inside of the café is dimly lit and decorated with old photographs and pictures. Most of the earlier interior ambience has been retained.
The Peak Lookout is one of few remaining examples of Arts and Crafts architecture in Hong Kong, and many people feel that it has become an irremovable part of its surroundings.
Surroundings
Other structures located near the Peak Lookout include:- The Peak TowerPeak TowerThe Peak Tower is a leisure and shopping complex located at Victoria Gap, 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...
, a leisure and shopping complex, where the Peak Tram terminusThe Peak (Peak Tram)The Peak is the upper terminus of the Peak Tram funicular railway line. It is located inside the Peak Tower at Victoria Gap, the Peak, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, 398m above sea level. The station was opened in 1888 along with the tramline. It is known to be 35 degrees of a full...
is located - The Peak GalleriaThe Peak GalleriaThe Peak Galleria is a leisure and shopping complex attracting many tourists located at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong...
, a shopping mall
The Peak Lookout in popular culture
The Hong Kong made animation movie My Life as McDullMy Life as McDull
My Life as McDull is a Chinese animated feature film from Hong Kong released in 2001. The film surrounds the life of McDull, a hugely popular cartoon pig character created by Alice Mak and Brian Tse which has appeared on comics ever since the 1990s...
(2001) has a scene filmed within the café of McDull
McDull
McDull is a cartoon pig character that was created in Hong Kong by Alice Mak and Brian Tse. Although McDull made his first appearances as a supporting character in the McMug comics, McDull has since become a central character in his own right, attracting a huge following in Hong Kong.-McDull's...
and his mother dining at it.http://video.pomoho.com/ent/2505336 The movie is about the growth path of a little pig in Hong Kong to symbolize the daily lives of ordinary Hong Kong citizens. The scene of The Peak Lookout lasts for about 10 seconds.