World OF affluence

Victoria Peak has been the prime residential choice for the rich and powerful for more than a century.

In the early 1920s, a typical household on The Peak included a cook, a market boy to do the shopping, a No1 boy who ran the establishment, his assistant - known as the No2 boy - an amah to do the washing, a gardener and four chair carriers to carry the family's two sedan chairs.

Many old mansions at The Peak boast a unique history and construction style. Ho Tung Gardens is one of them and has been designated as a candidate for a list of protected monuments by the government.

The legendary residence is one of the first Chinese-owned mansions at The Peak and the only one still standing. The 120,000 sqft residence was built in 1927 by Sir Robert Hotung, one of the most well-known figures in Hong Kong history. Ho Tung Gardens is also known as 'Hiu Kok Yuen', named after Sir Robert's Chinese name Ho Hiu-sheng and his beloved wife Clara Cheung Lin-kok. During the second world war, the residence was occupied by the Japanese army. The classic Chinese mansion has a pailou (archway) and a high tower.