| The Peak Lookout | |
|---|---|
| 太平山餐廳 (Chinese) | |
The Peak Lookout in 2009. |
|
| Former names | Old Peak Café |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Location | 121 Peak Road, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong |
| Elevation | 395 m (1,296 ft)[1] |
| Completed | 1888 |
| Design and construction | |
| Owner | Epicurean Management Ltd. |
The Peak Lookout (太平山餐廳) is a restaurant located at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. 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.
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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 Tram line. The site was believed to be owned by Hongkong Tramways Limited.[2]
In 1901, the site was handed over to the government and built into a chair shelter and rest place for sedan chair carriers employed by the rich living at the peak.[2][3] It was opened to the public in 1923 when sedan chair carriers were allowed to serve for tourists at the peak.[4] During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945), the chair shelter was believed to be used by the Japanese army as a police station.[5] 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.[6]
In 1973, a public petition was raised to prevent the demolition of the café.[7] And the Old Peak Café was given Grade II Historic Building as a historic building in Hong Kong by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in 1981.[8] Grade II is defined as "Buildings of special merit; efforts should be made to selectively preserve".[9] 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.[4][10]
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.[10] The new contract will expire in July 2011.[5] The proprietors of the previous business opened the 'Old Peak Café' in Soho, close to the Central-Mid-Levels escalators.
The architecture of The Peak Lookout was originally largely defined by the style of Arts and Crafts, 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.[7]
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.[11]
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.
Other structures located near the Peak Lookout include:
The Hong Kong made animation movie My Life as McDull (2001) has a scene filmed within the café of McDull and his mother dining at it.[1] 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.