Lion Rock Nearly Got Its Own Cable Car

For well over a century, Hong Kong Island’s premier mountain, Victoria Peak, has been accessible to residents and visitors alike thanks to the Peak Tram. Its counterparts on the Kowloon side of the harbour, Lion Rock and Kowloon Peak, however, were never granted the same privilege.

Yet, in the 1970s, Lion Rock came very close to getting its own cable car. With a lower base station located at Shatin Pass Road, the cable car would have travelled up the eastern side of the mountain. Similar to the Peak, a terminal station and viewing platform would have offered sweeping views over Kowloon, Victoria Harbour, and Hong Kong Island.

Although service was expected to start toward the end of 1976, the project ultimately failed for numerous reasons. The Hong Kong government required that the pylons and carriages blend with the surrounding landscape to avoid marring the beauty of the ridge. Ultimately, by 1974, none of the corporate tenders were deemed acceptable, as they failed to meet strict financial and design constraints.

As of 2026, Lion Rock remains accessible only to hikers willing to trek up to its 495-metre summit. Meanwhile, only two cable cars currently operate in Hong Kong: Ngong Ping 360, which carries visitors to the Big Buddha, and the Ocean Park Cable Car.