Inside Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbor, a floating village once home to 150,000 people that has faded into history
James Pasley
![Inside Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbor, a floating village once home to 150,000 people that has faded into history](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-106766430%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-108672%2Finside-hong-kongaposs-aberdeen-harbor-a-floating-village-once-home-to-150000-people-that-has-faded-into-history.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbor was home to thousands of fishing families known as "the floating people."
- They lived on junk boats or sampans — small, flat-bottomed wood boats about 4.5 to 7 meters in length.
Thousands of people once lived on small boats in a floating village in Hong Kong.
In Aberdeen Harbor, residents lived on sampans or junk boats. They were known by several names but preferred "Soi Seung Yan," which translated to "those born of the water."
But at times, it was a dangerous life. They had to deal with typhoons, massive swells, and fishing accidents.
Eventually, as Hong Kong grew and its government offered the fishing communities public housing, the harbor emptied out and the village disappeared.
Here's how the fishing community grew so large and why it's no longer around today.
On the southwest edge of Hong Kong Island, there’s an old fishing harbor called Aberdeen Harbor.
![On the southwest edge of Hong Kong Island, there’s an old fishing harbor called Aberdeen Harbor.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787775,width-700,height-525,imgsize-238196/on-the-southwest-edge-of-hong-kong-island-therex2019s-an-old-fishing-harbor-called-aberdeen-harbor-.jpg)
When the British first arrived in the mid-19th century, they asked local fishermen for the island's name. It's believed the fishermen told them it was called "Hong Kong," which translates to "fragrant harbor."
These fishermen lived on boats permanently with their families.
![These fishermen lived on boats permanently with their families.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787760,width-700,height-525,imgsize-568940/these-fishermen-lived-on-boats-permanently-with-their-families-.jpg)
They were known as "the floating people" or "boat dwellers." They were also known as "Tanka" people, though the term is now considered derogatory.
They called themselves "Soi Seung Yan," which translates to "those born of the water."
Lisa Lim, a linguistics professor at Hong Kong University, told Al Jazeera that floating people were discriminated against in the 18th century.
They were not allowed to live on land or marry outside their community.
Many of the boats they worked and lived on were sampans, which means “three planks” in Cantonese.
![Many of the boats they worked and lived on were sampans, which means “three planks” in Cantonese.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787742,width-700,height-525,imgsize-403058/many-of-the-boats-they-worked-and-lived-on-were-sampans-which-means-x201cthree-planksx201d-in-cantonese-.jpg)
They are traditionally small, flat-bottomed wooden boats from China that range from 15-23 feet in length.
To move, they had motors or were manually operated with oars and poles.
People also lived on wooden junk boats, which were much larger.
![People also lived on wooden junk boats, which were much larger.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787724,width-700,height-525,imgsize-441670/people-also-lived-on-wooden-junk-boats-which-were-much-larger-.jpg)
The last junk boat in Hong Kong that's available for public use weighs 50 tons and is 60 feet long.
These floating villages grew until they were filled with thousands of full-time residents.
![These floating villages grew until they were filled with thousands of full-time residents.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787693,width-700,height-525,imgsize-421454/these-floating-villages-grew-until-they-were-filled-with-thousands-of-full-time-residents-.jpg)
Many were almost entirely self-sufficient, cooking and sleeping aboard their boats.
![Many were almost entirely self-sufficient, cooking and sleeping aboard their boats.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787685,width-700,height-525,imgsize-389564/many-were-almost-entirely-self-sufficient-cooking-and-sleeping-aboard-their-boats-.jpg)
They bought groceries from other sampans.
![They bought groceries from other sampans.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787678,width-700,height-525,imgsize-407104/they-bought-groceries-from-other-sampans-.jpg)
They ate their meals on board together.
![They ate their meals on board together.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787677,width-700,height-525,imgsize-537432/they-ate-their-meals-on-board-together-.jpg)
Aberdeen’s fishing community continued to grow in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
![Aberdeen’s fishing community continued to grow in the late 1940s and early 1950s.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787676,width-700,height-525,imgsize-614270/aberdeenx2019s-fishing-community-continued-to-grow-in-the-late-1940s-and-early-1950s-.jpg)
At the time, China had become a communist nation and required all fish caught by fishermen to be equally distributed.
Many fishing families left the mainland and moved to Hong Kong so they didn't have to follow the communist laws.
By the 1960s, there were as many as 150,000 people living on Aberdeen Harbor.
![By the 1960s, there were as many as 150,000 people living on Aberdeen Harbor.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787674,width-700,height-525,imgsize-560926/by-the-1960s-there-were-as-many-as-150000-people-living-on-aberdeen-harbor-.jpg)
"Aberdeen used to be so packed with ships that people could walk across the harbor using ships as a bridge," Ngai Hau-on, a shipbuilder, told the South China Morning Post.
Chu Yin-ping, who grew up on the water in Aberdeen Harbor described a night on the water.
"At night when all lights on sampans were turned on, the harbor was entirely lit up," Chu said. "It was so beautiful."
During the day, children went for swims in the harbor.
![During the day, children went for swims in the harbor.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787673,width-700,height-525,imgsize-538814/during-the-day-children-went-for-swims-in-the-harbor-.jpg)
But it wasn’t an easy life. The children had to work from a young age.
![But it wasn’t an easy life. The children had to work from a young age.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787672,width-700,height-525,imgsize-339654/but-it-wasnx2019t-an-easy-life-the-children-had-to-work-from-a-young-age-.jpg)
Some children attended schools infrequently, and others couldn't afford to go at all.
It was a dangerous life, too. The boating community had to deal with typhoons, massive swells, and fishing accidents.
![It was a dangerous life, too. The boating community had to deal with typhoons, massive swells, and fishing accidents.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787670,width-700,height-525,imgsize-718510/it-was-a-dangerous-life-too-the-boating-community-had-to-deal-with-typhoons-massive-swells-and-fishing-accidents-.jpg)
When a typhoon approached, the sampans and junk boats would pull in behind typhoon shelters.
They also had to watch out for occasional gunfire, depending on where they were fishing.
In the 1960s, the fishing communities began to move ashore with help from the government.
![In the 1960s, the fishing communities began to move ashore with help from the government.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787669,width-700,height-525,imgsize-380170/in-the-1960s-the-fishing-communities-began-to-move-ashore-with-help-from-the-government-.jpg)
It was the beginning of a slow decline for the boat people. The harbor emptied out. Residents often moved into public housing.
It was a boom period for Hong Kong's economy, and there were jobs available on the mainland in industries like manufacturing.
Technology also changed the fishing industry. In the 1980s, trawlers were introduced to Hong Kong's waters.
In 1977, Hong Kong’s government built a new bridge across the harbor.
![In 1977, Hong Kong’s government built a new bridge across the harbor.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787668,width-700,height-525,imgsize-681072/in-1977-hong-kongx2019s-government-built-a-new-bridge-across-the-harbor-.jpg)
This made it easier to cross the harbor and contributed to the falling number of sampans.
By 1985, there were about 12,000 people still living on 3,000 sampans in Aberdeen Harbor.
![By 1985, there were about 12,000 people still living on 3,000 sampans in Aberdeen Harbor.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787667,width-700,height-525,imgsize-314734/by-1985-there-were-about-12000-people-still-living-on-3000-sampans-in-aberdeen-harbor-.jpg)
The number of people in the floating city continued to dwindle.
![The number of people in the floating city continued to dwindle.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787665,width-700,height-525,imgsize-299002/the-number-of-people-in-the-floating-city-continued-to-dwindle-.jpg)
But not everyone had moved to land by the late 1990s.
In 1997, a 73-year-old woman named Chan Gun Ho was living on a 60-foot junk boat with her husband, dog, and grandchildren. To ensure one grandson didn't end up in the water, he was kept on a rope leash. The boat had modern amenities like a TV and a washer-dryer.
In the following decades, the floating village almost disappeared.
![In the following decades, the floating village almost disappeared.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106787663,width-700,height-525,imgsize-805340/in-the-following-decades-the-floating-village-almost-disappeared-.jpg)
Some sampans are still used to take tourists sightseeing on the water, but Aberdeen Harbor is now largely filled with modern yachts.
Siu-yung told the South China Morning Post the harbor had not just changed demographics, but had also gotten smaller as Hong Kong reclaimed land to build apartment high-rises.
"[I]t's all dark and quiet now," he said. "Those days are gone."
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