Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest zoological and botanical centres in the world.

It is located in Mid-levels, on the northern slope of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and has been opened to the public since 1871. It is a venerable park and was previously named Ping Tao Garden (「兵頭花園」 Bing Tau Fa Yuen). Bing Tau literally means the head of the soldiers or the Commander-in-Chief. Some said it was named such way by the Chinese because it was once the residence of the governor. Other said Bing Tau was just the phonetic transliteration of the first two syllables of the word botanical. In the old days, many lovers liked to go there to have a date.

Similar to the Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens provide a natural environment and atmosphere in Admiralty. It is bigger than the Hong Kong Park and contains more plants, birds and facilities.

There are more than 1,000 species of plants in the gardens, mostly indigenous to tropical and sub-tropical regions. It includes some rare species like the Dawn Redwood and the local Ailanthus. Besides these, some species which can produce flowers throughout the year can also be found there, like the Orchid Tree and Camel's Foot Tree.

Apart from the plants, there are over 600 birds, 70 mammals and 40 reptiles, including many different species. Mammal species include the Golden Lion Tamarin, Jaguar, and Ring-tailed Lemur. Birds include the Red-crowned Crane. The reptiles are primarily snakes and turtles such as the Malaysian Giant Turtle .

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