Welcome to the penultimate post on my trip to Hong Kong! Today, I’m excited to share the breathtaking experience of ascending Victoria Peak via Asia’s first funicular railway, complete with iconic panoramic views. But that’s not all – I also want to chat about the British influence that’s still so present in Hong Kong. You may have noticed it’s Victoria this, Victoria that – I myself started wondering if they just had a surplus of ‘Victoria’ name tags they needed to use up. Beyond the names of places, the ‘Britishness’ can be felt in the culinary culture and beyond. I particularly want to share this with y’all as I feel it’s important to document these remnants of Hong Kong’s imperial past as it continues to fade over the years.
The journey to Victoria Peak via the newly reopened Peak Tram is an experience in itself. After a considerable queue, indicative of its enduring popularity, I boarded the funicular. The ascent is remarkably steep, creating a unique perspective as the city’s urban landscape rapidly changes below. Glimpses of Hong Kong’s dense architecture, interspersed with verdant foliage, emerge between the tram’s windows, offering a preview of the panoramic views to come at the top. Once you reach the summit you are dropped in the Peak Tower, a small mall housing various shops and dining establishments. The primary attraction, in my opinion, remains the views you can get of the city from the various overlooks which provide an unobstructed, sweeping view of Hong Kong’s skyline and surrounding jungle (75% of Hong Kong is relatively untouched wilderness). While Victoria Peak is undeniably frequented by tourists, the vista is still compelling, offering a comprehensive understanding of the city’s complexity. For example, even amidst the contemporary development and continuing evolution of the city’s culture, subtle undertones of the city’s past are palpable. I now want to discuss this lingering past, particularly the British influence.
British influence in Hong Kong permeates daily life in subtle, yet significant ways. Nowhere is this more apparent, perhaps surprisingly, than in the culinary scene. While Hong Kong is rightfully celebrated for its Cantonese cuisine, echoes of British tastes linger. I found many places serving up milk tea, a clear nod to the British love of a good cuppa (not the ‘milk tea’ of Taiwan). But it’s not just the tea and often accompanying toast or scone; you’ll also find local interpretations of British staples like macaroni or even corned beef sandwiches. In fact, one breakfast I had looked almost unrecognizable compared to the food I eat in Taiwan: eggs, toast, British milk tea, and some sort of macaroni soup! These seemingly small details offer a glimpse into the layered history of the city, where East and West have blended over decades, leaving behind a fascinating cultural tapestry. Even in the legal system, Western influence remains, with Hong Kong’s highest court featuring British and Australian judges. Yet, Beijing is slowly rectifying this, with a recent national security law in 2020 establishing a separate court without foreign judges to handle any case deemed to fall under the interest of national security.
Thus, this is ultimately the story you will find playing out in Hong Kong: the city continues to grow ever closer to its Chinese brothers while foreign influence is questioned and reviewed. Only time will tell whether Hong Kong continues to be unique against the backdrop of Mainland China, but my heart tells me it will. After all, it would be terribly difficult to retrain over 7 million people to drive on the right side of the road!
Next week will be my final post about Hong Kong, and a shorter one at that, focusing instead on a couple of curious sites I visited in the area that I recommend to any future visitors. That post will mostly include photographs alongside brief descriptions of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (seriously, the name isn’t exaggerating) and the Kowloon Walled City Park. In the meantime, I hope that the first quarter of 2025 has been treating everyone well and that you all are as excited as I am for when I showcase Macao starting March 17th!
Don’t forget to comment if you enjoyed this week’s post, I love interacting with all of you!
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