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Walking path in Hong Kong From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lugard Road is a road located on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912. Located some 400 metres (1,300 ft) above sea level, the road is a popular walking path that forms part of the Hong Kong Trail, and is known for spectacular vistas over Victoria Harbour.[1]
![]() Lugard Road, elevated section in background | |
Native name | 盧吉道 (Yue Chinese) |
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Namesake | Frederick Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard |
Length | 2,462 metres (8,076 ft) |
Width | 2.4 metres (8 ft) |
Location | Victoria Peak, Hong Kong |
Construction | |
Construction start | June 1913 |
Completion | March 1921 |
Lugard Road | |||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 盧吉道 | ||||||||||
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Lugard Road lies approximately 400 m (1,300 ft) above sea level.[1] It is a semi-circular 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) road on Victoria Peak that mainly follows the contours of the hillside, connecting Victoria Gap in the east to the Hatton Road-Harlech Road junction in the west.[2][3] Joining Harlech Road seamlessly at its end, a circuit is formed around The Peak.[2] Lugard Road is the initial section of Stage 1 of the 50-kilometre (31 mi) Hong Kong Trail.[4][5] Most of Lugard Road enjoys dense tree cover, and a variety of tropical vegetation can be found along its length.[2] The views of the city below from Lugard Road are variously described in travel guides as "stunning" and "spectacular".[1][3][6]
The road is approximately 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide at its widest and less than 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) at its narrowest and, while not entirely pedestrian, has vehicular restrictions.[7][8] Permits to use this road are only issued to residents for access to their properties.[7]
The road is named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912.[2][9]
The Public Works Department issued an invitation for sealed tenders by 2 June 1913 to form a section of roadway from Victoria Gap to High West Gap.[10] The cost of the entire 2,462-metre (8,076 ft) road, whose construction was made difficult by the "rocky and precipitous nature of the hillside", was estimated at HK$55,000.[11] In their 1913 annual report, the PWD noted that HK$11,373 had been spent on the 860-metre (2,820 ft) section completed in the year.[12]
[…] the road will be principally used as a promenade, a wonderful panoramic view of the City, Harbour and surroundings being obtainable from it. Starting from Victoria Gap, the road contours the hillside below the Mount Austin Barracks, being practically level until it reaches a point below Bishop’s Lodge, whence it continues westwards with a rising grade of 1 in 18 to the end of the first section. It is 8 feet in width and is generally cut out of the hillside. In some places, it has been necessary to construct retaining walls in order to avoid excessive cutting or to improve the alignment of the road.[12]
The construction was interrupted by the First World War.[13] The next section built after the war, to join the existing road with Harlech Road,[13] is described having "a minimum width of 8 ft. throughout with a maximum gradient of 1 in 20".[14] It comprises "1,448 lineal feet of reinforced concrete decking and beams carried on 87 cement concrete piers, 1,543 lineal feet of rubble retaining walling and 1,859 lineal feet of hillside benching".[14] In 1920, the Director of Public Works reported that all the substantial pier work for the bridging, rubble retaining walls, cutting and channelling for that section had been completed. The steep terrain made progress slow, and challenges included "numerous dangerous boulders, weighing up to 45 tons each", which had to be removed.[14] By the end of that year, all that still remained to be done was "a small amount of work consisting principally of bridge decking, railings, and road surfacing".[14]
Construction was completed in March 1921, the total project cost being $88,165.[15]
While the Peak is a prestigious address, there are few houses along Lugard Road. Not designed for vehicular traffic, its width is insufficient for cars to pass in most places, making the houses close to inaccessible.[16] Furthermore, the escarpments present challenges for construction. There was controversy when planning permission was lodged (and granted) to convert one of the properties along it into a luxury hotel in 2013.[7]
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