Hong Kong's Secret Garden

“Look for a way to lift someone up. If that's all you do, it's enough."
~Elizabeth Lesser, American entrepreneur

Today we decided to take the advice of a friend and set out to explore Victoria Peak Gardens and the Old Governor’s Walk, both hidden away in the hills high above Hong Kong!

The journey started with taking the Peak Tram up from Central – a wonderful funicular railway that’s been running since 1888, carrying tourists and residents alike to the upper levels of Hong Kong. The Tram runs at impossibly steep angles straight up the mountain, so much so that the buildings alongside look as if they’re bending backwards into the mountain! It’s a wonderful and unique optical illusion and gives tram riders a sense of just how steep their commute really is!

Once off the Tram, we found the pathway to Victoria Peak Gardens and set off on our adventure – straight up the steep incline to the far reaches of Victoria Peak! As we walked up and up past parks and playgrounds, residences and historical buildings, the occasional car or van passed us by, seeming to thumb their noses at us as we sweated and struggled up the steep hills. With no signage, we had no way of knowing just how far we had to climb to reach our final destination!

On we trekked, up and up, through wooded pathways, along winding unpaved inclines, climbing steep staircases, until we reached, at last, Victoria Gardens! And what we found there was nothing short of awe inspiring!

The gardens were set in a hidden enclave situated at the very apex of the Peak, a perfectly preserved haven from a time gone by. It immediately took us back to an age when people of leisure strolled through meticulously manicured English gardens, around ponds and through gazebos, across wide green expanses where beautiful stone benches waited patiently for visitors to rest and take in the view. The gardens were surrounded by ancient stone walls and dotted with graceful staircases; wrought iron fences marked off pathways and lush foliage lined the hidden walks though the tropical jungle. It was a beautiful and magical discovery!

And in the gardens were the brides! Much to our delight, it appears the island’s young romantics flock to the gardens to capture their special memories in what could arguably be the most romantic setting in all of Hong Kong! Gwynn and I were captivated by their beautiful dresses and sparkling smiles – truly, the garden couldn’t have been more perfectly accessorized than by the flowing white dresses and floating veils that dotted the greenery at regular intervals!

In China, brides take their wedding photos weeks before their impending nuptials. The bride and her intended spend an entire day trekking from one iconic location to another, photographers in tow snapping rolls and rolls of (digital) film, capturing memories that will be printed in professionally bound albums and shared with family and friends for years to come. The brides wear multiple dresses (almost always rented) and usually have a wardrobe person, makeup artist and hair stylist along for the day.

The white wedding dress is always the centerpiece of the most romantic photos, but the traditional red dress for the bride and the corresponding ceremonial outfit for the groom are also a mandatory part of the wedding book. Brides will also change into a blue dress at the very end of the wedding day as a kind of “getaway outfit” – blue signifying she’s a married woman.

This beautiful young woman was no different than brides the world over. This was her day to be a princess, holding hands with her prince in a location that could have been taken right off the pages of Edith Wharton’s 1920s novel The Age of Innocence. She was the star of her own film today, and she and her groom lit up when we strolled by and clicked off a snapshot of them, giving them the universal thumbs up. Her photographer won’t capture this moment in time; only we’ll have it, safely locked in our own memories of today, of the beautiful brides and Hong Kong’s secret garden.