Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China
© Juan Romero/Cavan Image
The only way is up. Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China
Welcome to Hong Kong, home to the world's largest collection of skyscrapers. Those pictured here tower above Victoria Harbour, whose deep waters allowed the island to develop as a busy trading port. Ships carrying tea, silk, and other goods have passed through since the 1840s, but growth rocketed in the decades after World War II, fueling a construction boom. With little flat land available between the harbor and the hills, developers had to build upward, creating this distinctive skyline. In 2026, Hong Kong has 569 buildings above 492 feet high—more than any other city.
The view from Victoria Peak reveals how tightly these towers crowd the shoreline, where successive land-reclamation projects have steadily narrowed the deepwater passage. Along that narrowed waterfront, traditional Star Ferries still traverse the channel, sharing the navigation lanes with international container ships. Just behind those soaring towers, designated country parks blanket the surrounding granite slopes, keeping most of the mountainous terrain wild despite the intense development at the water's edge.
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