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This article is part of the FT Globetrotter Guide to Hong Kong
The British slumped their nails into Hong Kong in stages. In 1842 they colonized Hong Kong Island. The Korean Peninsula was seized in 1860, and in 1898 the British took a 99-year lease on the new territory. Less than 60 years later, they had increased the colony territory by tenfold. (Of course, according to the terms of the 1997 lease, they had to return it anyway.) But Hong Kong is mostly water. The maritime area is about 1.5 times the land area, and about 1.5 times the land area, from 1,640 square kilometers to 1,114 square kilometers.
At the time it was watery. It also looks very hill-like. Early colonial managers thought only 20% of the archipelago were suitable for agriculture. It was far better to be pirates than the farmers of that time. The rocky cove at the base of a thin cliff is made for good retreats, not for good allocations. When Cheung Po Tsai, one of the region’s most infamous 19th-century pirates, surrendered to the authorities, he was found to be in command of around 280 junk boats, 2,000 guns and 25,000 men.
The surge in steel and glass towers that came in the second half of the 20th century contributed a different kind of verticality to complement the landscape scenery of mountainous regions. Hong Kong today has more skyscrapers than any other city on the planet. Surprisingly, considering how little flat land actually fits them all together.
For most of its existence, Hong Kong was a place we have observed by looking up from a location close to the sea, not by looking down, as we have been a trend we have recently. That perspective has become increasingly unfamiliar. That’s an excellent reason to look for it in itself. Three of the best ways to do this are from the cheapest to the more expensive.
Star Ferry
Star Ferry has been a beloved Hong Kong facility since 1898, but its origins date back to a quarter century. A steamship ferry service across the Victoria Port was launched in 1873, but was soon closed at the request of the British consul in Canton (now Guangzhou). Nevertheless, Star Ferry will soon become an important feature of the city’s infrastructure.
The name comes from the Tennyson poem “Bars the Bar.” This considers the voyage from this life to the next voyage by the boat’s ratio phor (“Sunset and the Evening Star, and one clear call for me!”). Of course, the most famous ferrymen was Charon, who passed on the river Sticks to Hades. Is there a faint spiritual side to the trip between Central and Kourun while riding the Star Ferry? The engine’s merciless chug. The fleeting A-to-B simplicity of the route. The increasing distance between the two coasts is what your small adventure begins and needs to be over soon. In the case of Victoria Port, this last point is a question of measurable facts and philosophical fantasies.
The ferry hasn’t changed much in 127 years, but essentially remained a stately, double mowing, double decker, green and white event, but the city has changed beyond perception. Today’s passengers (approximately 26 million people a year) have scenic views of the city’s glittering skyline. The ferry port was over 2 km wide. Well, thanks to land reclamation, that’s less than half. So, if Star Ferry has a message and purpose, it’s probably something like this:
The regular Star Ferry service runs daily (including public holidays) between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui
On both routes, you can see ferries operating every 6-20 minutes, depending on the day and time. Check the schedule here
Tickets for HK$2.80 for children and $4 for adults
The 1-hour harbor tour is also available for adults in Hong Kong $200 ($26/£20)
junk
A 19th century watercolor or sculpture depicting the port-side interaction between British traders and Chinese locals was not completed without dozens of junk hanging in the painting in the background. The distinctive silhouette of junk – rounded on the high side with elegant fan-like sails on multiple masts – has become the permanent coat of arms of Hong Kong. As such, junk is a very endangered species in these waters these days. You are supposed to see some of them in and around Victoria Port, but these will almost certainly not be real and will be replicas. The last more or less real junk still in operation in Hong Kong is a sweet one named Duckling. These junks – including Dukling – are available for sightseeing tours and private charters. Snobb may look to the outlook for such a business. Let me do them. It’s an unruly experience to see powerful magic blow those wonderful (if purely decorative) red sails, the sun sets over the harbor, and the numerous lights lit up from the junk decks to Korea and Korea.
Dukling will sail from Star Boulevard at Tsim Sha Tsui at 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm and 7:30pm (opposite Starbucks)
The trip lasts for 45 minutes to an hour. Dukeling generally follows a circular route around Victoria Port, offering panoramic views of Hong Kong Island and Kouulun
Tickets for HK$150 for kids, HK$220 for adults, including English and mandarin drinks and tour guide commentary. Tickets here
Yacht
The yacht is an annoying bunch overall. They like clubs, competitions, glogues, gloves and thread. There is no shortage of yachts in Hong Kong. According to the Marine Department, there are over 10,000 registered crafts of joy in the city. A sense of community and friendship, such as a yacht, is usually something to enjoy. Nevertheless, perhaps the most persuasive of all the reasons to bring you to the water, especially in a busy city like Hong Kong, not to approach a group of like-minded souls, but to, on the contrary, to distance yourself as far as possible from other humans. Many of Hong Kong’s most beautiful, most spoiled, most populous, or completely unpopulated spots are accessible only by water. The archipelago consists of 263 islands. Know what’s best for your keys, including dolphins, diving, shipwrecks, tattered beachside dining, and actually nothing else but the Sun and Seabrews.
There are many yacht charter companies that own that knowledge, from large, high-end outfits like Asiamarin and Simpson, which have the potential to magic, to independent owner-operator skippers, to independent operator skippers like Steve Metz’s Aichi Sailing. The sailing process. Jibe Ho!
Asiamarine’s yacht charters range from 8 hours from Hong Kong $18,800 ($2,420/£1,870) and from 4 hours from HK$148,000 ($19,000/£14,700). A maximum of 50 guests is available. More details can be found here
Simpson offers eight hours of charters ranging from $16,000 ($2,000/£1,600) to HK$148,000 ($19,000/£14,700). Up to 50 container ships are available. For more information, please see here
ACI Sailing offers trips to islands such as Soko, Cheung Chau, Lamma and Sunshine Island. Starting at Hong Kong $3,000 ($385/£300) for a two-hour introduction to Penchau, Sunshine Island, and Muiwo off the coast of Hong Kong. Make a reservation here
Additional Reports by Isaac Zamet
Do you have a favorite view from Hong Kong’s water? Please let me know in the comments below. Follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @ftglobetrotter
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