The last of Hong Kong’s traditional wooden junk boats is still sailing the waters

You might not be familiar with the term 'junk boat,' but chances are, you’ve spotted one before.

The junk boat – tall, wooden, and adorned with its signature three vibrant red sails – stands as one of Hong Kong’s most iconic visual symbols, especially when it glows in the sunlight of Victoria Harbor.

These boats have become popular emblems on souvenirs like postcards, vintage travel posters, keychains, T-shirts, and ceramics, even appearing in the logo of the city's tourism board. However, spotting an actual junk boat in modern-day Hong Kong is becoming increasingly rare.

Dukling is the last remaining junk boat in Hong Kong offering public rides. Originally built in 1955, it once served as the home for a local seafaring family.

Measuring 18 meters in length and weighing 50 tons, Dukling provides both locals and tourists with the chance to enjoy Hong Kong’s breathtaking blend of man-made and natural landscapes from the water.

It’s easy to forget that Hong Kong isn’t just one island, but an entire archipelago. Taking a boat ride is not only a refreshing way to cool off, but it also offers a unique perspective on the layout and diversity of this vibrant city.

Like many attractions worldwide, Dukling faces the threat of closure due to a decline in visitors during the pandemic. Currently, it is only available for private charters in accordance with Hong Kong’s ongoing virus restrictions.

Before the pandemic, Dukling offered three sailings every weekend, each with a capacity of 40 passengers. Saturday’s route included several stops in Kowloon, including Tsim Sha Tsui, while Sunday’s journey ran from Central to North Point. The evening cruise was timed to coincide with the Symphony of Lights, a spectacular nightly show where the city’s skyline comes alive with colorful, synchronized lights just after dusk.

Bookings are available online in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin.

When the harbor was filled with a sea of red sails

Libby Chan, Assistant Director of Curatorial and Collections at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, shares that early Hong Kong residents came from two distinct groups – those who thrived on land (Hakka) and those who called the sea their home (Tanka).

Up until the 1970s, many Hong Kong residents lived, worked, and slept aboard these traditional wooden boats, docking in typhoon shelters or along the shore to sell goods and resupply. However, from the 1970s onward, many traded their boat homes for apartments in Hong Kong’s iconic high-rise housing, leaving their maritime lifestyles behind in favor of steadier factory and office jobs.

But how did junks come to be so closely tied to Hong Kong's identity?

Chan explains that it all began when Westerners first arrived in the Pearl River Delta – and inevitably, they arrived by sea.

'The first people to meet the foreign traders were the boat people. Many Western artists captured these boat people in an idealized way. From that point on, the junk became a defining symbol of Hong Kong,' says Chan.

The name 'Dukling' is a fusion of both old and new Hong Kong. Her Chinese name, Ap ling ho, roughly translates to 'the holy duck.' In this, 'Ap' means duck, 'ling' signifies soul or spirit, and 'ho' indicates the definite article 'the.' Her original owner believed the boat's bow resembled a duck's head.

Yet, if you search 'junk boat' online, you'll be bombarded with images of boats laden with trash. On the other hand, searching 'duckling' brings up adorable photos of fluffy baby ducks, while 'duck boat' conjures images of those hybrid vehicles used by tourists in cities like San Francisco and Seattle.

To optimize search engine results, the current owner, local entrepreneur Hazen Tang, chose to intentionally alter the spelling of 'Dukling.'

The restoration of a historic vessel

Dukling’s story is deeply intertwined with Hong Kong’s own history.

The boat’s original owners, a family of local shrimpers, sold her to a Frenchman who used Dukling for leisure rather than as a full-time residence. The Frenchman later sold her to a British expat, who eventually returned to the UK and abandoned the boat, which sank during a typhoon in 2014.

Salvaging Dukling from the South China Sea was a complex, multi-year challenge. First, the authorities had to track down the boat’s former owner in the UK and secure permission for recovery. Afterward, Dukling was transported to Zhuhai for repairs, requiring additional permits since the city is located in mainland China. The final hurdle was finding craftsmen who still had the skills to restore wooden boats.

The current owner, Tang, a Hong Kong native, was eager to bring the boat back to local ownership and return her to Victoria Harbor. His company, HS Travel International Company Limited, is based in Hong Kong but has offices throughout Asia.

The result of the restoration is a stunning, living piece of history, which began hosting tourists in 2015. Charlotte Li, business development director for Dukling's parent company, says that 80% of the boat remains original.

The original wooden steering wheel is still used to navigate the boat, though it is so heavy that the crew can only operate it for two hours at a time before becoming fatigued.

Dukling’s restoration wasn’t just about structural improvements. It turns out that the iconic red sails are actually an orangey-brown hue, which only appears red under Hong Kong’s intense sunlight.

A small shrine to Matsu still sits near the front of the boat, where the crew offers incense and bows, praying for a fortunate voyage. In the past, this area was off-limits to women during the fishing era, but today, women are allowed to enter this part of the vessel.

In addition to Dukling, visitors to Victoria Harbour may also spot two similar junk boats navigating the waters.

Aqualuna, a local tourism company, built two replica junks that take visitors up and down the harbor several times a day, especially during sunset when the skyscrapers along the waterfront put on a spectacular light show.

Although the two companies could be seen as rivals, Li emphasizes there is no competition between them. The owners of both Dukling and Aqualuna share the same goal – to preserve Hong Kong’s maritime heritage.

'They share the same passion and commitment to keeping junk boats in Victoria Harbour,' says Li. 'There’s no such thing as 'real' or 'unreal.' She points out that while Dukling can only carry 40 passengers, each of Aqualuna's boats can accommodate up to 90.

Where to experience boat culture today

As Hong Kong continues to expand, with more than half of its land designated for city parks and public green spaces, finding room for new housing remains a challenge. Land reclamation, particularly along the harbor, is a common solution. But just like the tourism sector post-pandemic, Victoria Harbour has literally been shrinking.

Although many Tanka people transitioned to life on land, remnants of their maritime lifestyle still exist throughout the city, adding depth to a trip aboard Dukling.

The name Hong Kong, meaning 'fragrant harbor,' was inspired by the aromatic incense burned in temples dedicated to Tin Hau, the sea goddess. (Tin Hau and Matsu are often considered interchangeable; Matsu translates to 'mother of the sea.') To this day, numerous Tin Hau temples can be found scattered across the Hong Kong archipelago.

In areas where Tanka people resettled, such as Tai Po in the New Territories, aspects of their traditional lifestyle are still visible during significant cultural events like weddings and funerals. For many boat people, communication was often through traditional songs, known in English as saltwater songs.

'The boat people’s dialect is distinct from Cantonese, though there are some similarities. It’s an ancient dialect, full of complex sounds, and it’s quite easy to sing,' says Chan.

Some of their songs were about navigation – like the best routes to avoid storms – while others focused on themes of courtship or family. 'It’s part of our intangible heritage,' adds Chan.

The Maritime Museum has captured footage of elderly individuals singing these traditional songs and speaking in their dialect to help preserve this 'intangible heritage.' These recordings are now part of the museum's permanent collection, which is fittingly located at Central Piers on Hong Kong Island, where ferries to Lamma Island and Cheung Chau also depart.

Despite the many transformations around Victoria Harbour, there’s still space for traditional junk boats. As long as there is water, Dukling plans to continue sailing.