Aberdeen Floating Village, situated at the Aberdeen Harbor at the Southern District of Hong Kong (learn more via Hong Kong city guide), refers to the people living on boats in the area and the culture around it.
As early as the 19th century, fishery was one of the most supporting industries to Hong Kong and Aberdeen has been one of the major ports for unloading fishes and seafood and markets. The floating village is like a miniature of a society, apart from the main fishes and seafood exchanging business, many other facilities have been established on the legion of boats, such as mini stores, fresh water suppliers, boats in charge of clearing garbage on water, fuel suppliers and others. The fishermen and their families reside on boats firstly for convenience’s sake, but over the decades, the life and culture they developed has become one of the most significant characters defining that age and represents the assiduous, hardworking, enduring spirit Hong Kong people most proud of.
Aberdeen (houses some famous Hong Kong attractions) was allegedly the birthplace of the name “Hong Kong”. There are couple different theories about the origin of the name, but the most accepted one is probably the one involving a woman named Chan Kwan. During the Opium War in the late 19th century, a small group of British Army debarked at the place known as Stanley or Chek Chue today. They were led to the north part of the Hong Kong Island with the help of an indigenous woman named Chan Kwan. When the group was passing the vicinity of Aberdeen, the British asked the woman what this place was named. The woman gave an answer which sounds very much like “Hong Kong” in her dialect. That’s how the moniker “Hong Kong” came from, the island was name Hong Kong Island and this area was named “Hong Kong Tsai” (meaning Hong Kong Minor in Cantonese). After the British government took hold of Hong Kong, the colonial Seal Badge used by the government was composed of a partial Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and a picture representing a woman leading a group of people. Aberdeen is the name used for commemorating the then British diplomat, George Gordon, the 4th Earl of Aberdeen.
As time changes, the profit of fishing is inevitably thinning today due to the rising fuel costs and the competition from the adjacent Guangdong Province, hence less and less young people are joining the business. The Hong Kong government is doing the best to raise people’s awareness towards the place, for example holding the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Racing during the Duanwu Festival every year, transforming the place into a tourism hot spot with boat rides and irresistible seafood cuisines.
More: Hong Kong tour and popular China tours
As early as the 19th century, fishery was one of the most supporting industries to Hong Kong and Aberdeen has been one of the major ports for unloading fishes and seafood and markets. The floating village is like a miniature of a society, apart from the main fishes and seafood exchanging business, many other facilities have been established on the legion of boats, such as mini stores, fresh water suppliers, boats in charge of clearing garbage on water, fuel suppliers and others. The fishermen and their families reside on boats firstly for convenience’s sake, but over the decades, the life and culture they developed has become one of the most significant characters defining that age and represents the assiduous, hardworking, enduring spirit Hong Kong people most proud of.
Aberdeen (houses some famous Hong Kong attractions) was allegedly the birthplace of the name “Hong Kong”. There are couple different theories about the origin of the name, but the most accepted one is probably the one involving a woman named Chan Kwan. During the Opium War in the late 19th century, a small group of British Army debarked at the place known as Stanley or Chek Chue today. They were led to the north part of the Hong Kong Island with the help of an indigenous woman named Chan Kwan. When the group was passing the vicinity of Aberdeen, the British asked the woman what this place was named. The woman gave an answer which sounds very much like “Hong Kong” in her dialect. That’s how the moniker “Hong Kong” came from, the island was name Hong Kong Island and this area was named “Hong Kong Tsai” (meaning Hong Kong Minor in Cantonese). After the British government took hold of Hong Kong, the colonial Seal Badge used by the government was composed of a partial Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and a picture representing a woman leading a group of people. Aberdeen is the name used for commemorating the then British diplomat, George Gordon, the 4th Earl of Aberdeen.
As time changes, the profit of fishing is inevitably thinning today due to the rising fuel costs and the competition from the adjacent Guangdong Province, hence less and less young people are joining the business. The Hong Kong government is doing the best to raise people’s awareness towards the place, for example holding the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Racing during the Duanwu Festival every year, transforming the place into a tourism hot spot with boat rides and irresistible seafood cuisines.
More: Hong Kong tour and popular China tours