Hong Kong public transportation system is a perfect example of the city’s combination of modernity and cultural heritage; made of well-connected railways and bus networks, and popular old-school ferries and trams.

One of this “vintage” transportation mode is the Peak Tram. Called a tram, it is actually a cable-hauled funicular railway, carrying people to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island, covering a distance of about 1.4 kilometres and an elevation of about 400 metres. Running from Garden Road to Victoria Peak via Mid-Levels, it offers spectacular views over the harbour and skyscrapers. Opened in 1888, it was the first funicular railway in Asia and, in more than 130 years of service, it has become an iconic symbol of the city’s heritage and one of the most popular tourist attractions.

In 1860s, the Peak was already a ness for privileged inhabitants, a place for summer lodges from colonial governments. In 1869, the son of Queen Victoria, Alfred, was the first royal visitor to make a ritual trip to the Peak. In 1880s, several dozens of families were living there permanently, and it was also home to the Peak Hotel. The site was only accessible by horse or sedan chairs – one eccentric resident was even traveling by camel!

Peak Tram, 1880s

Thus, in 1881, former railroader and entrepreneur Alexander Findlay Smith put the project of a Peak Railway into shape and presented a petition for a concession to the governor of Hong Kong. His aim was to simplify the lives of the residents and also to grow his own business. Indeed, his associate owned the house next to the Upper Terminus, which they had converted into The Peak Hotel, in need of such a transport mode.

Smith travelled extensively in Europe and America to learn every existing method of railway employed for mountain ascent, compiling the best techniques to ensure that the railway would be premium in every respect, given the high profile of the intended passengers.
It took three years of construction, with almost no mechanical support to drag the heavy equipment and rails uphill. Workers had to carry each piece of rail weighing over 136kg and measuring around seven metres. A wooden structure was built for the terminal and a static steam engine to power the haulage cable, while the body of the tramcar was made of wood.

The Peak Tram was opened on 28 May 1888 by the governor Sir George William des Voeux and was considered as a paragon of engineering and a revolutionary transport mode in Asia. Originally only for residents and able to accommodate up to thirty passengers at a time, it carried eight hundred passengers on its first day of operation, and about 150,000 in its first year – almost the entire population of Hong Kong at that time!

Peak Tram, 1930s

Until 1926, the Peak Tram was divided into three classes: First Class for British colonial officials and residents of Victoria Peak; Second Class for British military and Hong Kong Police Force personnel; and Third Class for other people and animals… It is to note that, until 1930, the Peak was  designated as an exclusive residential area reserved for non-Chinese by the Peak Reservation Ordinance.

From 1908 to 1949, the first two seats in front of the tram were reserved for the governor with a bronze plaque affixed on the seats saying: “This seat is reserved for His Excellency the Governor”. The seats were not available to other passengers until two minutes before departure, when it would be certain that the governor would not ride the tram.

In its long history, the tram has been a victim of two natural disasters, first in 1899 and second in 1966, caused by floods from heavy rainfall, which washed away steep sections of the track between Bowen Road and Kennedy Road.
In December 1941, during the Battle of Hong Kong, the engine room was damaged in a Japanese attack. Services only resumed in December 1945 after the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

In response to its ever-growing success, the Peak Tram has been regularly upgraded over the years. In 1926, the first generation of the Peak Tram was replaced with an electric motor. In 1956, it was equipped with a new generation of lightweight metal-bodied cars, each with an increased seating capacity of 62 passengers.

Clark Gable in “Soldier of Fortune”, 1954. Photo SCMP

Meanwhile, the Peak Tram was featured in the 1950s Hollywood movie Soldier of Fortune, starring Clark Gable, with the opening and closing scenes shot inside the carriage. It was also featured in the popular 1970s television show, The Love Boat.

In 1989, the fifth generation tramcar was introduced in classic burgundy and the system was comprehensively rebuilt with a new track, a computerised control system, and two new two-car trams with a capacity of 120 passengers per tram. By the time of the handover in 1997, the system carried some 2 million passengers annually.

Until the Covid pandemic started in 2020, more than 6 million people would ride the Peak Tram annually, fascinated not only by its historical value and spectacular views, but also by what is called the “Peak Tram Optical Illusion”.

Indeed, according to a study by The University of Hong Kong, passengers riding on the Peak Tram can experience a spectacular visual illusion; when going uphill, the high rises of the right ride of the tram appear to fall toward The Peak. This illusion is induced by a change of the subjective vertical caused by the tilted visual environment and reclining body position of observers inside the tram.

To overcome the high demand creating long queues beyond the Lower Terminus, a substantial upgrade of the system and stations commenced in 2018 and is scheduled to complete by the end of 2021, with the aim to refurbish the terminal; increase the capacity from 120 to 210 passengers per trip; reduce the passengers waiting times; improve the access for persons with a disability.
On 28 June 2021, the fifth tram generation retired and services will be suspended for about six months to undergo an upgrade project to reveal a fresh new look for the sixth generation.

While vintage and heritage lovers might regret the iconic burgundy tram carriages, they can still enjoy two remaining 1956 fourth generation all-aluminium cars: one is displayed at the upper terminal, and the other one can be seen on a disused spur track after leaving Garden Road. A replica of the first car is also displayed in the Peak Tram Historical Gallery.