Coronavirus: Hong Kong cable car bucks trend of closing attractions and will resume service
- The Ngong Ping 360 attraction will begin limited hours of operation this weekend
- It is the second big tourist draw to reopen in the city amid the Covid-19 outbreak, but other rivals, such as Disneyland, are staying shut
One of Hong Kong’s most iconic attractions, a cable car that takes visitors to a giant Buddhist statue near a hilltop monastery, will reopen this weekend after being closed for more than six weeks due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Operators of the Ngong Ping 360 attraction – which suspended services on January 27 – vowed on Friday to take all necessary precautions to minimise any risk from the coronavirus, which has forced most of the city’s biggest visitor draws to close.
The company said it would offer partial services until the end of March, at which point it would review its decision.
Ngong Ping 360 is Hong Kong’s second major tourist attraction to resume services in a week, after Sky100, an observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, reopened on Thursday.
Other top destinations for visitors – such as Ocean Park, which offers amusement rides and animal exhibits on the south of Hong Kong Island, and the Disneyland Resort on Lantau Island – have been shut since January.
Despite the government’s decision to gradually resume services at leisure and cultural centres, social gatherings and overseas travel are discouraged.
