If you love exploring Hong Kong you would know that Google Maps is one of your best and most useful exploration/hike buddies. I have been rescued many a time by this handy app in the middle of Hong Kong’s wilder frontiers…
All dramatics aside, it was with good news that Google launched its Google Street View Trekker yesterday at a foggy event at The Peak Lookout Cafe.
I was not prepared for what felt like a 10-degree drop in temperature after ascending to The Peak. Rain + fog + cold = the staff giving me a plastic raincoat and a thick blanket
I listened to Cynthia Wei, Google Greater China and Southeast Asia Street View Program Manager speaking in Putonghua the whole time. Obviously understood nothing
A screenshot of Google Street Trekker: The “forest in water” at Shing Mun Reservoir – isn’t that cool?
As of yesterday, Google has published new Street View imagery for 23 special collections in Hong Kong, including 14 hiking and fitness trails:
- Dragon’s Back
- Hong Kong Trail (including Lugard Road)
- Mills and Chung Path
- Repulse Bay Seaview Promenade
- Peel Rise in Aberdeen
- Tung O Ancient Trail
- Lung Fu Shan Fitness Trail (to The Peak)
- Wilson Trail (including The Twins)
- Lady Clementi’s Ride
- Violet Hill
- Black’s Link
- Old Peak Road
Four reservoirs:
Three outlying islands
Two featured spots
This is what the actual Trekker looks like (what they used to take the imagery)
The Google Street View Trekker is a wearable backpack with a camera system on top that enables us to capture a 360-degree panoramic view as it goes
You can actually borrow the Trekker equipment through the Street View Trekker Project!
To learn more about the Google Street View Trekker, visit the Google Street View website.
That looks amazing – I need to look through some of the images much more closely.
You must be very lucky that you’ve been invited to these events. How do you get invited to all of those?! 🙂
LikeLike
Yes I don’t get to go to half the events I get invited to, but usually it’s because I can’t speak Chinese so what’s the point… hehe
I just started with a few over a year ago when I started working at the magazine. Would get in touch with people (hospitality PRs, agency PRs, etc) for various features in the magazine. And then they would invite me to their events after meeting me – then I’d meet more people. The more events I go to, the more things I feature, the more people I meet, the more invitations I get 😀 I also do post-event coverage and publicity and make sure to inform people when something comes out so they see results and remember me. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for the update. That makes total sense. Guess I’ve been too busy with work life to spend time networking for my blog. I have started to do more this year but it’s time consuming. And as you said not everything will be relevant or interesting enough. Keep up your posts I enjoy them!
LikeLike