Umbrella Seat, The Peak [????- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Umbrella Seat, The Peak [????- ]

Primary tabs

Submitted by Admin on Sun, 2010-05-09 21:06

A popular spot for admiring the view over the city and harbour, from the 19th century til the present day.

Notes from J:

Its that little lookout spot with a small shaded bench between The Mount Austin and Peak Gardens. I never really understood why its called the umbrella seat, my guess is because its a little indent along the ridge line when viewed from the harbour.

Notes from Annelise:

[From the Peak Tram Upper Terminus, it] required three men to a chair ascending the peak.  At the Umbrella Seat, merely a bench with a peaked roof, everybody stops long enough to allow the coolies to rest, then we continue on our way, passing sight-seers and nurses with children.  After a while they stop again, and we travel on foot to the signal station.

"Around the World in Seventy-Two Days"  By Nelly Bly, Jules Verne - 1889

And it is the same today - just a bench with a little "pagoda" roof

http://maps.google.com/maps?num=100&hl=en&client=firefox-a&q=mount+austi...

  • Log in or register to post comments

Photos that show this place

1880
1895
1920
See more photos of this place

Comments

Submitted by annelisec on Sun, 2010-05-09 21:37.

Umbrella seat designs 1868:

Submitted by 80sKid on Sun, 2010-05-09 23:24.

I read somewhere awhile back - I think among the govt research papers for renovating the Peak area - that they were surprised to find that the existing umbrella seat structure dates from the 1920s or earlier. You can see it in this 1930 photo here below the tip of the arrow of Peak Tram Terminus

http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/object?svc=objrtv&src=CM&itemid=N9CFHR9CX3%23S$$T3&pid=1&mime=image/jpeg

Submitted by J (not verified) on Mon, 2010-05-10 00:16.

So it was named after an actual umbrella seat! And the govt finding out about the shelter structure must explain why they've re-built the flat roof above the bench in recent years. I think it was some time after '97 they attempted to modernise it and used a slatted roof that curved upwards towards the front which was of no use when it rained. The grey that it is painted in now is curious, I seem to remember it was painted green or red, but I maybe getting it confused with the pavilion built on the remains of Mountain Lodge. 

Submitted by 80sKid on Mon, 2010-05-10 12:05.

Hi J, sorry I wasn't clear. The existing structure is the original from the c1920s. as the following photo makes it clear; it's a rare survivor from the destruction of the peak by the war and following redevelopment

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=hong+kong+1945+source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhong%2Bkong%2B1945%2Bsource:life%26start%3D40%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1&imgurl=648daf80a3272dcf

Submitted by J (not verified) on Wed, 2010-07-07 20:03.

I've finally found a photo of the different roof I was talking about:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_Peak_Mt_Austin_Road_pavilion_1.JPG

This photo was taken in 2007, it shows the pillars remain the same (albeit painted white), but supporting a roof structure different to what exists today.

Submitted by 80sKid on Thu, 2010-07-08 11:57.

Hi J - thanks for the pic - I didn't realize they'd changed the roof - yep sure you're right that they changed it back once they realized its age. Here it is today:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=hong+kong&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hong+Kong&gl=uk&ei=Gkk1TMSBF5CycYSE1NIG&ved=0CCkQ8gEwAA&ll=22.273252,114.148421&spn=0,0.019248&z=16&layer=c&cbll=22.273335,114.148443&panoid=8k7UR9X1D2JhHsmPedJW9w&cbp=12,51.74,,1,14.28