Hong Kong Peak Run
ORIENTATION Start // Admiralty Station, Hong Kong Island End // Central Station Distance // 8.5 miles (13.5km) Getting there // Admiralty MTR station is easily accessible from both Hong Kong Island and the mainland. More scenic and much slower is the tram. When to go // HK is mild all year round. Where to stay // Mini Hotel Central is a budget-friendly option near the start of this run. If you can afford it, stay at the Twenty One Whitfield, a
s to conquer jetlag:Easy. Run up a big hill. you get sunshine and a hefty dose of endorphins.
one beautiful sunset run up the highest point on the island, Victoria Peak.
get off the metro at Hong Kong Park. I’d meant to start running right from the station
I climb through the Hong Kong Botanical & Zoological Gardens, joining the Old Peak Rd. This traffic-free path snakes up at a ridiculous angle.
Before I know it, I’ve reached the top of the climb.
After all, this is where the fun begins. I turn right down Lugard Rd onto the famous circuit of the Peak. The crowds thin immediately. Not long after, the road does too, turning into a flattish paved path built into the steep hillside, with a black iron handrail against the drop. And there, through a break in the trees, I see the view. Below me, the world’s most vertical city is laid out around its harbour – the Pearl of the Orient shining in the South China Sea. The towers along Victoria Harbour mirror the mountains behind them. Green peaks are everywhere. The coast is a pin-cushion of skyscrapers so close together that they form their own topography when seen from up here. And cutting through it all, the South China Sea is bright under the evening sun. If I’d had any breath left after the climb, this panorama would have taken the last of it. © Roland Nagy | Alamy Stock Photo Lugard Rd provides a front-row seat for sunset over the city
But once I tear myself away from the views, I start to appreciate the quality of the running. The ground under my feet is urban smooth, but the terrain I’m passing through feels like trail running. It seems obvious, but my jetlag-addled brain hadn’t expected it – this is a circular route around the top of the Peak, so the view is ever-changing. As I run, every corner means a bit more island scenery in front of me, a little less harbour behind me. I discover the outdoorsy Hong Kong I’d been told about – a seascape of green islands, myriad ships and distant towns. I circle back to Lugard Rd just as the sun is setting. Returning to my favourite viewpoint, I stop. Over the next hour, Hong Kong will transform. In daylight, the city is seen in counterpoint to the magnificence of its natural setting. But the darkness concentrates the
view on the human scene below, on the mind-boggling density of this urban centre and the life within it. Traffic forms ribbons of light. On the bigger skyscrapers, huge projected creatures stroll past, fish swim and clouds drift. The Blade Runner city blazes into life, made all the more surreal by the peacefulness of my viewpoint. I stand leaning on the rail, sweat slowly drying. It’s 7pm, and I feel wide awake. The jetlag, the culture shock, both have gone. I’m going to stay up here for an hour watching the lights. I’ll sleep well tonight. And tomorrow I’ll wake up fresh and excited to spend my first full day exploring the city below. PP
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needle-thin skyscraper with amazing views from floor 29 upwards. More info // www.greatruns.com/hong-kong-peak-circle Things to know // If you want to stay for sunset, carry a good light for the descent – the trail gets very dark.
For more info on the trail network visit www.hiking.gov.hk
내 메모 2022.10.30 18:41:42중요