Sails of the centuries
One of my favourite places in Hong Kong is Aberdeen harbour. Sit along the promenade by the basketball courts and you can watch the sampans, ferries and other craft buzz in and out. Some of the sampans carry vegetables and noodles to feed other seafarers and some ferry passengers.
The fishing boats are usually moored during the day but about 3am they glide out into the night waters. Other smaller vessels carry huge fluorescent lights to attract squid.
Fishing has always been an integral part of Hong Kong's history, although over-fishing has caused the industry to suffer today.
But many people still live on board their boats, and in Aberdeen you can see some cosy homes, complete with pets and pot plants.
Who were the traditional fishermen of Hong Kong?
The people who live on the boats have tended to be Tanka, or Egg people, who for years weren't allowed to get off their boats and were despised by land dwellers. Some of the boat dwellers are also Hoklo - they originally came from Fujian province .
So what has happened to Hong Kong's fishing industry?
It's a tragedy for Hong Kong. For decades, sailing junks headed out to sea for people to feed their families with fish and perhaps to sell some at the markets.
But in a move to provide more employment, the government in the 1960s and 70s issued outboard engines, some of which were former bus engines, with the result that boats were quicker and could do more trawling. These days, Hong Kong's fishing industry is in a sorry state because too many fish have been caught, so there are often only small ones left. The government bans fishing for several months every year to give the fish a chance to breed and grow, but some environmental groups say Hong Kong needs a complete ban.
Can I go on the boats at Aberdeen?
Yes. You can hire a sampan to go around the harbour to take a closer look at the fishing vessels, with their nets and dogs. You also can take a wooden ferry at the fish market over to Sok Ku Wan on Lamma, where there are many fish farms, seafood restaurants and a fishing museum called the Lamma Fisherfolk's Village.
What can I see at the museum?
This 'museum' is quite fun. It's outside and built on a set of fish farms and is run by the fishermen themselves. You can have a go at making dry salted fish and also repairing nets - and you'll have a real fisherman to teach you. Most of the exhibits have been donated by fishermen and include sampans, fishing junks and many other items associated with their trade.
What else is there to do in Sok Ku Wan?
There's a temple that has recently been extensively renovated as the original temple burned down two years ago.
Sok Ku Wan is a wonderful place to try seafood of all different types as you look out over the fish farms. Now that Hong Kong's fishing industry is in decline, more fish farms have appeared as a way of increasing the number of fish available.
From Sok Ku Wan, you can take a ferry back to Aberdeen via Mo Tat Wan village or take a ferry to Central.
