A weekend stroll on the Peak (up to Victoria Park, closer to the actual pinnacle, from which you can look down on what is usually called ‘The Peak’). The luxury homes around here are among the most expensive on the planet. Quite a few of them are obviously empty – the windows not only have drapes drawn, but green moss growing on the edge of the glass.
Why do people live up here? The apartments do have space, and in some cases a view – but the area is not unique in that respect. Presumably, the main attraction is the prestigious address. In my experience, most of the residents are either expats whose cost-oblivious employers have always put top staff here, or shady nouveau-moneyed Mainland or other shysters who think it’s classy.
It’s almost possible to feel sorry for them. It’s OK to visit. But the place is known for its (moss-friendly) damp gloom during winter. The commute is a pain, what with tourist buses clogging up the narrow roads. Most of all, the nearest 7-Eleven is miles away – Hong Kong’s version of a living hell.
Separated at birth – above: Mount Austin; below: Gormenghast…
Now you make the comparison between Mount Austin and Gormenghast, I can picture CY as a ghastly version of Lord Sepulchrave. Or perhaps he’s more of a Mr Flay type character given his zeal for thoughtless servitude.