weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

VICTORIA HARBOUR (commonly called Hong Kong Harbour) is a natural landform harbor in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbor's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony in 1841 and its subsequent development as a trading center. Throughout its history, the harbor has seen numerous reclamation projects undertaken on both shores, many of which have caused controversy in recent years. Environmental concerns have been expressed about the effects of these expansions, in terms of water quality and loss of natural habitat. It has also been proposed that benefits of land reclamation may be less than the effects of decreased harbor width, affecting the number of vessels passing through the harbor. Nonetheless the harbor still retains its founding role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year and it is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Situated in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbor is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are used as gathering places for residents and tourists alike.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY - The first reference to what is now called Victoria Harbour is found in Zheng He's sailing maps of the China coast, dated c.1425, which appear in the Wubei Zhi (A Treatise on Armament Technology), a comprehensive 17th-century military book. While the harbor was charted in later maps, the first map depicting it in detail is an 1810 marine chart prepared for the East India Company. - The harbor was originally called "Hong Kong Harbour", but was later renamed to "Victoria Harbour", to assure shelter for the British fleet under Queen Victoria. Due to extensive land reclamation projects undertaken in the past, some of which are still ongoing, the size and particularly the width of the harbor has been shrinking over the past centuries, it covered an area of about 42 km² (16 sq.mi) in 2004 and would be less at this present time.

TOURISM - Victoria Harbour is known for its panoramic night view and skyline, particularly as seen from Kowloon in the direction towards Hong Kong Island where the skyline of skyscrapers is superimposed over the ridges behind. Among the best places to view the harbor are the Peak Tower atop Victoria Peak, or from the piazza at the Cultural Center or the promenade of Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. Rides on the Star Ferry, including the route between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, are another way to view the harbor and cityscape. As the natural center of the territory, the harbor has played host to many major public shows, including the annual fireworks displays on the second night of the Lunar New Year. To enhance the popularity of the harbor as a sightseeing location, the government introduced in January 2004 a show dubbed "A Symphony of Lights", including illumination of the buildings on the Hong Kong side of the harbor and coordinated music. This originally included 18 buildings which have since grown to some 40+ buildings.

Also recently opened was the Avenue of Stars, built along the promenade outside the New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it honors the most illustrious people the Hong Kong film industry has produced over the past decades. - By the end of November every year, the outer walls of buildings in the central business districts on both sides of the harbor are dressed with gigantic Christmas-related decorations, and replaced with Lunar New Year-related ones by January.

PORT FACILITIES & TRANSPORT - Victoria Harbour is home to most of the port facilities of Hong Kong, making Hong Kong amongst the world's busiest. An average of 220,000 ships visit the harbor each year (600+ per day), including both oceangoing vessels and river vessels, for both goods and passengers. The Kwai Tsing Container Terminals in the western part of the harbor is the main container handling facility, operating round the clock. Some 20 million containers were handled by the region in 2016. Some 400 container ships serve Hong Kong weekly, connecting to over 500 destinations around the world. For many years until 2004, Hong Kong handled the most containers worldwide but slipped to sixth place on declining volumes by 2016.

TUNNELS - There is no bridge crossing the harbor, but there are three cross-harbor road tunnels: Cross-Harbour Tunnel (opened 1972), Eastern Harbour Crossing (1989), and Western Harbour Crossing (1997). The three tunnels act as important linkages between the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Four Mass Transit Railway routes also run under the harbor. From west to east, they are: 1) Tung Chung line and Airport Express, which share the same tunnel, 2) Tsuen Wan line, 3) East Rail line (parallel to the Cross Harbour Tunnel), 4) Tseung Kwan O line (sharing an immersed tube with the Eastern Harbour Crossing).

FERRIES - The Star Ferry has been crossing the harbor since 1888. The boats are able to carry between 399 - 576 passengers, depending on the type. The operated ferry routes today are: Central to Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui, the Wan Chai/Central to Hung Hom services closed in 2011 for lack of patronage. Other regular ferry services also operate in the harbor. - The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company used to operate numerous cross-harbor routes for vehicles and passengers between various piers of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Many of the routes are now operated by First Ferry. Some of the piers no longer exist because of reclamation projects, or many of the routes became unprofitable. Currently, the company continues to operate vehicular ferry services for vehicles carrying dangerous goods that are prohibited within tunnel crossings. - For international passenger traffic and traffic to mainland China and Macau, there are two ferry terminals, namely Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong-China Ferry Terminal, and a terminal for cruises, the Ocean Terminal. Another cruise terminal (Kai Tak Cruise Terminal) at the site of the former mid-city airport, has recently been opened.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: My first visits to Hong Kong were during the period 1968-71, when I was working in Asia as a roving bank auditor, and frequently worked in Hong Kong or stayed there in transit. As you can see from the construction dates of the tunnels mentioned above, at that time there was no tunnel crossing between Hong Kong and Kowloon, the only way to cross the harbor was by boat, usually on the Star Ferry, which had a very frequent and, particularly in the rush hours, very crowded schedule with boats literally departing every 10 minutes or so and the long queues of waiting passengers being contained in roped off sections of the approach ramps to the gates. There was also the informal walla-walla service of small boats for single passengers or small groups, which would still function after the Star Ferry closed service for the night from 1:30 to 630 am. This worked all very well and efficiently, unless there was a typhoon (tropical cyclone on the Pacific Ocean, akin to our hurricane) approaching, when the boat services would cease. Since there was a busy exchange of staff with residence on one side and employment on the other side, it frequently occurred that one got trapped for a day or two on the wrong side of the harbor and it always became a mad rush to secure a hotel room or stay at the flat of a friend or colleague until the strongest winds had passed. I do remember a couple of times looking out through the glass door from the hotel lobby where I was staying and seeing anything not bolted down flying by, including neon signs, etc.

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Today's post presents images of the harbor and of a few of the boats that ply the waters, as well as the silhouettes of some of the buildings on both the Hong Kong Island side as well as of Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. And since it happens to be Chinese New Years Day today and we just transited from the year of the tiger to the year of the hare, I bid you all the traditional Cantonese New Year's greeting: KUNG HEI FAT CHOY - May your New Year be prosperous.


Notes
TRIP INFO: Set # 1 provides a brief introduction to THIS SERIES on SOUTH & EAST ASIA. See it at
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-724330-1.html

HONG KONG COUNTRY INFO in set # 196: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-762698-1.html

EARLIER POSTS of this series: Access my topic list at UHH, the new posts are listed in reverse chronological order:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-topic-list?usernum=45105

Thanks for visiting, for improved clarity please view the downloads. I look forward to your comments and questions.

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1 - The Solar Star, one of the legendary Star Ferry boats plying the harbor waters between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, with Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon in the back

(Download)

2 - The same ferry with Wan Chai and Central in the back

(Download)

3 - The Night Star, a specially painted Star Ferry boat with Wan Chai buildings

(Download)

4 - Wan Chai building cluster, at left the low-flung Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (built in various stages between 1988 and 2009), at right the tall Central Plaza structure, completed in 1992

(Download)

5 - View from the Banqueting House restaurant over the harbor with a Chinese junk in front of Wan Chai buildings and a Chinese cruise ship

(Download)

6 - A closer take of the Chinese junk with slightly better details of the boat

(Download)

7 - A bird of prey "patrols" over the harbor waters

(Download)

8 - The Solar Star ferry boat, this time with Tsim Sha Tsui at the rear

(Download)

9 - Closer view of the Tsim Sha Tsui Harbour Front building cluster, with the upscale Regent Hotel at the far right

(Download)

10 - Central part of Tsim Sha Tsui cluster: Ocean Terminal at far left, the yellow-hued Star House, the HK Cultural Centre in peach color with the Clock tower, a last remnant of the former train station, all eclipsed by adjacent tall new buildings

(Download)

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

For your reference:

11 - Trip map of the Hong Kong segment of our tour

(Download)

angler Loc: StHelens England

Excellent set Joe.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great series, Joe.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Nice series, Joe. Do you know why the Star ferries have those tires all around the upper levels?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Beautiful set, Joe! I was only out in the bay once and you have better shots than I remember.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Jim, glad you liked this set.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Earnest for your appreciation.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Barbara. Good observation and good question! Obviously, the tires are used to cushion the impact from the boat hitting the structure of the pier. The few black tires at the bottom level achieve this protection. While I cannot find any information on this subject, I think the white "tires" at the upper level serve as life belts.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Bill.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Mike - I used to spend a lot of time on these ferry boats when that was the only way to cross the harbor. Now we still use them occasionally for nostalgic reasons and to enjoy the views during the transit.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Very nice set Joe!

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

I've never been there, but your fantastic shots just confirm what my many students from there have told me
🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Excellent set Joe showing the different harbor views. Interesting narrative as well.