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Fishery
Abstract: This article covers an uncommon yet influential sector of Hong Kong -- Fishery. The sector has provided us with unique landscapes that aren't expected in a modern metropolitan: sampans, Tanka fishermen, floating villages, pang uks and floating restaurants. What is more, the sector has rooted certain key cultures to our society: the naming of the city and street food. A few video game developers have recorded some of these features in their works, and we are going to use these video games to introduce these distinctive Hong Kong characteristics.
Sampans
Well before Hong Kong was established as a British entrepôt in 1842, there had already been human settlements. A few of them involved fishermen living by the ocean. From the various fishing tools and praying stones that have been found, Hong Kong was believed to be a thriving fishing port back to the Stone Age (香港政府漁農自然護理署, n.d.-a).
Fishery remained a major industry of Hong Kong for quite a long time after 1842. Till the end of 20th century Hong Kong, we could find quite a lot of sampans (舢舨) for fishing. A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat of length of 10-20 meters, and many of which include a small shelter on board. When you see sampans, you know you are not in anywhere else but Southeast Asia (Wikipedia, n.d.-e).
You can find sampans in video games based on Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s, such as Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002), Shinobi Legions (Sega. Sega Saturn: 1995), Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Capcom. Arcade et. al.: from 1998) and Lost Horizon (Animation Arts, Microsoft Windows. 2010).
A photo of sampans, in Hong Kong Mahjong (Nine Dragon. DOS: 1991, Microsoft Windows: 1996)
Sampans in Shinobi Legions (Sega. Sega Saturn: 1995)
Sampans in the Hong Kong stage of Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Capcom. Arcade et. al.: from 1998)
A sampan cluster in Aberdeen of Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002)
A sampan in Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon (Universal Interactive. Xbox: 2002)
A sampan in Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend (Universal Interactive: Game Boy Advance: 2003)
Sampans in Lost Horizon (Animation Arts, Microsoft Windows. 2010)
Tanka Fishermen
Many fishermen in Hong Kong have been from an ethnic group known as Tanka (蜑家) which has been settled in the territory for a long time, which could be as early as prehistoric times (Grolier Incorporated, 1999). Tanka people have their own traditional clothes featuring a round-edged, round-topped Tanka hat (蜑家帽), which you could find in the Hong Kong stage of Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Capcom. Arcade et. al.: from 1998).
A fisherman wearing a Tanka hat, taken in Aberdeen harbour in February 2017.
Traditional Tanka people clothes shown in a Hong Kong museum. Source: Wikipedia
A fisherman wearing Tanka hat in Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Capcom. Arcade et. al.: from 1998)
Floating Village
For a long time, the Imperial Chinese government didn't accept onshore residence registration from fishermen. Thus, the fishermen set up their permanent habitation with their fishing boats on inland waters (香港政府漁農自然護理署, n.d.-b). Even though the restriction has long been lifted, at the end of the 20th century we could still see sampan homes inside typhoon shelters of Hong Kong.
One such floating village could be found in Aberdeen (香港仔). It was once home for 150,000 people in the 1960s (Wikipedia, n.d.-a).
Location of Aberdeen in Hong Kong
Aberdeen Floating Village in 1946. Source: Wikipedia
A photo of floating village, in Hong Kong Mahjong (Nine Dragon. DOS: 1991, Microsoft Windows: 1996)
Aberdeen Floating Village in Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002)
A fisherman family having meal on its boat. From the TV show Below the Lion Rock (獅子山下) by RTHK (香港電台電視部, 2012).
Sleeping and cooking in a boat dwelling in Aberdeen typhoon shelter in Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002)
Aberdeen is not only once the home of many fishermen but also the origin of the city name Hong Kong. In Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), "Hong Kong" became the original name for the presently-named Aberdeen village. In the early 19th century, foreigners who landed near Aberdeen Village mistook the name of the village "Hong Kong" for the whole island. When the foreigners eventually realized their mistake, the name "Hong Kong" was already commonly used to refer to the entire island. Literally, Hong Kong means "fragrant harbor", and it was Aberdeen where incense trees from the New Territories used to be brought for export to other cities in China (Wikipedia, n.d.-c; Wikipedia, n.d.-d).
Pang Uks
Tai O (大澳) on Lantau Island was another place where fishermen settle (Wikipedia, n.d.-f). A unique scenery in that place is the large number of pang uks (棚屋) which a kind of stilt house built right over the waterway. They are due to Imperial Qing Emperor Yongzheng (雍正) who allowed fishermen to set up onshore residence (香港政府漁農自然護理署, n.d.-b). You can find pang uks in the Tai O stage of Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007).
Concept art of Tai O in Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007) featuring pang uks (middle right)
A pang uks in Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007)
Floating Restaurants
In Hong Kong, associated with the fishermen are floating restaurants. These restaurants were started in the 1920s as feast boats (酒艇) for wedding banquets of fishermen living in Aberdeen typhoon shelters. Later, they caught the attention of some rich traders, therefore had their business expanded to serve everyone, and quickly became where locals and foreigners looked for fresh seafood (Wikipedia, n.d.-b) coming from local fishery. The one in Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 - Global Terror! (Azeroth, Inc. DOS: 1992) gives you an idea on how these Feast boats look like at the beginning.
Inside the Tai Pak floating restaurant in 1962. Source: weshare.hk
The floating junk restaurant in Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 - Global Terror! (Azeroth, Inc. DOS: 1992)
Inside the floating Chinese junk restaurant in in Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 - Global Terror! (Azeroth, Inc. DOS: 1992)
Later, some major floating restaurants got larger and larger and more and more extravagant and become everyone's luxury for seafood in a Chinese imperial palace environment. A few well-known floating restaurants include Jumbo Kingdom Restaurant (珍寶海鮮舫), Tai Pak Floating Restaurant (太白海鮮舫), and previously Sea Palace (海角皇宮) as well. They altogether have served over 30 million visitors (Wikipedia, n.d.-b). Fatal Fury 2 (SNK. Arcade et. el.: since 1992) that came out in the 1990s captures the gone Sea Palace besides the Jumbo Kingdom restaurant. In later games, such as Wreckless: The Yakuza Mission (Activison. XBox/PlayStation 2/GameCube: 2002), Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012) and Resident Evil 6 (Capcom. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012), only the running and biggest Jumbo Kingdom restaurant shows up.
Jumbo Kingdom pier along Aberdeen Promenade. Source: Wikipedia
The old Sea Palace Floating Restaurant. Source: weshrae.hk
Hong Kong stage of Fatal Fury 2 (SNK. Arcade et. el.: since 1992) featuring the pier and two floating restaurants at that time: Jumbo and Sea Palace
A floating restaruant in 3x3 eyes Juuma Houkan (Banpresto, Super Nintendo, 1995)
The floating restaurant in Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision. Xbox/PlayStation 2/GameCube: 2002)
The floating restaurant in Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007)
The floating restaurant in Lupin the 3rd Rupin Zenigata ni wa koi wo game ルパン三世 ルパンには死を、銭形には恋を (Banpresto. PlayStation 2: 2007) which is based on an ficticious Asian city that looks like Hong Kong
A floating restaurant in Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012)
The floating restaurant based on the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Resident Evil 6 (Capcom. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012)
A floating restaurant in the Dragon's Teeth expansion of Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/PlayStation 4/Xbox 360/Xbox One: 2013)
Interior of the real Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Interior of the real Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Interior of the floating restaurant in Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007)
Interior of the floating restaurant in Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007)
Dried fish and fish balls
What happens to those leftovers fishery harvest that high-end markets (such as floating restaurants) refuse to take?
Traditionally, fishermen dry (and often with additional salting) their excess harvest with sun and wind so they can be kept for a much longer time. That is why you can see fish hanging all around fishing villages or dry seafood markets just like what you see in Tai O in Stranglehold and the stalls in Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012). Considered to be economic dishes of the poor in the past, now some of these processed seafood (such as salted fish and shrimp paste in Tai O) have become signature products of the fishing villages and key ingredients of delicacy.
Salted fish hanged in Tai O. Source: Clare Jim via flickr.com
Salted fish hanged in Tai O of Stranglehold (Midway Games. Xbox/Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3: 2007)
A typical dry seafood store in Tai O. Source: Clare Jim via flickr.com
Salted fish hanged in a stall of Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012)
Short smart food stall owners in the 1950s-1960s were much more aggressive. They created a new demand using these leftover fish by making fish balls out from them. First deep-fried to produce their golden appearance, next boiled in a spicy curry satay sauce, and finally sold at food stalls with five to seven balls on a bamboo skewer or in a bowl, these fish balls have become the most famous food of the city. You can get yours easily when you wander around Hong Kong just like the virtual counterpart of Sleeping Dogs.
Curry Fish Ball on a bowl, served with noodles and beef offal. Source: Wikipedia
A stall offering fish balls in Aberdeen of Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012)
Fishery nowadays
With more and more people are moving to other more promising businesses, nowadays Fishery contributes less than 0.5% of employment and less than 0.1% of GDP as in 2013 (Labour Department of Hong Kong Government, 2016). It is now rare to see sampan homes as most fishermen have moved to homes on land. It is also difficult to find Tanka fishermen dressing in native clothing in everyday life. That is why floating villages and Tanka fishermen are found in video games set in the 20th century but not 21st century. Nonetheless in the real world, books have been written, exhibitions have been set up, and Tanka fishermen are purposely dressed up in special occasions to make sure the stories are still circulated.
A group photo of fishermen and guests for a university project on launching a Mobile Living Museum in Stanley in 2016 spring and a new book on oral histories to disseminate the culture of fisheries and water communities in Aberdeen. Source: The University of Hong Kong
What remains are the sampans and pang uks, though their purpose has been transformed to public transportation and tourism (Wikipedia, n.d.-c; Hong Kong Tourism Board, n.d.).
Small sampan being used as public transportation and sightseeing in Aberdeen. Source: Wikipedia
Inside a sampan being used as public transportation. Note the electronic card fare payment scanner in the middle. Source: Wikipedia
A sampan in Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix. Microsoft Windows/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012). You can drive it yourself.
Hong Kong Tourist Board's page that introduces Tai O pang uk. Source: discoverhongkong.com
Fresh seafood coverage by local fishery has also been diminished to 28% (Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department of Hong Kong Government, 2016), which means higher and higher dependency of fish ball industry and floating seafood restaurants on imports (長訊月刊, 2013 July).
Final Remarks
In short, the fishery industry in Hong Kong contributes to the uniqueness of the city, including scenery untypical of a metropolitan such as the sampan village in Aberdeen, the stilt houses in Tai O, traditional Tanka ethnic group clothing, seafood product display, and the floating seafood restaurants, and key cultures to our city such as the city name "Hong Kong" and the signature seafood street food fish balls. Even though the industry is no longer feeding as many people as in the past, and some of the above are transforming or have even gone as time moves on, we shall do something to make sure that the interesting story behind all these distinctive features be passed from generation to generation.
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