Written by South China Morning Post (Morning Studio)
Old photographs of the ‘floating villages’ in Aberdeen Harbour, located between Hong Kong Island’s southern coast and the outlying islet of Ap Lei Chau — showing thousands of fishing families living on traditional Chinese junk houseboats in the mid-1900s — are among the city’s most iconic and enduring images.
Take a stroll along the Ap Lei Chau Promenade and ride the kaito ferry to Aberdeen to take in local landmarks along the waterfront while enjoying the spectacular vistas looking out to sea.
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Ap Lei Chau Hung Shing Temple
Ap Lei Chau waterfront is home to Hung Shing Temple — built in 1773 — to worship Hung Shing, the ‘God of the South Sea’, to help protect fishermen. The official monument is one of Hong Kong’s oldest and best-preserved temples. It’s also one of the few Hung Shing temples largely unaffected by reclamation and has kept its original serene, feng shui setting — facing the sea. Inside you can see an original bell, cast in the year it was built, and prized Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Shiwan pottery. People always visit the temple to make offerings during the Hung Shing Festival, on the 13th day of the second lunar month. A stone’s throw away from the temple is the Ap Lei Chau Market Cooked Food Centre inside the Ap Lei Chau Municipal Services Building, where you can sample some of the local delicacies.
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Ap Lei Chau Wind Tower Park
Walking along the Ap Lei Chau Waterfront Promenade, you can see Ap Lei Chau Wind Tower Park ahead of you. Visitors can climb the 10-metre-high lookout tower, designed in the shape of a fishing boat, to enjoy the scenery. Solar panels power rows of LED lights, which change colour according to the wind speed detected by a sensor: all green when calm — increasingly orange as it grows breezy, and all red during gales or hurricanes. The park also features an exhibition gallery on Hong Kong's traditional fishing customs and the fishermen’s way of life.
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Aberdeen Promenade
The kaito ferry at Ap Lei Chau will take you to Aberdeen Promenade. The tree-lined walkway, which runs alongside Aberdeen Harbour, is a popular spot where visitors can relax and take selfies with the boats. But it offers more than stunning waterfront views: early risers can rub shoulders with elderly locals looking for bargains as moored boats sell freshly caught fish.
A jar of freshly ground plaice powder — a natural fish stock commonly used for soups — will make a perfect souvenir of your lunch tour. You can buy a jar from fishermen on their boats moored beside the promenade.
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Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market
If you buy live seafood in Hong Kong, there is a good chance it has been sourced from Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market. Built in 1950, it’s the oldest and largest fish wholesale market in Hong Kong, which drew fishers from Cheung Chau, southern islands and even Macao to Aberdeen, supplying more than 70 per cent of the local live seafood. Looking at the cream-coloured structure with a green-tiled roof from afar, you can peer into various large fishing boats that line the market pier. The fishermen’s canteen inside the market serves freshly caught offerings from 4am daily. There is also a souvenir shop offering fish-related products and gifts.
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Transport
Getting to Ap Lei Chau Hung Shing Temple
From MTR Lei Tung Station, Exit A1, head harbourside via Wah Ting Street. Turn right at the promenade and Hung Shing Temple will be on your right.
Getting to Aberdeen from Ap Lei Chau
Take the kaito ferry from Ap Lei Chau Pontoon outside Marina Habitat to the landing step outside Aberdeen Promenade. The trip takes about 4 minutes.
For details of the kaito ferry service, please visit the Transportation Department website.
Leaving from Aberdeen
Take bus 48 or 78 from the Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market to return to MTR Wong Chuk Hang Station.