Work on Hong Kong’s Peak trail lights suspended amid residents’ concerns
The South China Morning Post reported that work had stopped on the Peak walking-trail lighting project as residents raised environmental concerns and a lawmaker called for broader consultation.
Work on Hong Kong’s Tourism Board lighting project along walking trails at The Peak has been suspended, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, October 21, amid complaints about its environmental impact. The project’s future remains uncertain, leaving plans for a new night-time attraction unresolved.
On Tuesday, October 20, a South China Morning Post reporter saw no workers along Lugard Road and Harlech Road. Installations remained behind barriers that blocked parts of the trail, with security guards nearby. Near a park on the circular walk, a large area of grass was fenced off and fitted with lights; some sections had been dug up.
Residents question the Peak trail installations
Residents have accused the Tourism Board of removing trees and flowers to make room for the installations, according to the South China Morning Post. Those are residents’ allegations; the report’s description of the site does not establish why any vegetation was removed or ground disturbed.
Chan Hok-fung, a lawmaker representing Hong Kong Island West, said on an RTHK radio programme on Tuesday that the board should have consulted residents more broadly, Hong Kong Free Press reported. He said some residents feared the project could draw crowds and bring litter, traffic congestion and noise to the area.
A resident identified as Eddie told a Commercial Radio programme that he had noticed lights tied around tree trunks while passing through Lugard Road, according to Hong Kong Free Press. He said that, when he had helped organise running events, he had been told not to tie objects to trees.
Tourism Board plans broader consultation
The Tourism Board said residents had been informed of the project’s purpose and progress through notices issued in May and September, and that District Council members had been briefed, Hong Kong Free Press reported. The board said it would conduct broader consultation with residents and other stakeholders, refine the project’s details and announce new arrangements in due course.
The board said the lights were intended to enhance night-time tourism and described the design as soft and low-glare, with planned operating hours from 7pm to 10pm. The installations had been planned for Hong Kong Winterfest in November and December, as part of a shift toward holiday-themed light displays at tourist attractions, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
Read in depth: World
The Gambia receives $2.57m from Yahya Jammeh mansion sale for victims
The Reparations Commission says proceeds from the former president’s forfeited Maryland property have reached its fund, but individual payments have not been detailed.
Persian Gulf region oil flows exceed prewar level as Hormuz traffic lags
Kpler figures cited by the Wall Street Journal put regional oil flows above their prewar level in the week through October 18, even as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz...
Sources and context
- Residents should have been consulted more on lights at The Peak: lawmakerHong Kong Free Press
- Work on Hong Kong’s Peak trail light project suspended amid environmental outcrySouth China Morning Post
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.