A life at sea
When the British Crown took possession of Hong Kong Island in 1841, in addition to the 4,000 people who lived on the comparatively barren island there were also some 2,000 fishermen, who belonged to the Tanka people, an ancient ethnic minority, sometimes called the “gypsies of the sea.” Now considered derogatory, the word Tanka has mostly been replaced by another term meaning “on-water people,” or boat dwellers. They live and work on their boats and are regarded as Hong Kong’s first settlers. They are easily recognised by their typical straw hats with wide, downward bent rims.
Until about 1700, these boat dwellers were forbidden from marrying Han Chinese; they were banned from the civil service, and were not even allowed to erect houses on dry land – in other words, they were regarded as outcasts. That’s one reason why they are still referred to as “boat dwellers” even now they have settled on dry land.
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Address Aberdeen Ferry/Kai to Pier | Public Transport MTR Island Line to Kennedy Town, then Aberdeen by bus to Aberdeen Station Promenade | Tip Starting from Aberdeen, several sightseeing tours can be taken in sampans, which because of the noise the engines make are often called walla-walla. Alternatively you could take the shuttle boat to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.
The largest early settlements were located in the south, mostly fishing villages, notably Aberdeen and Stanley, but also on Cheung Chau and in Lantau’s Tai O. Here they mainly lived in the harbours either on boats or in houses built on wooden platforms raised on stilts. Since they were treated as the equal of other ethnic groups in the new colony, and new activities emerged due to increasing trade, they saw a steady and substantial increase in population. Soon they specialised in restaurant boats and prostitution.
By 1960 the number of boat people, who were among the poorest in the city, had increased to about 150,000. Large settlements grew in the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter and in Yau Ma Tei. They built their temples on the shore, but due to progressive land reclamation these temples have now moved further and further inland. In the course of the reconstruction of Victoria Harbour most boat dwellers were resettled, and today fewer than 6,000 still live in Aberdeen.
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