Aberdeen Harbour

Aberdeen harbour is a sheltered channel between Hong Kong Island and Ap Lei Chau, used as a typhoon shelter and still packed with fishing vessels, working boats and the sampans that ferry people across. For most of the twentieth century a large community lived permanently on boats here, a way of life that has almost ended as families moved ashore, though a handful of vessels remain occupied and the fishing fleet still works. Short sampan rides run through the moorings from the promenade, generally negotiated on the spot. The Jumbo floating restaurant, the harbour's best-known landmark for decades, closed in 2020, was towed away in 2022 and sank at sea.

What you actually see

• The typhoon shelter moorings - fishing boats packed in the channel.
• Sampan rides through the fleet - the short trips from the promenade.
• The fish market and promenade - the working waterfront at dawn.
• The gap where Jumbo stood - the floating restaurant towed away in 2022.

When to go

October to April for comfortable walking; early morning for the fish market and the working fleet. Two to three hours. Sampan operators are on the promenade and prices are negotiated.

Honest expectations

The boat-dwelling community is largely gone and what remains is a working harbour, not a living heritage display. Sampan prices are negotiated and tourists are quoted high. The water is dirty and the smell is strong on hot days.

Nearby

Ap Lei Chau is across the channel; Repulse Bay lies east.